Muhammad Awwal AbubakarJames Maddison found himself on the bench once again as Tottenham Hotspur faced Aston Villa, marking his second consecutive absence from the starting lineup in the Premier League.
The 27-year-old midfielder has struggled to make a significant impact this season, which has led to his omission from key matches.
Tottenham’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, addressed Maddison’s absence after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
This loss proved detrimental to Spurs’ hopes of Champions League qualification, prompting Postecoglou to make sweeping changes during the match.
He replaced Maddison with Richarlison in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer, while other players like Mikey Moore and Dejan Kulusevski were substituted for Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr.
Despite the changes, Tottenham could not salvage any points from their trip to Selhurst Park, slipping to 10th place in the Premier League.
Reflecting on the game, Postecoglou noted that his team struggled to handle the physicality and psychological tactics employed by Crystal Palace.
“It was a game we needed to stay composed and not sort of fall into the trap of trying to play the game ultimately Palace wanted to play,” he said.
The manager criticized his team for their lack of focus, mentioning that the match devolved into a series of stop-starts rather than a fluid contest. “I just thought there was a lot of standing around today which I hate,” he added.
Maddison remained sidelined again for Tottenham’s Carabao Cup clash against Manchester City, where Spurs advanced to the quarter-finals.
His exclusion from the starting lineup against Aston Villa raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike. When questioned about Maddison’s absence before the match, Postecoglou stated, “They are all the same calls, irrespective (of who).
We have got to put 11 out there, we have got a good squad. Just what we need today, there is no doubt Madders will be coming on today and I am sure there will be an impact when he does.”
Muhammad Awwal Abubakar
