Tottenham Hotspur have matched one unwanted record and are guaranteed to be setting a new one owing to their 2-0 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa on Friday night.
Once again putting out a makeshift team in the top flight with all eyes on the Europa League final, Ange Postecoglou fielded the likes of Antonin Kinsky, Mikey Moore and Sergio Reguilon for the trip to the West Midlands.
Spurs initially did well to keep the Champions League-chasing Lions at bay, and the Lilywhites even had a couple of chances of their own to break the deadlock at Villa Park, which they spurned.
However, Unai Emery‘s full-strength side made their pressure tell in the second half, where Ezri Konsa drew first blood before a fine Boubacar Kamara finish put Aston Villa out of sight.
Still on a measly 38 points after 37 matches, Tottenham can only end the campaign with a total of 41, and whatever happens on the final day, they will set a new club-low points tally in the Premier League era.
Spurs to end season with worst-ever Premier League points total
© Imago
The North London giants will surpass their previous Premier League low of 44, which came during the 1997-98 season, and Friday’s result also saw Tottenham equal another undesirable club record.
Across all competitions, Postecoglou’s team have suffered a harrowing 25 defeats this season, their joint-most in a single campaign in their entire history having also lost 25 times in the 1991-92 campaign.
However, Spurs’ shoddy Premier League season may be largely forgotten about if the Lilywhites can conquer fellow strugglers Manchester United – who also lost to Chelsea on Friday night – in next week’s Europa League showpiece in Bilbao.
Postecoglou unsurprisingly had some positive words to share about his side’s performance in his post-match press conference, telling reporters: “I thought up until they scored the boys had worked hard, they were really disciplined and organised,” as quoted by football.london.
“We didn’t really let them create too many clear openings. We had our moments as well, going the other way, but once they scored we lost a little bit of belief.
Postecoglou upbeat about Tottenham display in record-breaking defeat
© Imago
“We got a little bit fatigued. A lot of those guys haven’t played a lot and we looked like we were fatiguing and then the game just got away from us.
“I think from my perspective, at least different to the Palace game, I felt that the lads worked hard and competed and at least made it difficult for the opposition. So from that perspective I thought that was more important for me than the individual context.
“It was good to get some match minutes into players like Sonny and Wilson and a lot of these guys haven’t played a lot this year, so just to get them through another game was important.”
Postecoglou also provided updates on both Pape Sarr and Moore, who were forcibly withdrawn at either end of the second half, the former with a back problem.
Once the Europa League final is done and dusted, 17th-placed Tottenham conclude a disastrous Premier League campaign at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on May 25.
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