Following the departure of star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, Tottenham have shown a refreshed face, achieving the best start in the club's history to lead the Premier League.
Instead of recruiting a striker to replace Kane, new manager Ange Postecoglou brought in wingers Manor Solomon and Brennan Johnson, along with midfielder James Maddison, this summer. He also persuaded the club to permanently sign Dejan Kulusevski, the Swedish winger who joined the team on loan in January.
Therefore, ahead of the new season, pundit Paul Merson predicts Tottenham will decline, even struggling to finish in the top half of the table without Kane. The former England midfielder said: "Last season Kane scored 30 goals and Tottenham finished eighth. Tottenham could have finished in the top four if Kane had stayed, and it will be difficult to finish in the top half now that Kane is gone. Who will score goals in Kane's place?"
Son Heung-min scored the opening goal in Tottenham's 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the seventh round of the Premier League on October 1st. Photo: PA
But over eight rounds, Tottenham showed a fresh face, playing attractive football, scoring 18 goals, only behind Brighton (21), Newcastle (20), Aston Villa (19) to top the table. This is in contrast to the gloomy atmosphere under Antonio Conte, who was said to have created a timid and insecure team.
"Tottenham have truly been freed, no longer bound by the dependence on a world- class striker who would carry all the heavy lifting for the team," commented the British newspaper Sportmail . "It's like a television show losing its main character, but the supporting cast shines and helps boost the show's ratings."
That freedom is reflected in the attacking statistics, as Tottenham are shooting significantly more than under Conte. They currently have 153 shots, 38 more than at the same stage last season. Of those, new signing Maddison created 25 chances. At the same point last season, Kane led in this statistic with 16 assists and was also the top scorer with six goals.
Last season, Tottenham also had an impressive start, trailing this season by only three points and even scoring one more goal. But Postecoglou's team currently has a higher expected goals (xG) metric than at the same time last season (15.1 compared to 14) and more shots on target (56 compared to 51). Instead of relying solely on Kane's goals, Tottenham now shares the goal-scoring responsibility among several players. Captain Son Heung-min leads with six goals, while Maddison, Kulusevski, and center-back Cristiano Romero each have two.
Vicario after a crucial save during Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the second round of the Premier League on August 19th. Photo: AFP
Tottenham's defense has also improved. New signing Mickey Van de Ven has impressed and combined well with Romero, forming a solid partnership against Guglielmo Vicario, who has taken Hugo Lloris's starting spot. Tottenham have only conceded eight goals, behind only Arsenal, Man City (both with 6), Crystal Palace, and Chelsea (both with 7). Last season, after the first eight rounds, they had conceded 10 goals.
Tottenham faced only 104 shots on goal, compared to 127 at the same stage last season. Postecoglou's side also kept three clean sheets, one more than last season, despite Conte's team playing a more defensive, counter-attacking style with a deeper back line.
Following their 1-0 victory away at Luton last weekend, which propelled them to the top of the Premier League table, manager Postecoglou emphasized that his players are looking to "change the club's destiny" with their best start since winning the title in 1960, while refusing to compare it to the previous season. "I don't think it's fair to compare it to last season and talk about what happened afterwards," the Australian coach stated. "It's all thanks to the players, the way they believed in what we were trying to do. We showed unity, not just through wins or beautiful football, but also through resilience."
Postecoglou shakes hands with James Maddison after Tottenham's 2-2 draw against Brentford in their Premier League opening match on August 13. Photo: Reuters
In Germany, Kane quickly adapted to his new environment, scoring nine goals in 10 matches. However, Bayern currently sit third in the Bundesliga with 17 points, one and two points behind Stuttgart and Leverkusen respectively.
Hong Duy
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