Ange Postecoglou has admitted that Tottenham Hotspur “need to reinforce” their squad in the January transfer window. Spurs have been hit by an injury crisis with seven players unavailable including first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as well as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

The Spurs dressing room is known for its cohesion under Postecoglou, with players respecting the manager's methods and the lack of clashes, unlike previous regimes under Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho.

When Trent Alexander-Arnold received a stray pass behind him in first-half stoppage-time, however, Djed Spence hared forward - directly in front of Postecoglou - in a hopeful press which was never likely to produce the desired results.