(Football News) Tottenham, without a trophy since 2008, has already seen one of its two potential sources of silverware vanish this season. In a penalty shootout, they lost 5-3 to Fulham after a 1-1 draw in regular time on Tuesday, marking their elimination in the second round.
Tottenham’s exit from the competition occurred even before England’s top-tier teams entered it, as Premier League clubs participating in European competitions this season do not join the League Cup until the third round. This defeat represents the first time Tottenham has been ousted in the second round since an embarrassing loss to lower-league Grimsby in 2005.
Fulham took the lead with Micky van de Ven’s own-goal in the 19th minute, but Brazil’s Richarlison equalized with a header in the 56th minute.
In the penalty shootout, Davinson Sanchez, the Colombian center-back who faced criticism from some Tottenham fans last season, had his spot-kick saved by Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak during Tottenham’s third penalty attempt.
Kenny Tete converted the decisive penalty for Fulham at Craven Cottage.
With Harry Kane now at Bayern Munich, Tottenham is adapting to life without its star striker and is left with only the Premier League and FA Cup to compete in this season. Given their new manager, Ange Postecoglou, the league title appears to be a challenging prospect.
Postecoglou may face scrutiny for fielding a weakened lineup against Fulham, especially considering that the League Cup offers one of the few opportunities for a trophy. On Tuesday, five Premier League teams avoided upsets against lower-league opponents. Brentford overcame Newport County 3-0 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw, while Crystal Palace rallied from 2-0 down to defeat second-tier Plymouth 4-2, with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring a hat trick in just 22 minutes.
Bournemouth bounced back from conceding an early goal to defeat second-tier Swansea 3-2 on the road, Luton won 3-2 against fourth-tier Gillingham at home, and Wolves triumphed 5-0 over third-tier Blackpool.
Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, lost 4-3 on penalties to Bradford, while Salford City, owned by Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, and other members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92, beat Leeds 9-8 in a shootout to reach the third round for the first time in its 83-year history.
The remainder of the second-round fixtures will be played on Wednesday, including Chelsea hosting fourth-tier AFC Wimbledon and an all-Premier League clash between Nottingham Forest and Burnley.
