After a resounding 4-0 thrashing at the home of the defending Premier League champions, the Spurs project under Ange Postecoglou appears to be thriving, with even the most optimistic fans starting to dream of silverware this season. Spurs delivered a dominant performance against Pep Guardiola’s side, shattering their extraordinary 52-game unbeaten home record across all competitions. They also secured a place in the EFL Cup quarterfinals by eliminating Manchester City with a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
Tottenham resurgence under Postecoglou
Currently 6th place in the Premier League and three points behind Champions League places, Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou seem to be heading in the right direction with talks of a possible silverware gaining momentum. Spurs are the league’s highest scorers with 27 goals scored from 24.2 xG with an impressive 2.3 goals per match and have scored 2+ goals in 8 of 12 Premier League games this season. They rank third in the league for shots on targer per match (6.3), creating 42 big chances in the league this season with 455 touches in the opposition box this season. They are second best possession team in the League this season, dominating the ball with 60.1% possession. It is clear that the Spurs project under Ange has made significant progress in his second season in charge especially in the attacking department.
Defensively, Ange’s high-intensity pressing tactics have drawn criticism for often leaving the team exposed to counterattacks and fast breaks. Their aggressive pressing have been a strength and a weakness with the London side ranking first in the League for possession won in the final third with 6.7 per match but have conceded 13 goals from 15.3 xG with 3 clean sheets kept in 12 games this season. Spurs have struggled against disciplined low blocks with some teams choosing to sit in a compact low block while hitting Ange’s side on the break. In all five matches Spurs have lost this season, they have dominated the ball with over 59% possession. One can only but wonder how much of a title contender Spurs would be if Postecoglou could fix their weakness against low block teams hitting on a counter.
A season and a half into Ange Postecoglou’s tenure, the underlying numbers reflect the steady progress Spurs have made under his guidance. They might not be title contenders yet but all indication show that they are in the right direction. Under the Ange era, Spurs have shown that they can go toe to toe with the best teams in the league with the 4-0 demolition of the Champions a statement win. Spurs’s quality against elite teams might be better suited for cup competitions but with a few quality recruitment, Spurs fans might not need to wait too long to finally get their hands on winners’s medal.
