Things have been looking better for Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks and they have a chance to win two games on the bounce, when they take on Crystal Palace on Sunday.
By Kaustubh Pandey
The season has been full of some inconsistencies for Spurs, who lost to Brighton despite a brilliant performance in the first half before succumbing to an unlikely comeback. They also lost 1-0 to Arsenal in a game where they had a lot of possession and this came before they trounced Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Ange Postecoglou‘s side did have to come back from a goal down against West Ham, last time out, but they blew the Hammers away in the second half and put in a trademark attacking show. The win over AZ in the Europa League during midweek was only a 1-0 triumph but it gave them more momentum, keeping them in second in the league phase table.
While their defensive lapses during defensive transitions are obvious, Spurs are arguably one of the most threatening attacking sides in England right now.
Only Manchester City have a higher xG in the Premier League this season, and that obviously takes in to account City playing a game more, earlier this weekend. They attack constantly during the game, dominating possession by keeping over 60 percent on average and it is an identity that they have carved out for themselves.
Despite the limitations in defence, they create impressively in attack and that is what struggling Palace will have to contend with on Sunday.
Oliver Glasner‘s side have proved to be a half-season-wonder, having failed to recreate their wonders from last season and that is why they find themselves 18th in the table.
They also lie at the opposite end of the attacking spectrum – so far. No team in the Premier League has scored less goals per game than the Eagles, who have seen their return fade since last season, when Jean-Philippe Mateta was on fire.
While last season saw them over perform on their Expected Goals metric by about +7, they have underperformed on it by a solid -4, showcasing that in a lot of cases, finishing the chances they get has also become a huge issue.
Spurs too are problematic when it comes to the finishing as they have missed the most number of big chances in the league, the amount of chances they create is massive, especially as compared to Glasner’s side.
Postecoglou’s team will most definitely dominate possession, as they always do, but at the same time, their tendency to give away chances at the other end will give Palace hope. Even West Ham were struggling going into their game against Tottenham but they led for a good portion of the game, and Palace will take inspiration from that.
Eberechi Eze‘s presence will be vital in that regard but Palace will also be encouraged by the fact that Son Heung-min is likely to miss the trip. Mikey Moore, who impressed against AZ, could feature in the Premier League this time around and it could be another game where Dejan Kulusevski runs the show for the Lilywhites.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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