As Tottenham agreed a fee of £50million with Bayern Munich for Mathys Tel their Europa League progress was set in motion by three of their academy graduates, all scoring their first goals for the club.
The breakthrough came from Dane Scarlett, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Oxford United and recalled when the Championship team changed their manager and his opportunities dried up.
The plan had been to find him another club on loan to continue his development but last night he came off the bench and to the rescue with his first Spurs goal.
Ange Postecoglou sent him on when Radu Dragusin was forced off with an injured knee, searching for the goal to avert a nervous ending to this tie against Elfsborg.
Scarlett had only been on the pitch for four minutes when he wriggled free in the penalty area and got on the end of a fine inswinging cross from Dejan Kulusevki and powered a header down past Elfsborg goalkeeper Isak Petterson.
His appearance means he cannot go on loan because he cannot appear for three different teams in one season but that did not seem to matter as he emerged as the hero, who set Tottenham on the way to a place in last 16 of the Europa League without the trouble of a play off in February.
Dane Scarlett scored his first ever goal for Tottenham in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Elfsborg
Damola Ajayi, another academy graduate, also scored his first ever Spurs goal during the game
Mikey Moore, 17, then followed suit by opening his Tottenham goal account in stoppage time
Scarlett added an assist for a brilliant second scored by 19-year-old Damola Ajayi on his debut. Off the bench to replace Richarlison, he took only four minutes to score a wonderful run across the edge of the penalty and low finish with his left foot.
Postecoglou threw both arms into the air as Ajayi made it 2-0. Then 17-year old Mikey Moore scored his first for the club in stoppage time, another terrific solo goal. Moore won the ball, carried it forward and found the net with the last kick of the game.
At last, a little relief for the Spurs boss, the prospect of a couple of weeks off next month and the reassurance that there are some might be one or two options around even if they fail to secure a deal for Tel, the 19-year old France Under-21 international.
Elfsborg came out of cold storage for what was only their fourth competitive game since November when the Swedish league ended with them in seventh place. They have only played in friendlies and the Europa League since, although they won on both their previous outings at home against Nice and Qarabag.
They had qualified for this competition on the strength of their performance in 2023, runners-up behind Malmo that year under Jimmy Thelin, who is now in charge at Aberdeen and replaced by Oscar Hiljemark.
For Tottenham, the big boost was to see Micky Van de Ven back in action after three months of hamstring trouble. He limped out of the Carabao Cup tie against Manchester City at the end of October and injured again just 79 minutes into his return against Chelsea in December.
His absence has been keenly felt and his name greeted with a great roar of approval from the home crowd when the teams were announced. Postecoglou made it clear before kick-off that he would not be risking him for longer than 45 minutes.
Van de Ven settled back into central defence alongside Archie Gray, with Ben Davies shifting over to left back and Spurs opened brightly, squeezing the Swedes back into their own defensive third and set about trying to pick a way through.
Former Oxford United loanee Scarlett found the net in the 70th minute with a tidy headed finish
Thursday’s victory saw Tottenham secure a place in the UEFA Europa League’s round of 16
Micky van de Ven made his first appearance in eight weeks before coming off at half-time
Van de Ven was replaced by Radu Dragusin (left) but the Romanian could not finish the game
Centre back Dragusin hurt his right knee as Tottenham suffered yet another injury blow
It did not prove to be easy. Heung-min Son had an effort blocked in the first minute after a dangerous run by Mikey Moore but thereafter Elfsborg’s 3-4-3 formation soon become more of a back five protected by four deep in midfield.
All of them disinterested in possession and simply determined to resist while looking to spring out at speed on the counterattack.
Pedro Porro forced a save from Isak Petterson and Pape Matar Sarr was foiled by a combination of the goalkeeper and wingback Niklas Hult.
Petterson made a fabulous reflex save from Moore, who was starting for the first time since illness interrupted his breakthrough season.
The teenager seemed certain to score as he turned a low Son cross on target, but Elfsborg’s keeper flung out his right arm, made the block and it was all square at half time despite Tottenham having nearly 83 per cent of possession.
Home fans began to glance anxiously at other scores.
Postecoglou made three changes at half time and his team found a slightly crisper tempo at the start of the second half. Davies, with the captain’s armband on after Son had been replaced at the interval, tested the Petterson from distance.
Porro and Kulusevski linked up with promise down the right but then came a warning from Elfsborg on the break, when Besfort Zeneli’s shot on the turn clipped Dragusin on a heel and spun into the air.
Jalal Abdullai launched into an overhead kick that flashed just over. It was followed by a goal flash from Nice, where Bodo/Glimt of Norway had taken the lead and nudged Spurs down a place in the ever-changing table.
Tension increased a little more and Dragusin’s injury forced another reshuffle but Scarlett and Ajayi came on to lift the mood and Moore added a late flourish.
