Tottenham look to continue perfect Europa League run against AZ Alkmaar
Spurs will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the new-look Europa League tonight. Ange Postecoglou’s side have won both of their opening games in this season’s competition, brushing aside Qarabag on home soil despite going down to 10 men early before travelling to Hungary to defeat Ferencvaros. Tottenham will be strong favourites to record another comfortable victory this evening, having bounced back from their Brighton capitulation by drubbing rivals West Ham in the Premier League.
Now they meet an AZ Alkmaar team who started the season magnificently under Maarten Martens, but have been on a wretched run of form recently, losing four matches in a row across all competitions to drop to fifth in the Eredivisie and 11 points adrift of leaders PSV Eindhoven. They were also beaten by Athletic Club in their last Europa League outing after opening with a win over Elfsborg and have not fared well at all on previous trips to England.
Spurs are without rested captain Heung-min Son once again on Thursday as Postecoglou makes nine changes, while the visitors’ attack is spearheaded by a very familiar face in Troy Parrott. Follow Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar live below!
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It looks like Brennan Johnson will be coming on at half-time for Tottenham. Ange Postecoglou obviously wants a greater attacking spark - will Werner or Moore make way?
Standard Sport’s Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
A note of impatience crept into the crowd towards the end of the half, with fans urging the Spurs players to start shooting more.
It's been all the hosts, one smart save from Fraser Forster aside, but wasteful finishing from wingers Timo Werner and Mikey Moore means Spurs are being frustrated so far.
Half-time
Goalless at the break in north London, and AZ Alkmaar will be comfortably the happier side so far.
They’ve defended solidly for the most part and have a real threat on the break with the dangerous Poku.
Some good moments for much-changed Spurs but they have yet to really ignite, Werner and Moore missing their best chances.
47 mins: Bentancur looks to punish a poor clearance but his shot is wild and flies into the stands.
That should do it for the first half.
44 mins: Lovely feet and skill inside the box from Maddison, but AZ clear their lines before Parrott again gets back to defend diligently and earns a free-kick off a frustrated Gray.
Two minutes of additional time will be played at the end of this first half.
Standard Sport’s Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
You genuinely wonder how and when Timo Werner will ever score again. It has been another lively enough display from the winger, who is still making all the right runs, but he looks utterly bereft of confidence in front of goal and has missed two big openings tonight.
He probably needs the simplest of tap-ins to stop the rot.
42 mins: Parrott has spent a lot of time in this first half back defending on the edge of his own box. He’s caught by Richarlison with no foul given, but the Brazilian scuffs his shot well wide.
39 mins: Solid goalkeeping again from Forster as he races to the edge of his box to beat Kasius to the ball. He had to get that right, and did. Excellent timing.
37 mins: Maikuma is caught in possession by Richarlison after a heavy touch and the Brazilian feeds Werner, who fires into the side netting on the stretch. That was a far more difficult chance for the former Chelsea man.
36 mins: Young Dutch Under-21 winger Poku is causing Tottenham plenty of problems down AZ’s left-hand side tonight - he’s by far their brightest spark.
A frustrating first half for the hosts who have created plenty of chances but have struggled to infiltrate a tough AZ defence.
Moore and Werner have both come close for Tottenham with the latter missing a great chance after a timid shot which fell straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.
Forster has done well to twice deny the visitors with two good saves. AZ are proving a tougher challenge than the hosts might have initially thought. Their defence has been full-proof thus far and they have looked dangerous on the counter.
Postecoglou might have to call on a few of his trusty players on the bench in order to guarantee his team continues their perfect Europa League record.
Tottenham are putting some good pressure on their visitors in the final minutes of the first half.
Their issues are coming in the final third, where the AZ backline have defended steadfastly thus far.
There will be two minutes of added time...
Richarlison clips Parrott who falls to the ground, but the referee says play on. The Brazilian has a great chance to pass forward, however his effort is far too heavy and there are no Tottenham players who can get anywhere near it in time. It goes out for a goal kick.
Forster hasn’t been tested too many times this evening - but he has done very well so far when called upon.
Werner manages to pass the ball into the path of Kasius who immediately launches an attack on the counter. He drives down the right and Forster flies out of the goal to make an important, clean save just inside his box.
A much tougher test for Werner as he shoots from a tight angle and sees his first-time effort skew into the side netting.
Poku makes yet another quick run down the left - the visitors are looking to him as much as possible at the moment. He looks threatening every time - Gray is really struggling to deal with him. His attempt is blocked and goes out for a throw in.
This is shaping up to be a frustrating first half for the hosts who are struggling to find a way through AZ’s backline and are being tested when the visitors break on the counter.
Poku breaks quickly down the left again - he is certainly posing the most threat for the visitors at the moment. He is taken down in the Tottenham box and there are a few calls for a penalty which are quickly dismissed by the referee.
Tottenham think they should have a penalty after Maddison is taken down by Penetra in the penalty area. However, the VAR check agrees with the onfield decision and no penalty is given.
The hosts get a corner instead which results in a scramble in the penalty area. The ball is headed away from danger before Dragusin reacts quickly to send it back into the box. However the AZ defenders make a second block.
A big chance for the visitors!
Penetra manages to get just in front of Davies in the penalty area and heads the ball goalwards. Tottenham goalkeeper Forster is at full-stretch and makes an important save to deny AZ the first goal.
The visitors quickly shoot again but the effort is miles off target.
Werner breaks down the left and times his run perfectly to get himself in behind. He has time to position himself and then goes for goal. However his effort is very timid - he shoots straight into the hands of the goalkeeper who easily collects the ball. The attempt of a player perhaps very low on confidence.
Maddison weaves through the AZ backline and finds a good position just on the edge of the six-yard box. He is in the position to shoot but instead opts to cross to Moore who awaits near the goal line.
An AZ defender manages to get a head to it and sends the ball away from danger.
The home side could be at danger of letting AZ grow more and more into this game as the first half progresses.
Despite Tottenham dominating in the opening stages, the visitors are starting to pose more of a threat - particularly down the left-hand side where Poku is currently winning the battle against Gray.
The visitors are dangerous on the counter.
Poku breaks down the left, outpacing Gray, and crosses to Parrott who immediately goes for goal. His effort is blocked.
Good build up play from Tottenham at the moment who are just trying to find the right pass to cut open the AZ defence.
Bergvall has posed a persistent threat with his crosses, however his most recent attempt is decisively blocked.
A quick response from the hosts who break on the counter. Maddison drives down the left and flicks the ball into the box. It is blocked and goes out for a corner.
The first real chance of the game for the visitors.
Kasius drives down the right and plays a perfect cross into the box. His effort sweeps past the Tottenham backline but, unluckily for the visitors, none of their players can get a head or foot to the ball and it goes behind for a goal kick.
Neat play from Tottenham across the midfield. Bergvall drives the ball towards Werner who crosses to Maddison who awaits in the box.
Richarlison gains possession in a dangerous area however Moore clips the legs of an AZ defender in the crowded penalty area and a foul is given.
Bentancur breaks the lines with a neat forward pass to Maddison who waits just outside the box. He goes immediately for goal, but his attempt is gathered by the AZ goalkeeper.
Kasius is the player to replace van Bommel.
There’s an injury issue for AZ with Ruben van Bommel down on the floor. He is the son of former PSV and Bayern Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel, who is in attendance at the game tonight.
After a quick assessment, van Bommel is led off the pitch and heads straight down the tunnel. AZ are briefly down to 10 men.
Udogie breaks quickly and makes two strong challenges to drive the ball forward. He passes across to Bergvall who is waiting on the edge of the box. He is urged to shoot by the home crowd but his effort is blocked.
It’s all Tottenham at the moment. Maddison attempts to run onto a neat forward pass, however he’s not quite quick enough and AZ goalkeeper Owusu-Oduro manages to collect the ball just in time.
A great delivery from Werner sees Mikey Moore inches away from his first senior goal.
Werner sprints down the left, passes from his left foot to his favoured right and crosses in perfectly onto the head of Moore, who glances his effort just wide.
Richarlison gets his first touches of the match as he drives forward, but he is quickly flagged for offside.
The fans’ chants echo around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the home side gets the game underway.
Alkmaar have a Parrott (Troy, the former Tottenham forward), Wolfe and Kwakman in their matchday squad tonight. Substitute Kwakman’s first name is....Dave.
Tottenham XI: Forster, Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie, Bentancur, Bergvall, Maddison, Moore, Richarlison, Werner.
Subs: Vicario, Austin, Bissouma, Romero, Solanke, Kulusevski, Johnson, Porro, Odobert, Sarr, Van de Ven, Lankshear.
AZ Alkmaar XI: Owusu-Oduro, Maikuma, Penetra, Dekker, Moller Wolfe, Clasie, Mijnans, Belic, Poku, Parrott, Van Bommel.
Subs: Verlhust, Zoet, Koopmeiners, Addai, Lahdo, Kasius, Kwakman, De Wit, Meerdink, Berkhout.
Charged up ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/i2Ad4KeXlt
While Tottenham have fared well against Dutch opponents in the past, it’s a less positive picture for AZ Alkmaar who haven’t beaten a Premier League side since 2007.
Spurs have won 10 games and lost six against Dutch competitors in European competitions - with one of their most renowned feats being the comeback win against Ajax which propelled them to the Champions League final in 2018/19.
AZ will certainly hope for improvement when it comes to their record against English opponents with 11 losses, five draws, and just two wins. Their last success was a 2-0 home victory against Newcastle United in 2007. Since then, they have had nine games against English opponents without a triumph.
Tonight marks the first meeting between the two sides.
Latest scores in the 17:45pm kick-offs:
And also coming up at 20:00pm:
Ange Postecoglou has opted to start a few of his youngest players in tonight’s fixture with 17-year-old Mikey Moore and 18-year-olds Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray all getting the nod.
As reported by Sam Dean in the summer, Gray’s arrival [in August] was part of a wider strategy, now overseen by technical director Johan Lange, which has seen the club move out of one cycle and into the thrilling start of the next.
Since last summer’s transfer window, when Postecoglou was appointed as head coach, the average age of the new signings at Spurs has been younger than 22. This season, alongside Gray, they have added promising Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is also 18, and winger Wilson Odobert, 19, who has joined from Burnley.
Spurs are betting on young talent. Micky van de Ven (£43 million), Brennan Johnson (£47.5 million) and Radu Dragusin (£25 million) all arrived in the last year, aged 22 or younger. There are others to come: Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic, 17, joins the club next year, as does South Korean forward Yang Min-Hyeok, 18.
Read Sam’s full story here.
Ange Postecoglou has named by far his weakest Tottenham team yet for tonight’s Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar. Only James Maddison and Destiny Udogie start from the team that started against West Ham United.
That may not reflect too well on Maddison, who was replaced at half-time against the Hammers. Teenager Mikey Moore is starting and he is 19 years younger than 36-year-old goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who has come in for Guglielmo Vicario.
Won AZ 3 IF Elfsborg 2
Lost AZ 1 Utrecht 2
Lost Athletic Club 2 AZ 0
Lost Fortuna Sittard 1 AZ 0
Lost AZ 1 PSV 2
The Dutch side are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, with their last win being at the end of September. They will be desperate for victory tonight as they attempt to properly kick start their European campaign.
Won Spurs 3 Qarabag 0
Won Man United 0 Spurs 3
Won Ferencvaros 1 Spurs 2
Lost Brighton 3 Spurs 2
Won Spurs 4 West Ham 1
Fans will hope the capitulation against Brighton at the start of the month was a one-off as the team were on good form prior and bounced back against West Ham with a much-needed win at the weekend.
It has been a tough start to the season for Richarlison who has been sidelined with various injuries and has so far only racked up the minutes in substitute appearances.
He has his chance to prove his worth to Ange Postecoglou tonight in his first start of the season, with Dominic Solanke dropped to the bench and Son Heung-Min out of action.
Postecoglou has once again opted for a youthful approach to the European fixture with the inclusions of 17-year-old Mikey Moore and Lucas Bergvall, 18, in his starting XI. The pair have impressed on the European stage thus far, as has Will Lankshear who is on the bench tonight.
James Maddison captains the home side and second-choice goalkeeper Fraser Forster is the preferred option over Guglielmo Vicario. Postecoglou has opted to give a few of his trusty starting players a rest this evening, with the likes of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, and Brennan Johnson on the bench.
Starting XI: Owusu-Oduro (GK), Wolfe, Dekker, Penetra, Maikuma, Belic, Mijnans, Clasie (C), van Bommel, Parrott, Poku.
The team is set. COYS ✊ pic.twitter.com/gHw6eb2Hot
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Welcome to our coverage of the Europa League as Spurs host AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs’ slightly underwhelming start to the Premier League season reached a crescendo just before the international break, when the side capitulated against Brighton in a loss which manager Ange Postecoglou described as “unacceptable”.
However, a much-needed 4-1 win against West Ham at the weekend had fans feeling much more positive about their team’s prospects heading into this Europa League matchday three clash.
The hosts are one of the competition’s favourites and have made a perfect start to the league stage, registering two wins in their opening two matches.
They are one of five clubs to still have a 100 per cent record in the Europa League this season and will look to continue that streak on home turf tonight. Recent history is certainly in their favour, with the team having won the six Europa League games they have played at their new stadium without conceding a goal.
Captain Heung-Min Son will be rested for tonight’s game, whilst full-backs Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon are ineligible. Wilson Odobert and Radu Drahgusin will both be available, with the former returning from a hamstring problem and the latter having served a one-match ban in the previous fixture.
Richarlison could be handed his first start of the season in tonight’s clash. The Brazilian has been out of action on multiple occasions this year with various injuries and has often found himself sidelined with Dominic Solanke the preferred starting striker for Postecoglou’s side. If he starts, the forward will be eager to continue building his fitness and proving his value to his coach.
And a familiar face returns to north London as Troy Parrott, who joined the Dutch club in the summer, will be in AZ’s matchday squad.
The visitors are in the midst of a four-game losing run, with their most recent victory being their first Europa League fixture against IF Elfsborg in September. It is certainly not the ideal time for Maarten Martens’ side to face one of their trickiest European opponents.
The game kicks off at 8pm BST and we will have team news for you shortly.
