Tottenham Hotspur made a bright start to the English Premier League 2023-24 campaign. Ange Postecoglou came to England and Spurs started with a 10-match unbeaten run. The manager was awarded for his work and won the Manager of the Month for the first three months. This was the first time that a manager was able to achieve this mark. Life without Harry Kane began with a bang.
Things changed quickly for the North Londoners after injuries to some of the key players. Spurs suffered a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea at home and finished the match with nine men. Wolves then handed Ange’s men their second defeat of the season before the November international break. Tottenham Hotspur suffered another set-back after a defeat to Aston Villa at home. These three defeats have made a huge impact and here is a look at why Spurs have struggled recently.
Conceding late goals
One of the biggest reasons behind Tottenham Hotspur’s recent struggle is their struggle to defend the goal. Spurs play a high attacking line and the defenders also stay on the front foot. This worked well in the first 10 games, but teams have now managed to score goals past Vicario.
Against Chelsea, Spurs were leading 1-0 and conceded the equaliser in the first half. They were down to 9 men in the 55th minute and conceded three goals after the 75th minute. Against Wolves, Ange’s side took the lead in the third minute and conceded two goals after 90 minutes. In the recent game, Spurs once again took the lead, only to give it away and lose three matches in a row. Tottenham Hotspur have allowed the opposition to take 12.4 shots per match this season. In the last three matches, the number has gone up to 16.6 shots.
Struggles in the attack
Another big reason behind these struggles is the inability to create attacks without the likes of James Maddison. Against Chelsea, only 16 positional attacks were created and against Wolves, Spurs created 19 attacks. Their average this season is 30 positional attacks per match.
Spurs’ attack has only managed 31 shots in the last three matches. The average is way below their 15 shots per match for the season. Despite hitting the target almost 50% of the time, Tottenham Hotspur players have failed to find the back of the net.
Spurs have a long injury list and some of these players will miss the bust festive season. This is a big test for the new manager and he will hope to get his side back on track. Tottenham Hotspur faces Manchester City next and have a huge task in hand. They need to avoid defeat at the hands of the English champions.
Visuals via Wyscout and the TFA data viz engine
