It’s become a regular occurrence over the last couple of seasons to hear a very tongue-in-cheek cry of ‘Spurs are back!’ from Jamie O’Hara every time Tottenham recorded a positive result, but after a three-game winless run – culminating in an extremely rare win away at Chelsea – are Spurs actually back?
Recent results are rewarding positive performances
After a slow start to the season which left them bottom of the league at the last international break, Tottenham have returned to Premier League action with a run of positive results. However, more importantly with a level of performance that we’ve not seen consistently out of them for a long, long time.
A 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford would have left Roberto De Zerbi disappointed that his side couldn’t produce a win, but a vital three points at home to Coventry (3-1) and just a second win away at Chelsea (2-0) since 1990 have put Spurs on a positive trajectory.
The biggest difference in the last three games has been the level of consistency, and the level of performance that individuals have produced compared to in the earlier games of the season.
What has changed?
There’s been a notable difference in the mentality and resilience of this Spurs side in the last three games. At Old Trafford, they conceded with less than 20 minutes left to play, had Rodrigo Bentancur sent off shortly afterwards and still managed to recover a draw with a goal in stoppage time. Against Coventry at home, Spurs managed to stop a pattern of crumbling when conceding at home, and away to Chelsea they managed to do something that only one Spurs side have managed to do in the last 36 trips to their London rivals: win.
The midfield balance has been a major factor in their recent improvement too. It’s often said that games are won and lost in the midfield, and there’s reason to suggest this is particularly pertinent in Tottenham’s recent upturn in form. De Zerbi has toyed with different combinations so far this season, but the combination of Sandro Tonali, Matheus Fernandes, and James Maddison offers a balance, and crucially an urgency in progressing the ball forward, that Spurs have severely lacked in the last couple of seasons.
Maddison going off injured in their most recent fixture is a major worry, but with Dejan Kulusevski now back among the squad, and Xavi Simons approaching a return from a long term injury lay-off, Spurs may finally have enough options in the No 10 position which offer enough depth, creativity, and quality to consistently threaten opposition defences.
Why has it taken so long?
It usually takes a while for managers to implement their style on their new team. The famous ‘new manager bounce’ is increasingly becoming a rarer phenomenon as managers focus on shaping their team in their image rather than chasing instant and unsustainable success.
De Zerbi came into Spurs at a time where he couldn’t afford to try to change the team’s style straight away. The club were in survival mode, severely depleted in terms of personnel and confidence, and staring down the barrel of a potential relegation. Tottenham’s performances towards the end of last season weren’t reflective of De Zerbi’s ideal image for his side, they were simply geared towards fighting against the impending threat of a drop to the second division.
Then throughout the summer and at the start of this season, there was massive squad turnover, representing the biggest rebuild Spurs have possibly ever undertaken in recent history. As true as it is that it takes time for a manager to shape a team in their image, it’s just as true that it takes new players time to gel with new team-mates, especially when there’s so much change in such a short and tumultuous space of time. Recent performances have been much more in line with what one would expect from a De Zerbi side, and results are reflective of what the Italian hopes to bring to the north London outfit.
Where do they go from here?
Tottenham’s next five fixtures represent a huge opportunity to build on their recent form, and to put a very strong set of results together. Next time out they face a struggling Crystal Palace side, followed by what will definitely be a tough challenge away to Leeds. After the trip to Elland Road they will face Ipswich, Sunderland, and Fulham, none of whom currently reside in the top half of the table, with the Black Cats in particular struggling at the bottom of the league.
If Spurs can string enough positive results together in the coming weeks, and continue their unbeaten run, the visit of champions and fierce local rivals Arsenal on December 6 all of a sudden will become a lot more interesting…
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