José Mourinho

Tottenham Hotspur's Jose Mourinho delivered a sharp riposte to critics of his "defensive" style on Sunday, saying after their 6-1 Premier League win over Manchester United that they would have scored 10 if only they had a more attacking coach.

Tottenham gave Manchester United a historic beatdown on Sunday, winning 6-1 at Old Trafford after scoring four goals in an opening 37-minute barrage that also saw Anthony Martial sent off.

And things started so brightly for the Red Devils after Davinson Sánchez hacked down Martial in the area, leading to a Bruno Fernandes penalty with only two minutes on the clock.

Enter Harry Maguire.

An urgent trip to the bathroom for Tottenham's Eric Dier led to the surreal sight of the defender running off the pitch during Tuesday's League Cup match against Chelsea — with coach Jose Mourinho chasing down the tunnel after him.

Spurs were trailing 1-0 with 15 minutes to go when Dier raced off the pitch and darted towards the dressing room, quickly followed by a furious Mourinho whose side were briefly down to 10 men in their fourth round home clash.

Tottenham manager José Mourinho believes their packed fixture schedule will force them to prioritize the more lucrative Europa League over the League Cup in a bid to avoid further injuries in the squad.

Spurs host Chelsea on Tuesday in the League Cup fourth round, two days before Maccabi Haifa's visit to north London for a Europa League playoff match. Mourinho said the English Football League "made the decision" for him and he had no option but to rotate the squad for the London derby.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho said he had to demand Europa League opponents Shkendija fix the goalposts ahead of their tie on Thursday after his keepers alerted him to the fact they were too small.

Spurs goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart noticed the dimensions were wrong and told Mourinho, who took the matter up with UEFA's delegate at the match.

After the game Mourinho posted a picture of himself on Instagram nearly touching the crossbar.

Tuesday's League Cup third round match between Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed after a number of Orient players tested positive for COVID-19, the Football League has confirmed.

Orient announced on Monday that some of their players had tested positive and that its Breyer Group Stadium and training ground facilities would be closed until further notice.

Of the Tottenham Hotspur players impacted by the loan signing of Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, Dele Alli appears the most vulnerable but manager José Mourinho has said he will not be sacrificed in the transfer window.

Bale will not be ready to resume his Tottenham career until October as he regains fitness, but when he does it is likely to be in an attacking trio with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

LONDON — While Gareth Bale will be welcomed back with open arms by Tottenham Hotspur fans it will also be with a tinge of regret at what might have been had he never left the club.

When Real Madrid came knocking in 2013 armed with a 100-million-euro ($118.37 million) cheque, Bale was at his marauding all-action best, scoring spectacular solo goals and motoring down the flanks like a super-charged sportscar.

At times he was unplayable.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has fired a broadside at the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) as his team prepare to play three times in a week on multiple fronts.

Spurs are having to negotiate the Europa League qualifying rounds by winning three matches to get into the group stage, with Premier League and League Cup matches also in the mix.