Tottenham Hotspur is currently second in the Premier League table with 10 points from four matches. They have won their last three matches, and are looking quite good under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham has had convincing wins over both Manchester United and Burnley. They scored five past Burnley last weekend, and will face Sheffield United next – another match they are likely to win.
Spurs battles Arsenal after that, with the North London Derby likely to be a high-voltage clash this time around. Mikel Arteta’s men should be wary of their rivals, as the latter seems to be the real deal this season.
Tottenham’s attack performing well despite Harry Kane’s departure
Tottenham has looked quite potent in their attack in spite of Harry Kane’s exit after 12 seasons with the club. While the talismanic 30-year-old striker cannot really be replaced, the likes of Son Heung-Min and Richarlison are making sure that he is not being missed much.
Son scored a hat-trick against Burnley in Spurs’ last match, while Richarlison also found the back of the net. With Dejan Kulusevski also in good form, Tottenham’s attacking unit in their 4-2-3-1 looks to be in great shape as of now.
Postecoglou has made his team play with short passes and thereby keep possession, which is quite a deviation from the 3-5-2 employed by Antonio Conte or the 3-4-3 used by José Mourinho. Those formations put an emphasis on wing play, but the Australian manager has brought back an attractive brand of football.
New signings performing well
Tottenham has done some decent business in the summer transfer window and more importantly, most of their new signings are performing as per expectations. James Maddison has taken to the role of a No. 10 like a duck takes to water. His passing and vision remain top-class. It was heartening for any Spurs fan to see the way he dismantled Manchester United through the left with the help of Son.
Along with him, Pape Matar Sarr has also been playing quite well as the defensive midfielder and also scored against Manchester United. He has formed a very effective combination with Yves Bissouma in Tottenham’s midfield that has restricted a player of the caliber of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg to the bench.
They provide Spurs with a very solid core that helps ease the pressure on their forwards. Then there is a player like Pedro Porro, who has been very good as a right back with his speedy overlaps. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has also proved himself to be one of the best shot-stoppers in the league
Tottenham will have to do well in big matches
All of that is very fine, but Tottenham’s tendency to falter in big matches is a trait they will have to overcome. They did really well against Manchester United last time around, but will need to keep the good work going and turn up against Arsenal as well.
It will up to Postecoglou to keep motivating his wards throughout the entire length of the season. It remains to be seen how well he manages to do that.