Tottenham are in a Groundhog Day loop – can Ange Postecoglou break the cycle?
FROM TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – Within the fashionable Premier League period, the north London derby has tended to favour the house aspect. In the newest of years, that sentiment has flipped towards the lilywhite half of city.
Arsenal have now received three straight video games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, yet one more victory than Spurs have claimed at their Emirates Stadium house, regardless of giving their rivals a 13-year head begin.
Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Gunners is nearly actually going to show pivotal by hook or by crook in Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as head coach. As soon as extra, the stats had been form to Tottenham, who had 64% possession, extra photographs, extra photographs on track, and a greater expected-goals whole.
But it did not really feel like they might’ve been deserved winners of this derby, even deserved point-takers had they conjured an equaliser from someplace.
Construct-up to the weekend centred round Arsenal’s scarce midfield choices within the absence of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. Tottenham’s midfield trio walked throughout Jorginho and Thomas Partey, however that mattered little within the grand scheme of the sport.
Lots of the hosts’ possibilities had been half somewhat than full. Which may be because of the imperious defensive juggernaut which Arsenal are these days, however that does not clarify their struggles to carve open Newcastle United and Leicester Metropolis already this season, or any of the 19 groups who did so final 12 months.
The attacking blueprint is ok however deeply faulted. For Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham’s ambitions, which may not be sufficient to succeed. And the larger drawback goes the opposite approach.
Spurs are straightforward to play towards. You may not be capable to get the ball off them for prolonged stretches and also you may not even play properly, however they may afford you area in transition, area on free kicks, area on corners. There’s at all times a set play to be received and a lapse in focus to pounce upon. This time round, it was the area on the nook, nonetheless marginal that was.
What’s taking place to Tottenham is not an accident, extra the fault of ill-advised planning. Postecoglou bemoans that his aspect’s largest issues is their lack of scientific ending, however that energy is not going to come back again on once more like turning on a faucet – the objectives will not circulate as a result of the possibilities aren’t clear.
One of many largest compliments you possibly can pay to Mikel Arteta is that he has redefined who Arsenal are, as they too had been of that ilk as soon as upon a time. Now you would be hard-pushed to discover a extra streetwise outfit.
Postecoglou has succeeded all around the world, however now below the Premier League highlight his flaws are starting to face out.
Tottenham’s report in huge video games and derbies – zero wins towards Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham United – is changing into as predictable as their favorite play to run. The place Spurs will play a disguised reverse move between the traces to the winger for a cutback cross on the close to publish, they won’t take three factors when the stakes are excessive.
Postecoglou is agency in his perception that if his males work arduous sufficient, they may overcome this difficult interval and switch into the staff he’s dreaming of. It is simply nowhere close to as clear a assure that’ll occur as he appears to assume.
