5 Things We Know From Tottenham Hotspur’s Season So Far

It is still very early days in what could be a long and tiring season for Tottenham Hotspur. The North London club is competing in four competitions and will be desperate to pick up a long-overdue trophy.

Spurs has only played five Premier League matches, plus one in the League Cup and four in the Europa League (including qualifiers). But, there are some things we already know.

Some positive and others concerning, here are 5 things we know from Tottenham Hotspur’s season so far.

There is depth in the squad

The Spurs team that started tonight’s win over LASK in the Europa League group stage had eight changes from the side that played West Ham last weekend. And it was still a team comfortably good enough to beat the Austrians.

That’s a very promising sign for Spurs. With at least two players competing for each position, there must be hope Spurs can give everyone enough game time without sacrificing results. Another bonus is the added competition spurring on players to raise their performance. Serge Aurier and Erik Lamela for example, two players who might not have expected to play much after Spurs bought in new signings, have started the season strongly. That strength in depth also gives head coach Jose Mourinho options with his formation, like the choice of playing 4-3-3 or 3-5-2.

Options in attack

Spurs looks especially strong in attack. Carlos Vinicius has joined on loan from Benfica as a backup for Harry Kane and made a promising first start against LASK, combining with Lucas Moura to set up his compatriot for the first goal of the game.

Mourinho is typically lining up with a front three. Kane, who plays in the middle of the trio, and Son Heung-Min are undroppable for Spurs’ most difficult matches at the moment. That leaves one position for Lamela, Vinicius, Moura and Steven Bergwijn to fight for. You could also throw Dele Alli into that mix. And of course, there is the man who was the biggest signing of the transfer window for the club – Gareth Bale. Bale managed an hour against LASK and, providing he can get fit, should be another battling for a spot in the Tottenham frontline.

The defence looks unconvincing

While the attack looks exhilarating, the defence has, at times, been worrying. Promising centre-back Joe Rodon was signed recently from Swansea but is ineligible for the Europa League group stage and Mourinho is unlikely to throw him into a Premier League match. Spurs added two other defenders to the squad but fullbacks Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon are better known for their attacking flair than defensive solidity.

That leaves Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld as the three to compete for two centre-back places. Mourinho has tried different partnerships, though each has had vulnerable moments. Spurs has looked especially uneasy from set pieces, conceding avoidable goals against Everton, West Ham and, though it was a hotly-disputed penalty, Newcastle. Even in the famous 6-1 win against Manchester United, Spurs fell behind to a penalty in the opening minute after slack defending.

A key role for Højbjerg

Despite the large squad, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has started all five Premier League matches and was one of three players retained from the West Ham match for the win over LASK. The Danish midfielder seems a player made for Mourinho – he is an organizer who is tough in the tackle and a little bit nasty when needed.

Formerly of Southampton and Bayern Munich, Højbjerg is not just a destroyer, as his excellent pass to set up Serge Aurier’s goal against Man United proved. He will be asked to do plenty of the dirty work in front of the back four though and, on the evidence so far, looks like being a key piece of the puzzle.  

It won’t be boring

Mourinho has a reputation for producing pragmatic teams, more capable of grinding out results than thrilling neutrals. After the first Premier League match of the season, a 1-0 defeat at home to Everton, Spurs fans may have been fearing the worst.

Since then though, there’s been nothing boring about Spurs. A 5-2 win at Southampton, 6-1 at Old Trafford and then a 3-3 draw with West Ham – having led 3-0 – have made Spurs exciting to watch. Including the Europe League playoff win against Maccabi Haifa, there have been 25 goals in Spurs’ last four matches – 19 for, six against. The team seems set up to play a quick passing game which should make for plenty more goals, at both ends, this season.