Tottenham v Elfsborg LIVE: Result as debutant Damola Ajayi hits Europa League beauty
Spurs booked their place in the last 16 of the Europa League with victory over their Swedish visitors
Tottenham Hotspur booked their berth in the Europa League's last 16 with a 3-0 victory over Swedish side Elfsborg on Thursday, with youngsters Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi and Mikey Moore netting their debut goals for the London club.
The victory spares Ange Postecoglou's injury-hit team the two-legged knockout round. It was not all good news for the manager as Radu Dragusin had to leave the pitch with an apparent knee injury.
Spurs thoroughly dominated the game, but struggled to break a well-organised defence down, before Scarlett finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute when Dejan Kulusevski curled the ball into the middle of the six-yard box and the 20-year-old striker headed it into the bottom corner.
The 19-year-old Ajayi netted in the 84th minute when he played a one-two with Scarlett before slotting it into the corner. Moore, 17, celebrated his first goal in a Spurs shirt seconds before the final whistle, driving forward and then beating his man before lashing a shot into the far corner.
Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg
5 min: A bright start by the visitors, who come forwards via a surging run by Hedlund. Spurs manage to deal with a ball into the box and get the ball clear.
Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg
2 min: Tottenham are wearing all white, while Elfsborg are in yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks, looking more than a little Dortmundish.
Kick-off! Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg
We’re underway on the Europa League group phase’s final night.
Tottenham v Elfsborg – Europa League
It’s a chilly night in north London as the players emerge on to the field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Let’s see if Spurs can earn the win that would book their spot in the last 16.
Tottenham chase Munich's Tel
News coming through this evening that Tottenham are in talks with Bayern Munich over the potential signing of forward Mathys Tel, the PA news agency understands.
Spurs are in desperate need of reinforcements due to a lengthy injury list, which includes key attackers Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke.
Ange Postecoglou has repeatedly stated the current threadbare squad need help and Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit of Tel, who is eager to leave Bayern after only four starts this season.
Tel, 19, moved to the Bundesliga club in 2022 from Rennes after he become the youngest player to represent the Ligue 1 outfit at the age of 16.
After the versatile forward scored 10 goals in all competitions last season, he has found chances limited under new Bayern boss Vincent Kompany and is expected to move on during the final days of the winter transfer window.
While Tottenham will be eager to wrap up a deal which could be worth a reported £50m, they face competition from various rival Premier League clubs before Monday's deadline.
What Spurs need to qualify for last 16
Tottenham come into the final game of the group phase in a good position, sixth in the table, and well placed to qualify as one of the eight automatic clubs through to the last 16.
Victory will guarantee their place but a draw may well be enough if results go their way. But defeat will almost certainly mean dropping outside the top eight and into the play-offs.
Pos Team Pld GD Pts
1 SS Lazio 7 13 19
2 E Frankfurt 7 6 16
3 Ath Bilbao 7 6 16
4 Man United 7 5 15
5 Lyonnais 7 8 14
6 Tottenham 7 5 14
7 Anderlecht 7 3 14
8 Steaua Buc 7 3 14
9 Galatasaray 7 4 13
10 Bodø/Glimt 7 3 13
11 Vik Plzeň 7 3 12
12 Olympiacos 7 3 12
13 Rangers 7 5 11
14 AZ Alkmaar 7 1 11
15 Union St-G 7 1 11
Van de Ven set to make comeback from injury
Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven is set to make his comeback from the bench tonight.
Van de Ven has not featured for Spurs since a 4-3 loss to Chelsea on December 8, which was his first appearance in five weeks following a hamstring strain.
The absence of the Dutch defender to another hamstring issue alongside a number of other key players for Ange Postecoglou over the last two months has seen the club slip to 15th in the Premier League, but stay in contention for success in the Carabao Cup, Europa League and FA Cup.
"Micky is good. He is good to go and we will try to get him some match minutes tomorrow," Postecoglou revealed.
"We've done everything in our power and we did last time too. Last time he probably played more than he should have in that first game (against Chelsea) but again hindsight and the circumstances around that game without rewriting history were pretty challenging anyway.
"But he's ticked every box, worked awfully hard and been given clearance by the medical team. Invariably when you've had one injury it means you are always going to take a conservative approach, which we have and at some stage he has to play.
"What we've got to make sure is to just manage his minutes now to give him every chance to grow into it, but he's enormous for us because A, he is a fantastic player, and B with a lot of these guys who will come back, they are just champing at the bit to help."
Elfsborg 'not scared' of Tottenham's talent
Elfsborg enter this match following a 1-0 win over Nice last week, which has kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout phase.
Goalkeeper Isak Pettersson told reporters: "We know that Tottenham have many very skilled players.
"At the same time we will not be scared. We know how high our highest level is and we will do everything to win."
Kulusevski shrugs off Spurs fans' frustrations
Frustration has increased among Spurs' supporters in recent months, especially since the January transfer window opened with the club yet to sign an outfield player.
It has led to Tottenham fans creating a new chant about under-fire chairman Daniel Levy, which includes a reference to their love for Kulusevski and has been regularly heard during the last six weeks.
"I'm just playing. I'm just playing football. If they see what I give, everything I give, if they appreciate it, it's even better," Kulusevski responded when quizzed on the song. "I'm happy that I'm getting love from them. That's it."
Elfsborg line-up v Tottenham
And here is how Tottenham’s Swedish opponents line up this evening. The 21-year-old winger Ahmed Qasem is a key threat, while attacking midfielder Simon Hedlund is a Swedish international with goalscoring instincts.
Elfsborg XI: Petterson; Yegbe, Holmen, Henriksson; Hedlund, Zeneli, Thomasen, Hult; Qasem, Abdullai, Rapp.
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