Just days after giving fans something to cheer about with their Europa League final qualification, Tottenham Hotspur were hit with a harsh reality check.
A flat 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday didn’t just bruise egos — it marked their 20th Premier League loss of the season, setting an unwanted club record.
That kind of slump has left them perilously close to the relegation zone and prompted a brutally honest response from manager Ange Postecoglou, who didn’t hold back in his post-match comments.
Postecoglou Says Players Mentally Can’t Handle the Pressure
Ange Postecoglou pulled no punches after the loss, openly questioning his squad’s mindset.
He suggested that the team simply isn’t able to mentally manage the pressure of their current situation — especially with a major final looming on the horizon.
“I think a lot of it is psychological,” he admitted.
“When you’re involved in elite sport, being just a little bit off mentally can cost you big time — and that’s exactly what happened today.”
He made eight changes to the team that beat Bodo/Glimt just three days earlier, trying to rest key players ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao.
But the backups didn’t rise to the occasion.
Fringe Players Fail to Impress
Postecoglou had hoped this would be the chance for his bench players to prove they deserved a place in the final. Instead, he walked away frustrated.
“They had the chance to step up and stake their claim, and unfortunately, no one really grabbed the opportunity,” he said.
“There wasn’t any real pressure put on the starting players from the other night. That’s disappointing.”
He made it clear that the performance wasn’t just about the changes.
“Even with the rotated squad, we should’ve done much better. It wasn’t close to the level we expect.”
Kulusevski Picks Up a Knock in a Worrying Moment
Adding to Tottenham’s woes, Dejan Kulusevski — one of the few starters retained from Thursday’s victory — limped off in the first half with a knee issue.
But Postecoglou offered a bit of reassurance, saying the injury didn’t appear too serious.
“We’re hopeful he’ll be alright,” he said. “The medical staff aren’t overly concerned.
It looks like it’s just a knock rather than something major.”
Manager Blames Europa League Demands for League Struggles
Postecoglou also pointed to their European campaign as a major factor in their domestic decline.
“It’s not rocket science,” he said.
“If we weren’t juggling a packed European schedule, we’d definitely have had better league results.”
He acknowledged the criticism but said people either understand the challenges or they don’t.
“You can beat us over the head with it — that’s fine. I get it,” he said, a little wearily.
Palace Enjoy Perfect Warm-Up for FA Cup Final
On the other side of the pitch, it was a dream outing for Crystal Palace.
Their boss Oliver Glasner couldn’t have asked for a better performance ahead of their FA Cup final clash with Manchester City.
“There’s so much to take from this match heading into the final,” Glasner said.
“The rhythm, the goals, the defending — it’s exactly what we needed.”
Glasner opted to play a full-strength side and said it was a deliberate choice.
“Letting players rest for almost two weeks can be more harmful than helpful. This was the ideal tune-up.”
He ended on a high note: “It was a really enjoyable Sunday afternoon.
We’ll carry this confidence into Wembley.”