Tottenham Mounts Late Comeback to Beat Coventry 2-1 in English League Cup

Tottenham Hotspur avoided a shocking defeat in the third round of the English League Cup by scoring two late goals to beat second-division Coventry City 2-1 on Wednesday night. The victory not only ended Spurs’ two-match losing streak but also kept alive one of their trophy chances for the 2024/25 season.

The match at the Coventry Building Society Arena saw Tottenham struggle for the majority of the game, with Coventry deservingly leading 1-0 for most of the second half. However, substitutes Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson came to the rescue, scoring in the 88th and 90th minutes, respectively, to turn the game around.

Spence equalized after being put through by Dejan Kulusevski, while Johnson completed the turnaround with a composed finish following a fine through-ball from Rodrigo Bentancur. The win ensured that Tottenham would be in next Wednesday’s last 16 draw and kept their hopes of winning the competition alive.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou praised his team’s spirit and character after the match, admitting that they had been missing those qualities in their first four Premier League games. “Coventry were outstanding with the energy they brought, we had to dig deep today and we found what we needed to win the game,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.

However, the performance was not without its criticisms. Tottenham’s issues with converting possession into attack persisted, with the majority of their reserve players looking like headless chickens who had no idea what to do with the ball once it got into the box. Timo Werner and Wilson Odobert were both pretty awful, with Odobert looking like he just needs more time to adapt and Werner appearing hapless and without any sense of what to do with the ball.

The injury to Odobert, who was substituted off in the 18th minute after picking up a muscular injury, added to Tottenham’s woes. Postecoglou revealed after the match that the 19-year-old’s injury could be “fairly significant,” while Timo Werner was also substituted off in the 74th minute due to apparent discomfort.

Despite the win, Tottenham’s problems on Wednesday looked like a continuation of the issues they have faced in their first four Premier League matches. The team’s lack of cohesion and fluency was evident, and even when Postecoglou subbed in his first-team players like Son Heung-Min and James Maddison, they weren’t able to convert their possession into meaningful goal-scoring opportunities until the very end.

One player who did impress, however, was Djed Spence. The young defender, who didn’t start the match but came on as a sub at halftime, looked committed to getting the ball forward and running at Coventry’s defenders. His goal, which was set up by a lovely flick from Kulusevski, was a reward for his efforts.

Brennan Johnson, who has faced a lot of criticism this season, also scored a crucial goal. His winner, which came after a fine through-ball from Bentancur, was a boost of confidence for the Wales winger, who had deleted his Instagram account after receiving vile abuse from some Tottenham fans.

The win was not only important for Tottenham’s trophy chances but also for their morale. The team had been under pressure after a slow start to the season, and Postecoglou had received some negative reaction for saying he “always” wins silverware in his second season. While the performance was not there, on the whole, a win is still something to be positive about.

Elsewhere in the League Cup, Wolverhampton’s troubled start to the season continued with a 3-2 loss at Brighton that saw them eliminated from the competition. Carlos Baleba and Simon Adingra gave Brighton a 2-0 lead at Amex Stadium, while Goncalo Guedes pulled one back for Wolves before halftime.

Overall, while Tottenham’s performance on Wednesday was not their best, the win against Coventry was a crucial one. The team will need to improve their cohesion and fluency if they want to compete at the highest level, but the late comeback showed that they have the spirit and character to fight for wins.