Tottenham v Elfsborg LIVE: Result as debutant Damola Ajayi hits Europa League beauty

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 v Elfsbrog

• Spurs host Swedish visitors at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | Live on TNT Sports 2

• Tottenham XI: Austin; Porro, Gray, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Son, Richarlison, Moore

• Elfsborg XI: Petterson; Yegbe, Holmen, Henriksson; Hedlund, Zeneli, Thomasen, Hult; Qasem, Abdullai, Rapp.

• Half-time: Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

• Radu Dragusin replaced after sustaining knee injury (64 min)

• GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Elfsborg (Scarlett, 70 min)

• GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Elfsborg (Ajayi, 84 min)

• GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 Elfsborg (Moore, 90+4 min)

• Full-time: Tottenham 3-0 Elfsborg

Tottenham Hotspur FC 3 - 0 IF Elfsborg

Match summary

22:14 , Lawrence Ostlere

Three Tottenham academy graduates scored late goals to sink Elfsborg and book their place in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Dane Scarlett headed in the opener to ease frustrations inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before 18-year-old debutant Damola Ajayi fired in a wonderfully taken strike of his own.

And Mikey Moore added a third in injury time as Tottenham finished fourth in the league phase.

Tottenham players speak at full-time

22:00 , Lawrence Ostlere

Ben Davies: “It’s important to get the job done tonight. Those games can be banana skins. Dane has worked so hard in the years I’ve known him and he deserves this.”

Dane Scarlett: “It was amazing, I’ve been waiting for that moment for a long time. I’ve been training hard, focusing on getting my opportunity and I’m grateful.”

Full-time: Tottenham 3-0 Elfsborg

21:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

What looked like being a frustrating evening for Spurs ends with three youngsters all getting on the scoresheet. Job done for Tottenham, who go through to the last 16 of the Europa League.

GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 Elfsborg (Moore, 90+4 min)

21:53 , Lawrence Ostlere

This might just be the best goal of the lot! Brilliant by Mikey Moore, dribbling at the Elfsborg defence before shifting the ball on to his right foot and firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. That’s his first senior goal for the club.

Tottenham 2-0 Elfsborg

21:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

Damola Ajayi will never forget this moment for as long as he lives:

Tottenham 2-0 Elfsborg

21:47 , Lawrence Ostlere

88 min: Bergvall is booked for a needless tug back.

GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Elfsborg (Ajayi, 84 min)

21:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

What a goal this is by the debutant! Damola Ajayi, 18, drives in from the right, plays a one-two on the edge of the box and fires a low finish into the bottom corner. Beautifully done.

Tottenham 1-0 Elfsborg

21:42 , Lawrence Ostlere

82 min: Lyon have been pegged back by Ludogorets which means Tottenham are up to fourth in the table now, behind only Lazio, Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United. Rangers are up to eighth and heading through, too.

Tottenham 1-0 Elfsborg

21:40 , Lawrence Ostlere

79 min: Spurs make a fifth change, with former Bromley forward Damola Ajayi replacing Richarlison.

Tottenham 1-0 Elfsborg

21:39

The moment Spurs fans had been waiting for:

Tottenham 1-0 Elfsborg

21:32 , Lawrence Ostlere

72 min: Tottenham jump up to fifth in the as-it-stands table and they should now be going through to the last-16 as automatic qualifiers.

GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Elfsborg (Scarlett, 70 min)

21:30 , Lawrence Ostlere

Finally, the breakthrough! It’s a lovely ball by Kulusevski from the right, and Dane Scarlett arrives in the centre of the box between two defenders to guide a header home from six yards.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:26 , Lawrence Ostlere

68 min: Scarlett almost engineers a goal, flicking the ball into Kulusevski’s path in the box, but the Swede can’t quite control it on the run.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:26 , Lawrence Ostlere

64 min: Dragusin is replaced by Dane Scarlett. This will require a bit of a reshuffle, with just about every Spurs player moving position. Scarlett has gone up front and Kulusevski has moved into the No 10 position. Sarr is now playing as left-back, with Davies in at centre-half where Dragusin was.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

62 min: Dragusin receives some treatment, jogs back on to the field and then immediately waves his hand in the air to signal that he can’t continue. Elfsborg are furious that he’s effectively held up the game again.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

60 min: While Dragusin receives treatment, some more bad news: Bodo/Glimt have scored at Nice and have leapfrogged Spurs in the table. Tottenham are still seventh and just inside the top eight, but their position is precarious, and defeat here would almost certainly drop them out of the automatic places.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:20 , Lawrence Ostlere

58 min: This looks problematic for Spurs. Radu Dragusin is down holding his right knee, by the look of it.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:17

58 min: Porro makes a driving run into the box before clipping in a cross to Bergvall, but his header is too close to the goalkeeper.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:14 , Lawrence Ostlere

54 min: Sarr steals the ball near the corner flag and Spurs come again, but their latest attack breaks down.

A frustrating night so far, and the Tottenham fans seem edgy.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

51 min: So close! Elfsborg work their way to the edge of the Spurs box where Rapp crosses into the middle for Zeneli. His shot deflects into the path of striker Abdullai who tries an audacious overhead kick from six yards, and it flies just over the bar. That would have been some goal.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:07 , Lawrence Ostlere

47 min: Spurs fans will hope those changes are just pre-planned rotations to keep key players fresh, rather any new injury. We’ll update if we hear more.

Kulusevski’s first action is a positive dribble and cross down the right, but Elfsborg deal with the danger.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:05 , Lawrence Ostlere

46 min: The second half is underway and Postecoglou makes three changes.

Van de Ven, Bentancur and Son are off; Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski are on.

Half-time: Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

21:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

As it stands, Spurs are heading through to the last 16 in sixth place in the league standings and avoiding the play-offs by one point. They would need a few results to change for them to fall out of that position... or to concede here to Elfsborg, of course. That would send Rangers through at Tottenham’s expense.

The player are back out on the pitch.

Peter Crouch: 'Give the ball to Son'

20:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

Speaking on TNT Sports, Peter Crouch gives his take on that first half: “Elfsborg have so many players in deep areas, they’re very difficult to break down. Son has been absolutely destroying the full-back down this side and they’ve just got to keep getting the ball to him. That’s got to be the gameplan: keep getting the ball out to Son, keep dribbling, and flood the box because the goal will come.”

Half-time: Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

The referee brings a very one-sided half to an end. Son Heung-min was excellent, looking like a Champions League player in a Conference League game, but beyond his dribbling threat there was little else to ruffle Elfsborg’s stoic defence, despite Spurs’ possession and territory.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

44 min: Spurs’ short corner routine goes wrong as Moore dribbles off the pitch.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:43 , Lawrence Ostlere

43 min: Porro’s deep cross is cleared behind by Hedlund and Spurs will have a corner, as half-time nears...

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:41 , Lawrence Ostlere

40 min: Moore tries to find Richarlison in the box with a throughball but it’s dealt with by the Swedish defence. The Elfsborg fans are the only ones make noise right now inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

38 min: Son again causes problems with his direct dribbling to the byline. His low cross finds Moore, who forces a good save from Petterson with his first-time shot at goal.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:37

35 min: Spurs keep on coming – this game has been almost entirely one-way traffic so far.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:33 , Lawrence Ostlere

32 min: Son is having a fantastic game so far. He deceives the Elfsborg defence with another lovely feint near the byline and crosses to the middle, where Sarr’s shot is blocked by one of the many Elfsborg bodies in the six-yard box.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:31 , Lawrence Ostlere

29 min: Son slams a cross towards Richarlison but it’s really well defended by Henriksson, who took a bump in that action.

Elfsborg take the chance to have a teamtalk on the sideline with their young manager Oscar Hiljemark.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

25 min: As it stands, Spurs will finish seventh in the table and qualify for the last 16. Still a long night ahead, mind.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

22 min: Magnificent dribble by Son, who drives to the byline before hacking out a cross. Porro meets it with his head on the penalty spot but his effort is easily caught by Petterson.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

20 min: Spurs are patiently probing the yellow wall in front of them, but they are finding it hard to make anything happen, and Son’s latest cross finds only the goalkeeper.

Elfsborg try to launch a counterattack but a misplaced pass ends the move.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:17 , Lawrence Ostlere

17 min: Richarlison is fouled in midfield after a robust challenge from behind, and a moment later so is Moore. Elfsborg are not afraid to get stuck into their hosts, it seems.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:15

14 min: A lovely little one-two between Son and Davies gets the captain to the byline, but he can’t pick out a teammate with his cutback and it’s cleared behind for a corner.

Son whips in the set-piece, which just evades Van de Ven at the back post after a defender’s touch! That was very close to being the opener.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

11 min: Spurs are dominating the ball and the territory, but Isak Petterson hasn’t had much to do so far in the Elfsborg goal.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:10 , Lawrence Ostlere

9 min: Son dribbles down the left side of the box and coaxes a foul from his marker, earning Spurs a free-kick on the edge of the area from a tight angle. Son tries to shoot but his low effort towards the near post is easily cleared by a waiting defender.

Spurs then get a corner, but Ben Davies can’t steer a close-range header on target.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:08 , Lawrence Ostlere

7 min: Spurs have their first serious foray forwards and Richarlison can’t quite stretch enough to get his head on to a deep cross. A moment later Mikey Moore dribbles purposefully into the box but loses it under his feet surrounded by defenders.

Tottenham 0-0 Elfsborg

20:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

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

20:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

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

20:00 , Lawrence Ostlere

We’re underway on the Europa League group phase’s final night.

Tottenham v Elfsborg – Europa League

19:56

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

19:50 , Lawrence Ostlere

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

19:43 , Lawrence Ostlere

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 PldGDPts

1SS Lazio 71319

2E Frankfurt 7616

3Ath Bilbao 7616

4Man United 7515

5Lyonnais 7814

6Tottenham 7514

7Anderlecht 7314

8Steaua Buc 7314

9Galatasaray 7413

10Bodø/Glimt 7313

11Vik Plzeň 7312

12Olympiacos 7312

13Rangers 7511

14AZ Alkmaar7111

15Union St-G 7111

Van de Ven set to make comeback from injury

19:37 , Lawrence Ostlere

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

19:26 , Lawrence Ostlere

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

19:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

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

19:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

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.

Tottenham team news

19:01

So Micky Van de Ven comes straight back into the starting XI after his recent injury. That didn’t end well when he started against Chelsea in his previous outing after an injury layoff, so Ange Postecoglou must be confident that the defender is fully fit and ready to go.

Van de Ven for Radu Dragusin is one of three changes following the defeat by Leicester at the weekend. Goalkeeper Brandon Austin comes in for Antonin Kinsky, and Mikey Moore starts in place of Dejan Kulusevski.

Tottenham line-up v Elfsborg

18:50 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here is how Spurs line up this evening:

Tottenham XI: Austin; Porro, Gray, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Son, Richarlison, Moore.

Subs: Forster, Whiteman, Hardy, Dragusin, Cassanova, Bissouma, Olusesi, Kyerematen, Ajayi, Kulusevski, Scarlett, Lankshear

Tottenham v Elfsborg – Europa League

18:43 , Lawrence Ostlere

The teamsheets will be dropping very shortly...

Kulusevski backs Postecoglou to turn Spurs' season

18:38 , Lawrence Ostlere

When Kulusevski provided a defence of Postecoglou's credentials, he referenced impressive away wins at Manchester United and Manchester City earlier in the campaign before the squad became depleted.

The Sweden attacker, who has arguably been the club's most consistent performer this season with nine goals and eight assists, has helped Spurs reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals and be on the verge of the last 16 in the Europa League.

Asked why Postecoglou is the right man, Kulusevski insisted: "Because we had games when we showed perfect football - football that not many teams can play in the world.

"We played beautiful games against United, against City 4-0, so I think he is the right man. We play for him. We want to win for him and to be honest we have similar ideas.

"I am very positive as a guy and I always want to play the football he wants. I have to fight for him because I believe in that football too. Yes, I think he's the right man.

"The league (position) is very bad and the game on Sunday was tough to lose but you have to stay clear-minded and focus on the goals. We have done mistakes, don't get me wrong.

"We have done a lot of mistakes. We are 10 to 11 fit players in four competitions and that's not OK and that's why the team is paying that price in the league especially.

"You can look at the manager and the players but it's bigger than that, it's everything involved.

"We play three games a week with nine or ten players. That's all I need to say, it's nothing more than that.

"I think everybody has got to watch the picture and ask themselves how we came this far. That's it."

Kulusevski backs Postecoglou to turn Spurs' season

18:29 , Lawrence Ostlere

Dejan Kulusevski is convinced Ange Postecoglou is the right man for Tottenham and will fight to help his under-pressure head coach achieve "big things" during the rest of the season.

Spurs slipped to a sixth loss from their last seven Premier League fixtures on Sunday, with a dismal 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester increasing the scrutiny on Postecoglou.

Postecoglou has battled with an injury crisis over the last two months and will be without 12 players for Thursday's Europa League game against Elfsborg, but the Australian has repeatedly stated his belief that Tottenham - well placed in three cup competitions - can enjoy a special season.

"Yeah, I agree with him," Kulusevski said. "Three cups, we're doing really well in the cups so it's easy to focus on league, but we're doing really well in the cups.

"This is an important game and if we win we go to the next round, so I think we can do big things in these last four months."

Predicted line-ups

18:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here is how the two sides could line up tonight:

Tottenham: Austin; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Gray; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Moore, Son.

Elfsborg: Petterson; Buhari, Holmen, Yegbe; Hedlund, B Zeneli, Ouma, Hult; A Zeneli, Abdullai, Rapp.

Tottenham team news

18:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven will make his comeback in the game. 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.

James Maddison will be absent for two to three weeks with a calf injury, but Yves Bissouma trained on Wednesday and will be available alongside Pape Sarr. Richarlison also featured in training after he was forced off on Sunday.

Guglielmo Vicario was involved in the session alongside his fellow goalkeepers, although is not expected to be in contention yet. Cristian Romero was described as a "slow burner" amid an expectation he could be back for this weekend's trip to Brentford.

How to watch the game on TV

17:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

The Europa League game kicks off at 8pm GMT tonight, Thursday 30 January, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage on the TV channel from 7.30pm GMT. Subscribers can stream via discovery+.

Tottenham v Elfsborg – Europa League

17:41 , Lawrence Ostlere

Tottenham take on Swedish side Elfsborg tonight as Ange Postecoglou’s side bid to book their place in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Spurs come into the final night of the initial league phase in sixth place and victory would guarantee them a top-eight finish and therefore automatic qualification to the knockout rounds.

However, a draw or defeat could see them knocked down from one of the top eight spots and sent into the play-offs, meaning an extra two fixtures for Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged squad to navigate before reaching the last 16.

Elfsborg are currently in their off-season after finishing seventh in the 2024 Swedish top flight. They have plenty to play for too, lying 20th as they aim to finish in the top 24 and qualify for the play-offs.

Tottenham v Elfsborg – Europa League

17:30 , Lawrence Ostlere

Good evening and welcome along to live coverage of Tottenham v Elfsborg in the Europa League.

We’ll have all the team news and build-up to kick-off before updates from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs aim to book their place in the last 16.