Maddison ‘snubs’ Postecoglou after brutal call as Tottenham star trolls Villa

James Maddison found himself on the bench for Tottenham’s Premier League match against Aston Villa, marking the first time this season that he was not part of the starting XI. The arrival of Dejan Kulusevski, who was given a more central role in the team, had begun to affect Maddison’s playing time. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was trying to strike the right balance in midfield, which led to Pape Matar Sarr being chosen to start in that match instead of Maddison. It wasn’t a surprise to many that Maddison was left out, especially after he had been an unused substitute in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup win over Manchester City earlier in the week. Additionally, Maddison had been substituted early in recent Premier League matches against West Ham and Crystal Palace.

Tottenham had a strong lead of 3-1 when the need for Maddison to come on seemed less urgent. However, an injury to Richarlison, who had only recently replaced Son Heung-min, gave Maddison the opportunity to play the final eight minutes of the game. Despite being on the pitch for such a short time, Maddison made a significant impact. Just after a foul on Dominic Solanke, who had scored twice for Villa, Maddison stepped up to take a free-kick just outside the penalty area. His well-taken strike found the back of the net, sealing the win and providing a fitting conclusion to what had been a dominant second-half performance from Spurs. This was similar to Tottenham’s recent performance against West Ham, where they had gone behind early but turned the game around after halftime.

At halftime, manager Postecoglou had delivered a calm and composed message to the players. Despite being 1-0 down, Postecoglou reassured his team that they could still take control of the game. He emphasized that they had the ability to score multiple goals in a short period due to their intensity and pressing style. Maddison later revealed that Postecoglou’s message had helped to lift the team’s spirits. The manager’s calm demeanor and belief in their attacking potential encouraged the players to stay focused and positive. As a result, Tottenham came out in the second half and quickly took charge, scoring three more goals to secure a 4-1 victory.

After the final whistle, Maddison’s reaction was one of mixed emotions. While he was happy with the victory and his contribution, he couldn’t hide his disappointment at not being selected to start the match. However, Maddison seemed to hold no ill will toward his manager. After the game, he shared a brief hug with Postecoglou, and the two exchanged some encouraging words. Maddison clearly respected the manager’s decisions, even though he had hoped to play from the beginning.

On social media, Maddison gave a playful nod to the victory by sharing clips of his goal from different angles. He also posted an Instagram story with the caption “three point lane,” which seemed to be a subtle dig at Aston Villa. The message appeared to reference Villa’s previous victories at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they had posted similar social media updates celebrating their wins. In those posts, Villa had jokingly referred to the stadium as “three point lane,” implying that it had been a place where they had been able to pick up easy points. Maddison’s social media post seemed to be a response to that, celebrating Spurs’ own victory and showing that Tottenham was back to winning ways at home.

Maddison’s goal against Villa was a reminder of his talent and ability to make an impact, even when he wasn’t in the starting lineup. It also highlighted the depth of Tottenham’s squad, with players like Maddison able to step up and make a difference when called upon. While Maddison may have been frustrated at being left out of the starting XI, his performance and his positive post-match attitude suggested that he was fully committed to the team’s success. His playful social media post added a touch of humor to the situation, showing that he could take the decision in stride while still enjoying the win. The victory against Villa also helped reinforce Postecoglou’s belief in the team’s resilience and ability to come from behind, further strengthening the sense of unity and purpose within the squad.