End-Game: Weekly Round-Up

End Game: EPL Round-Up for Game Week 6

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And then there were two.

After six gameweeks of this year’s Premier League season, only Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City remain unbeaten. Now the two in-form teams are on a collision course to meet next weekend. In this weekend’s action, Pochettino’s men rose to second place in the table after another convincing win, this time away to Middlesborough. So what conclusions can we draw from this weekend’s action?

Empire of the Son

Where else could we begin but with the star of the show? Son showed glimpses of his ability last season, but overall struggled to adapt quickly to life in London. A move for a Korean, from Germany to England would be extremely difficult for any 24-year-old and Tottenham’s leadership were wise not to pull the plug on the Son experiment when attractive bids came in over summer. Son has rewarded this faith with stellar form this season as he has stolen the show every time his number has been called. On Saturday Heung Min Son was a menace across the attacking midfield. He was a ball of energy and gave the Middlesborough defence headaches all afternoon. His first goal was an ice cool finish after some perfect ‘number 9’ hold up play from Vincent Janssen. His second goal however was a thing of beauty. He refused to give up on a lost ball on the far side of the box before chasing away from would-be tacklers and bending the ball into the far top corner. It’s foolish to make season-long predictions after just 6 games but there is no doubt that Son’s current form is that of a Premier League Player of the Season. Many may laugh that statement off considering we’re not yet out of September, but think back to last year, when the unheralded Riyad Mahrez exploded in similar fashion. Could be worth a fiver punt?

A Case for the Defence

This site has oft been vocal in our praise for Toby Alderweireld (who recently ranked number one in our early season Tottenham Power Rankings). In a world where John Stones and David Luiz move for more than £30million, the £12million acquisition of Alderweireld last term seems like witchcraft. The Belgian colossus has continued to excel at the heart of the defence but in light of our recent form, I want to also shine the light on the other key components who have given Tottenham the Premier League’s meanest defence so far this season.

Jan Vertonghen has come under scrutiny from some fans in recent years for his perceived lack of effort when things were going poorly. However, when these complaints were rising, Jan was struggling through a defensive mess, where he was joined by a new defensive partner (Kaboul, Chiriches, Dawson) seemingly every week. Ever since Vertonghen has been combined with his compatriot Toby, his form and attitude have been nothing short of impeccable. Aside from this, this season more than ever, Vertonghen has emerged as a key leader in the group: He has been extremely vocal in his praise of the club’s vision and of many of his teammates.

With just 3 goals conceded after 6 games so far, much credit must go to the above mentioned pair, Mauricio Pochettino, and our other defensive players for turning Tottenham’s defence from a leaky fence to a brick wall.

Striking Images

Last week was the first of what will apparently be many weeks where Tottenham take the field without talisman Harry Kane. On Saturday Tottenham didn’t appear to be too disheartened by the absence of their key goalscorer as the likes of Dele Alli and Heung Min Son provided the attacking impetus in his stead.

New signing Vincent Janssen was the immediate replacement for Kane, and the Dutchman will have loved scoring his first Spurs goal in last week’s league cup win. On Saturday, Janssen couldn’t find a breakthrough, but exhibited promising signs in his play, particularly in his crisp link up play with Heung Min Son for the opening goal.

Tottenham lined up with Christian Eriksen in his preferred Number 10 position on Saturday and the Dane has thrived in recent weeks. On Saturday as Tottenham expect the challenging visit of league-leaders Man City, expect Eriksen to keep his position in the playmaker slot, but numerous changes could occur around him. If fit, Moussa Dembele is a certainty to start in the centre of midfield, and either of Victor Wanyama or Eric Dier could partner him to provide the cover. Up front, I feel Pochettino may prefer the energy and guile of Heung Min Son as opposed to Vincent Janssen who may be introduced in the second half. On either side of Eriksen, I expect Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko to start the game, with Sissoko providing a direct, pacey threat and Lamela looking to improved his good form from previous meetings against Manchester City. This of course leaves Dele Alli as the odd one out, but the prodigious English talent could be the perfect weapon to spring from the bench to decide the game.

And… The Rest of the League

  • Fans of all Premier League title chasers aside from Man United sighed in disappointment, as it was announced that Wayne Rooney would be absent from the United team. The captain’s poor form had been a key contribution to United’s poor form, and his presence in the side meant that other threats remained on the bench. Unfortunately, in Rooney’s absence, United thrived and finished their three game losing streak. Does Mourinho leave out his skipper long term now?

  • Before the season, I must admit I expected Mourinho and Guardiola to be shocked by the tasks they faced this season, but I assumed the cool customer Antonio Conte would have fewer problems reviving a stifled Chelsea side. However, Conte’s last three results have been Lose-Lose-Draw, and if that trend continues, it won’t be long before Abramovich’s hand starts hovering over the red button.

  • Man City continued their perfect start to the season with their 6th win in as many games. Raheem Sterling has continued to thrive under Pep’s tutelage and Sergio Aguero has continued to be Sergio Aguero. If Tottenham’s watertight defence can shut down those two weapons this weekend, I feel that the creativity in our attacking quartet will be able to create chances against Otamendi and John Stones. Looking forward to a cracker next weekend!

End-Game: EPL Round-Up for Game Week 5

ThinkSpurs End-Game: Weekly Round-Up, Reviews

And so the wheel keeps turning. Tottenham followed up last week’s disheartening Champions League debut defeat to Monaco with a much needed win over a struggling Sunderland side. Tottenham dominated throughout the game and were held at bay by heroics from Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford. However, in the end Harry Kane struck to ensure Spurs continued their unbeaten start to the Premier League season. So now; looking in the rear-view mirror, what did we learn in Game Week 5?

Son continues to shine

On a day when Mauricio Pochettino shuffled the deck in order to freshen up the First XI, Heung Min Son retained his place in the Premier League starting line-up following his impressive showing against Stoke last week (and also rewarded my faith my naming him one of my Tottenham players ready to make a leap to the next level in 2016/17). As Tottenham laid siege on the Sunderland defence, the Korean dynamo terrorised the right back Denayer from the left side of midfield, constantly probing and providing threat. Son’s delivery of ball into the scoring area from set pieces and from play was another constant source of danger, and the wide attacker was denied yet another goal to cap a fine display by the width of the post.

With Moussa Sissoko arriving and looking promising, Erik Lamela continuing to rise and the newly resigned Alli-Eriksen combination also looking like their old selves, Pochettino is faced with a tricky selection predicament, now that Heung Min Son is performing at a First XI level. This of course is a much needed issue, as Tottenham are in constant need for depth to keep competitive on all fronts. However, this raises an interesting possibility: With the attacking midfield position already looking crowded, perhaps there could be place up front…

Kane: Able?

After getting off the mark in the season last week, Harry Kane shrugged off a difficult midweek match to score the winner in the second half on Sunday after a gift from Sunderland defender Papa Djilobodji.  However, soon after Tottenham fans winced as Kane later limped off with a suspected ankle injury. Kane was said to have left the dressing later aided by crutches and Mauricio Pochettino expressed his fears of ankle ligament damage after the game.

Awarded the lofty number 3 position in my recent Tottenham Power Rankings, Kane’s importance to this side is paramount. Last year, Spurs hopes seemed to rest on Kane’s seemingly injury-proof shoulders, as Tottenham had no specialist striker in reserve all season. This year the addition of Dutch hitman Vincent Janssen has eased the load on Kane but the ex-Eredivisie marksman is yet to score in competitive Tottenham action. A loss of Kane for a significant amount of time would deal a huge blow to Tottenham’s ambitions, but if, as hoped, the injury is short-term, then Spurs fans could be quite confident that Janssen could carry the scoring load. Alternatively, Pochettino could look to keep all of his in-form midfielders on the pitch at once, and keep Heung Min Son in the side as a pseudo-striker while Kane heals.

Driving forward from the Engine Room

While the likes of Harry Kane, Heung Min Son or Dele Alli have drawn many plaudits for their attacking displays this term, and Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose have received similar praise at the back, it’s sometimes overlooked that one of this Tottenham side’s current greatest strengths is the centre of midfield.

Even as Spurs faltered in attack in the early weeks, Tottenham’s midfield was rock-solid as Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier provided a dominant platform. In Tottenham’s four league games leading up to the Champions League tie vs Monaco, Tottenham never once conceded more than a goal. Conceding two in the first half in Wednesday’s action may have been in part due to the more attack minded presence of Dele Alli in the midfield pivot. The introduction of Mousa Dembele in the second half on Wednesday raised Tottenham’s game (and the noise level in the stand) as the Belgian powerhouse seamlessly slotted back in to his own role.

On Sunday, Tottenham pushed Eric Dier back to the centre of defence in order to allow Wanyama and Dembele to overpower the Sunderland midfield. Dembele looked like his old self, looking like a man against boys, and as a result, Tottenham enjoyed the lion’s share of possession allowing a flow of chances throughout the game.

The addition of Wanyama and Sissoko in the off-season provides a great alternative, should Dembele be rested, but keeping the battling Belgian healthy for this campaign is just as important to Tottenham’s prospects as the fitness of Harry Kane.

And…The rest of the league

  • Three losses on the bounce for Mourinho’s Manchester United charges must be making the Portuguese coach feel a little hot under the collar. The most damning indictment is that the loss to Watford was not a shock result by any means, as Watford completely outplayed their much vaunted opponents. The continued under-performance of Wayne Rooney is proving to be the most pressing headache for José…
  • What is happening at Stoke City? After drawing much praise for all angles over the summer for assembling what seemed to be a very attractive team, Mark Hughes has now seen 8 goals conceded and 13 goals conceded and only 2 scored on a 3 game losing streak. Hard to believe we are only 8 months forward from links of Hughes to the Man United job!
  • Klopp continued his impressive record in big games at Liverpool with an underdog victory at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. With no Champions League football to contend with, Liverpool could prove to be a serious potential rival to Tottenham this season…

 

End-Game: EPL Round-Up for Gameweek 4

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Well… that was a fun welcome back from the international week?

Tottenham Hotspur looked rejuvenated as they put Stoke City to the sword on Saturday. Heung Min Son, Dele Alli and Harry Kane all got in on the scoring action in the 4-nil rout, while Hugo Lloris returned to contribute to another sturdy defensive display against a potentially dangerous Stoke City side. So as we take a brief recess from football before a long-awaited Champions League tie Wednesday, let’s talk about some conclusions from the weekend’s action.

The Tottenham Report

Rising Son

Forgive me for the shameless self-promotion, but I knew our Korean wonder would come good. I picked Son of as one of my list of Spurs players ready to make a leap to the next level in the coming season, after a stop-start begin to his life at White Hart Lane. I must admit, I feared for my prediction when I saw big bids come in for the wide attacker towards the end of the window, but it appears that Pochettino and Levy share my belief that Son can still be a big factor in this Tottenham team.

Son’s preparation for the new season was somewhat hampered due to South Korea’s participation in the Olympic Games, however Son sent out a firm statement of intent last week regarding his determination to succeed at Tottenham, when he stepped back from international duty last week in order to gain some momentum at Spurs. Pochettino rewarded his sacrifice with a starting place on Saturday and Heung Min Son did everything he could to repay that faith.

Son represents a great weapon for the Tottenham attack as he provides aspects of the game that our other attacking midfielders don’t. While he may not have the guile of Eriksen or Lamela, Son provides dangerous pace, and an acute eye for goal. Son’s presence in the team put extra pressure on the Stoke team last week, taking attention from Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, who thrived as a result. Enjoying ample possession throughout the game, Eriksen was able to tee Son up for two goals on his first start of the season – the first, a poacher’s finish from 10 yards, and the second, a curling beauty over the keeper into the top corner. Let’s hope to see more of the same from Son in the coming weeks.

Fresh Start

The international week is often seen as a curse at the beginning of a new campaign. Momentum is often lost, and the dreaded international injury is always on the cards. And yes, while Tottenham fans around the globe did wince as news landed that Danny Rose picked up an injury, it seems that for the most part, the international break provided a refreshing siesta for some of Tottenham’s stars.

After wrapping up a much maligned contract situation, Christian Eriksen continued a good week by scoring the winning goal for Denmark in the World Cup qualifiers. The Dane carried his stellar form back to England, as he excelled for Tottenham, looking like the Christian Eriksen of old, racking up two assists to cap off a classy display.

Harry Kane and Dele Alli were also involved in action during Big Sam’s England debut, however both players looked more energised this weekend than they have all season so far. Alli was a menacing presence throughout the match, causing problems for Stoke through the middle of midfield. He almost got his name on the scoresheet twice in the first half through two good chances, but eventually finished off a lethal counterattacking move in the second half to put Spurs three goals to the good. Harry Kane on the other hand opened his account for the new season, by notching his 50th goal in a mere 90 games… The One Season Wonder strikes again!

Nice Problems for Poch

A lot can change in two weeks in the world of football.

Facing into the end of the transfer window, there was a feeling among many Spurs fans that the squad was thin and light of options. Three new signings, almost two weeks of a break, and one big win have flipped that theory on its head, as Pochettino faces into his maiden Tottenham Champions League tie with a serious selection headache.

Erik Lamela’s good form in the early part of the season was rewarded with an international call-up to join up with Argentina’s all-star attacking cast. As Lamela would only be returning shortly before Saturday’s fixture, it was decided that Pochettino would rest his Argentinean dynamo, and it was assumed that new man Moussa Sissoko would show us all what he could do on the wing. However, it was Heung-Min Son who got the start and took the opportunity with both hands, while Moussa Sissoko was limited to a cameo appearance in the second half on his first day in White. With Lamela also impressing after his introduction, and Alli and Eriksen stealing the show, one wonders what way Pochettino will line-up against Monaco.

Add to this, the long-awaited return of powerhouse Moussa Dembele, and Tottenham’s best XI becomes anyone’s bet.

And… The Rest of the League

  • Pep Guardiola reaffirmed his position at the top of the list of José Mourinho’s least favourite people (Just ahead of Eva Carneiro), by continuing his dominance over José-managed sides. However, With Claudio Bravo looking shaky at best in the Manchester Derby, will Pep live to regret his ruthless dropping of Joe Hart?
  • Arsenal used up a major get-out-of-jail card on Saturday after somehow snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat against the Saints. The result was certainly referee-aided, and we Spurs fans must hope those two points aren’t important at the end of the year.
  • More of the same from Liverpool this week – a ruthless attacking display, peppered occasionally with hapless defending. Their butchering of Leicester does however put a better gloss on our recent draw against the Merseysiders – particularly to our defence which held strong against an impressive attack.

Agree with the conclusions? Let me know in the comments or via Twitter @ThinkSpurs.

End Game: EPL Round-Up for Game Week 3

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Tottenham maintained their unbeaten start to the 2016/17 Premier League season, but only after the third frustrating display in three weeks. Up against a fired up Liverpool side looking to make amends for their week 2 loss against Burnley, Tottenham struggled to assert any dominance in White Hart Lane, and only sprung into life after going behind. So what lessons did we learn from EPL Game-week 3?

Tottenham Report

How to re-ignite Eriksen?

It all started with a rumour. Some week’s back, it was widely reported among the tabloids and the twitter-sphere that Christian Eriksen was chasing a monster new contract. The number £150k/week was mentioned and that represents a figure that would smash the current Tottenham wage structure, a potential problem I discussed in depth here.

This alleged demand caused many Spurs fans to question the worth of Eriksen. Is he really worth it?

In my own opinion, Eriksen is worth as much as we can give him (without financially crippling ourselves). Until the rise of Harry Kane, Erik Lamela and Dele Alli, it was almost always Christian Eriksen who dug us out of a hole, with skilful displays and often late winning goals. Eriksen is comfortably among the Premier League’s finest playmakers, and yet his displays so far this season have not been up to that usual standard. It’s only been a three game sample size, yet because of the alleged wage demands, many people are using his poor form as a stick to beat him with: ‘He doesn’t look like a 150k/week player!’

Positive news came yesterday, when fresh rumours announced that Eriksen was on course to sign a deal worth a far more team-friendly £80k/week. If this goes through, all he needs is a kick in his form on the pitch to become a fan-favourite once again. I offer one solution for this – A change in position.

 

Tottenham have been a far-cry from the defensive mess they were a few years back. With our pair of quality goalkeepers, two rapid fullbacks, one of the league’s finest centre back partnerships and competent holding midfielders, Tottenham’s defence was the envy of the league last season. This year so far, it’s been our play going forward that has caused concern, and to rectify this, I’d love to see Christian Eriksen slip back into a deep-lying playmaker position.

Tottenham’s last most successful team was built around the midfield lynchpin that is Luka Modric, who is now widely regarded as one of football’s greatest midfielders. Modric too arrived at Tottenham with the reputation of a light, skilful attacking midfielder, yet really only began to excel when pushed deeper into midfield and partnered by Sandro or Scott Parker.

I would love to see in the coming weeks a move for Eriksen one step back, to partner either Eric Dier or Victor Wanyama. With either of those two powerhouses on his side to mind the house, Eriksen would be free to get on as much ball as possible, and dictate the game from the centre circle. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, David Silva has thrived for Man City following his move to the centre midfield position, and I think a similar move for Eriksen could not only rejuvenate his play, but the Tottenham attack as a whole.

 

Importance of a Plan B

In a week where Tottenham again struggled offensively, and had no plan B, when our playmakers could not manufacture a breakthrough, the fact that Tottenham have a great plan B in the goalkeeper position paid massive dividends on Saturday.

With Hugo Lloris out for 3-4 weeks with a hamstring injury, Tottenham were forced to call upon no.2 keeper Michel Vorm. After impressing in the first two games of the season, Vorm excelled against Liverpool on Saturday. Quick off his line, and cool under pressure, Vorm saved Tottenham on countless occasions during a Man of The Match display. Tottenham are lucky to be able to call upon such a capable understudy, and should hope that no goalkeeper deprived teams come calling before the transfer window shuts on Wednesday! Also, hopefully Vorm’s display of the importance of depth in a squad inspires Levy and Pochettino into transfer action before the deadline closes.

 

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind

One key difference between Tottenham’s dominant play last year and this year’s displays has been the absence of midfield general Moussa Dembele. Dembele was a man reborn last year, as he announced himself as the Premier box-to-box midfielder, and it’s no coincidence that Tottenham’s dramatic drop in form at the tail-end of last season coincided with his absence due to suspension. Pochettino himself joked yesterday that Tottenham ‘do not exist’ without Dembele, further emphasising how great a loss can be when a key player is out. It becomes even more frustrating when that player is out due to disciplinary problems. Dembele was handed an 8 game ban by the FA following an eye-gouge on Chelsea’s Diego Costa. As of this weekend, Tottenham may be about to enter the same ugly situation with another key player – Erik Lamela

 

The evidence looks quite damning for the Argentinean, and a ban similar to the one given to Dembele would be a disaster for a player who looked set to have a big season in white. For Tottenham too, Lamela’s absence would be a huge loss as he is a key contributor to Pochettino’s high-press all-action playing style.

 

And… the rest of the league:

  • Many Tottenham fans lamented Levy’s decision to shy away from a move for Sadio Mané before he eventually joined Liverpool this summer. Levy baulked at the £35million fee which seemed like a perfectly reasonable move at the time, but Mané’s dangerous, pacey display on Saturday made many Spurs fans think that maybe he would’ve been worth the price.
  • So, almost half a billion spent since Fergie left, and yet United again rely on an 18-year old academy product to save the day against Hull City! Credit to Rashford, he does seem like an exciting prospect, and I for one was hoping Spurs might benefit should Mourinho decide he was surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. Alas, that doesn’t seem to be the case, but as the year rolls on, one has to wonder how United will manage to juggle playing time for so many attacking players… someone is bound to get unhappy.
  • Ever since doing that cringe-worthy dance after going 1-0 up in the FA Cup final, things have gone downhill fast for Alan Pardew. After being overlooked for the England job in favour of Big Sam, Pardiola then saw key man Yannick Bolasie walk out the door. With Wilfired Zaha possibly about to follow, Pardew must now rely on Christian Benteke to find his scoring touch once again, to keep Pardew from becoming the first victim of the managerial chopping board in 2016.

 

End Game: EPL Round-Up for Game Week 2

The Bunsen Baller End-Game: Weekly Round-Up, Reviews

White Hart Lane saw its first bit of PL action this season as Spurs took home all three points in a stiff contest against Crystal Palace. Despite dominating possession for long spells, it was shaping up to be another frustrating afternoon for Tottenham, until new signing Victor Wanyama struck the long awaited winner in the 83rd minute. With another weekend of action just about in the record books, I take a look at what we learned from Matchday 2.

Tottenham Report

Pair of Aces

Pochettino got my Saturday afternoon off to a great start as soon as I saw the teamsheet. After last week’s difficult encounter with Everton, Pochettino heeded the wishes of many fans like myself, who craved the opportunity to see Tottenham play with two strikers up front. Poch obliged, and the result of this experiment was extremely promising.

Tottenham struggled to find any space to create chances last week, with so many of our key players preferring to play through the middle of the midfield. The match opened up, when a holding midfielder was swapped out for Vincent Janssen, and Spurs attacked with more far more pace and endeavour. This continued into today’s game, with the combination of Janssen and Kane causing serious headaches for the Crystal Palace defence. With two strikers to marshall instead of the usual one, Crystal Palace were forced to defend much further back in their own half than they would like, allowing more time on the ball for the likes of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen to orchestrate.

While Kane’s shooting is not yet back to its usual razor sharp level, he still showed patches of real quality on the ball. However, the true winner today was Vincent Janssen, who made a hugely impressive first start in the Lilywhite colours. Janssen was given a physical battle by Crystal Palace counterpart Damien Delaney, however Janssen seemed to love the challenge, and was a crucial target man throughout. In the first half, a good hold-up followed by a deft flick to the on-rushing Danny Rose almost resulted in the opening goal.

The first real question will come next weekend as Spurs face the unpredictable Liverpool side. Will Pochettino continue with the two-striker experiment?

Too much water kills the plant

The flip-side of Spurs playing two up front: Someone has got to make way, and today, that person was Dele Alli. I noted immediately how many news outlets online reacted to the Spurs line-up with ‘Alli dropped’-type headlines but I believe there’s a little more thought gone into this line-up than that suggests.

Dele Alli has had a meteoric rise in the past 12 months. This time last year, he was admitting in interview his hopes of getting some game time at Tottenham in the coming season. Little did anyone think he would end up being one of the stars of the show! His displays were so impressive, that he forced his way into the England squad for Euro 2016 and began the tournament as a starter. The Euro’s tapped the brakes on his rapid rise, and last week, he didn’t appear to be the same dynamic Dele Alli we’ve become used to seeing. This shouldn’t surprise us – he must be shattered!

Pochettino played this hand brilliantly today. He not only gave an opportunity to Vincent Janssen who grabbed his chance with both hands, but he also provided a well-earned rest for Dele Alli, who then provided the crucial spark when he was introduced in the second half this afternoon.

Tottenham are a high octane team who burned out just before the finish line at the end of last season. If Spurs are to succeed on all fronts in 2016/17, careful management of players like we saw with Alli today will be vital. Expect Harry Kane to be given a similar break sometime soon… and don’t believe any headlines telling you he’s ‘dropped’.

Start as you mean to go on!

If his home debut could be used as an indication of how Victor Wanyama’s time at Tottenham will be, then we have got ourselves an £11million bargain!

Wanyama was dominant today in a role usually left to the absent Mousa Dembele. Instead of sitting back minding the house (Which Eric Dier is very capable of doing single-handedly) Wanyama instead used his tireless engine to roam all over the pitch. His industrious display was rewarded with a fine, match-winning goal in the 83rd minute. As Spurs look forward to a hectic calendar of games this coming season, the ability to have the likes of Wanyama, Dembele and Alli all rotating in a box-to-box midfield role gives Spurs a great chance mix the line up with no loss of quality. On other occasions playing two, if not all three of those players together, gives Spurs one of the most physically dominant midfields in football.

And… the Rest of the League

  • Worryingly, Man United continued their positive start to life under José. Ibrahimovic and Pogba looked particularly dangerous as United waltzed to a 2-0 win over Southampton. However, As José still wonders how to cram Rooney, Martial, Pogba, Mhikitaryan, Mata and maybe even Young and Depay into three positions, I wonder if Mata could potentially be available before the window closes?

  • In the Man City v Stoke City tie, many eyebrows were raised when Mike Dean awarded not one, but two penalties, for fouling in the box prior to a set piece delivery. Why shouldn’t he give them though? If that sort of pulling and dragging was happening outside the box it would be a foul 10 times out of 10 so why not in the box? One other observation from that tie: Raheem Sterling looks a totally rejuvenated player under Pep Guardiola.

  • Liverpool are a funny old team. Picked by many at the start of the year as a sneaky title contender due to the ‘Klopp factor’ and their lack of any extra European football, they certainly got off to an eye-opening start with a hectic win over Arsenal. However, the Klopp experiment is far from finished, and that showed today as they fell to Burnley 2-0. We should look to heap more misery on Liverpool when we face them next weekend. We’ll be facing a wounded animal in White Hart Lane – Poch and the troops better be ready!

  • If you brought someone who didn’t follow the Premier League to today’s game between Arsenal and Leicester and told them the game consisted of last year’s Top Two, they’d think you were having a laugh. The game was particularly flat, with only really Riyad Mahrez and Laurent Koscielny standing out. Arsenal in particular looked extremely tame until the introduction of Mesut Ozil. Wenger has a hell of a job on his hands if he plans on leaving this Arsenal job on a high.

  • Chelsea continue to do Chelsea things. Another under-the-radar win leaves them with maximum points from two potentially tricky fixtures. Conte has installed the Italian way into this bunch worryingly quickly.

End Game: EPL Round-Up for Game Week 1

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So, after three months in the wilderness (with a European Championship oasis in between), Premier League action has made its’ long awaited return. But what did we learn from this weekend’s games? Let’s look first at the Lilywhites…

Tottenham Report

Adapt to survive

The balanced 4-2-3-1 formation has been good to Pochettino in his first two years at Tottenham. However, as I wrote here, Spurs may need to look to other strategies, or risk being left behind in 2016/17.
In the first half against Everton, Tottenham looked flat. The lack of penetration may be partly due to Dembele’s absence, but the general lack of pace and threat is not something that’s been seen for the first time. Spurs really only sprung into life when Poch swapped holding midfielder Eric Dier for our new striker Janssen, and switched to a 4-4-2 formation. The chances began to flow, and soon after Erik Lamela nodded home the equaliser. Spurs escaped with a hard earned point after underperforming, but some signs in the second half were promising. Will we see more of this old school, direct 4-4-2?

Don’t Shut the Window!

With just over two weeks left to go before the transfer window shut, Spurs were given plenty of indication on Saturday afternoon that squad reinforcement is still needed. As the usually potent attacking threat of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli was stifled, Tottenham struggled to create chances, and even after a switch to a more spacious 4-4-2, Eriksen never looked perfectly comfortable as a touchline-hugging winger. Eriksen influence is always greatest through the middle, but at the moment, Spurs have very few natural wingers on the books who could play outside instead. A dip in the market (maybe even for some of the marquee signings listed here) could yet be on the cards before September comes, but the Spurs hierarchy will have to oversee this operation without the aid of Paul Mitchell, who left his post as Head of Recruitment in a very surprising turn of events this week.

Enter: Lamela

I discussed here some Tottenham players who I’m backing to make a jump in 2016/17, and in this article, I nailed my colours firmly to the Erik Lamela mast. With teams now more ready for last year’s surprise package Dele Alli, and Christian Eriksen currently chasing a new contract, the bulk of the playmaking responsibility may rest on Erik Lamela’s shoulders for the next few weeks. Lamela certainly took the first step towards becoming Spurs go-to guy on Saturday, making no mistake in converting Kyle Walker’s pinpoint cross to give Tottenham a share of the points. Lamela has now followed up a very encouraging preseason with an equally promising start to the league campaign… Long may it continue!

And… the Rest of the League 

  • Despite being typically dominant in terms of possession for a Guardiola side, City had to work extremely hard to get all three points against Sunderland on Saturday. Welcome to the Premier League Pep!
  • Spurs fans waited an eternity for a Leicester loss… only for it to come four months too late. Hull City shocked Ranieri’s side on opening day giving Leicester a healthy helping of reality, making a repeat of last year’s heroics now even more unthinkable.
  • It’s easy to dislike Man United this year, especially for a Spurs fan. Having waited patiently for decades for our chance to leapfrog them, they then use a huge cash injection to draft in ‘The Special One’ and a handful of All-star players. My shallow hope that all the mammoth egos in one squad couldn’t work together now seems slim, as they looked extremely dangerous on Sunday.
  • There’s so much to say about Arsenal v Liverpool that I’ll keep it to a single line: Liverpool have got a real baller on their hands in Phillipe Coutinho.

*Monday’s conclusions to be added later…