3 reasons why Tottenham Hotspur could be title contenders this season
This summer has seen Tottenham Hotspur do some early business bringing in Lyon's Tanguy Ndombele and Leeds United's Jack Clarke, although the latter was loaned back to Leeds for the season. They don't seem to be done with business though and have been linked with plenty of players to fill in at full back and attacking positions.
Having gone two transfer windows without a single incoming transfer, Spurs put their faith in the players they had and those coming through the youth ranks. An admirable policy though it may be, it could have been a contributing factor to why Spurs finished the league so poorly last season. This season, their summer has begun with good intent and they seem to be looking to plug holes early on and give the incoming players plenty of time to gel with the team.
Mauricio Pochettino has delivered consistently good results for five seasons with Spurs now without a trophy to show for it. That dam has come close to breaking a few times over the last five years, but Spurs have just been stopped short. Spurs' attractive brand of football seems to be on the verge of bearing fruit, and here's why they're likely to challenge for the Premier League title this year.
Also See : Durand Cup, Durand Cup Schedule, Calcutta Football League.
#3 Robust & Versatile Midfield
The Spurs team is probably best described as fluid. Especially in attack, the midfielders are constantly on the move and interchanging with forwards, rendering their formations (3-5-2, 4-2-3-1, or a 4-4-2 diamond) just squiggles on paper. However, there is a core group of players getting the job done for them week in and week out.
It was Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, and Mousa Dembele, but that changed last season. Dembele's exit from the club brought the burgeoning talent of Winks to the fore, Moura's rise to prominence saw him play an increased role in the side, and somewhere along the way last season the side seemed to learn to win without Kane. There may yet be more flux this season with Eriksen constantly being linked to moves away. If he does move, Spurs seem to have lined up moves to replace the talismanic Dane.
All in all, Spurs have sought to make their midfield more robust with the addition of Ndombele who offers his talents in attack as well as defence. Oliver Skipp from the youth ranks looks set to get a few minutes in the first team as well. Spurs have at least a couple of options in every position this season and will expect the likes of Alli, Moura, and perhaps Lamela to score goals from midfield this season.
Winks and Ndombele will play a key role in bringing the ball out from defence either via accurate passing to attacking positions or dribbles from deep areas. This was the missing piece for Tottenham last season with Dembele's injuries and eventual departure, but they have addressed it in the market and seem poised for a good outing in midfield this season.