Ange Postecoglou admitted that Tottenham had to dig deep to avoid a Carabao Cup upset against Coventry, but praised his team’s resilience and determination after a nervy 2-1 victory. Spurs were on the verge of back-to-back defeats following their painful loss to Arsenal in the North London derby, as Brandon Thomas-Asante put Coventry ahead with a well-deserved goal in the 63rd minute.
It looked like Tottenham might be heading for another frustrating evening, which would have intensified scrutiny on Postecoglou’s ambitions of winning silverware in his second season. However, Djed Spence rescued Spurs with an equalizer two minutes from time, before Brennan Johnson netted the winning goal in stoppage time, sending Tottenham through and igniting celebrations among their traveling supporters.
“We had to hang in there. We had to work really, really hard just to stay in the game, and obviously going a goal behind makes it even more challenging,” Postecoglou acknowledged. “At the end there, we showed some real spirit and character, which is probably what’s been missing in the first four games.”
Postecoglou noted that while his team had performed well in previous matches, they hadn’t shown the necessary relentlessness to secure results. The late comeback against Coventry, he said, gave the team a much-needed boost of belief, and he hopes it signals a positive step forward.
Despite the thrilling conclusion, it was a lackluster performance overall from a much-changed Spurs side. Coventry nearly took the lead within the first minute, with Fraser Forster forced into a crucial save after misplacing a pass, denying Jack Rudoni. Tottenham dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances, while Coventry looked dangerous on the counter, with Norman Bassette firing over and more opportunities going begging.
Boos echoed from the away supporters at halftime, and Postecoglou responded by making substitutions, introducing Djed Spence, who had an immediate impact. However, it was Coventry who struck first, as Thomas-Asante slotted home from a superb Bassette cross, putting the Sky Bet Championship side in the lead.
Coventry had further chances to extend their lead, with Haji Wright and Ephron Mason-Clark both coming close. But their failure to capitalize would prove costly, as Tottenham found life late in the game. Dejan Kulusevski linked up with Spence, who poked the ball home to level the score in the 88th minute.
Sensing an opportunity, Spurs pushed for a winner, and in the 92nd minute, Rodrigo Bentancur’s clever pass sent Brennan Johnson through on goal, with the forward coolly chipping the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to complete the comeback.
Postecoglou defended his decision to substitute Lucas Bergvall, who had been one of Spurs’ brightest players, despite boos from the fans. “I don’t make substitutions by poll, mate. I’m sure the fans have got their own opinions, but yeah, Lucas, that’s his first sort of significant game time for quite a while,” he said.
Coventry manager Mark Robins expressed his disappointment but saw positives in his team’s performance. “Life presents you with chances, and we seem to not take them in this moment in time,” Robins reflected. “The game was there tonight, and we just didn’t manage to take it. There is disappointment, but there were so many positives.”
