This weekend Tottenham Hotspur cruised past Burnley with a 5-2 victory away at Turf Moor. This result leaves them 2nd in the Premier League, with a goal difference that places them above Liverpool, West Ham, and Arsenal. In this article, we analyse how new manager Ange Postecoglou has revitalised Tottenham's forward
Scoring five goals away from home shows Tottenham's attacking dominance, and doing it with an expected goals (XG) of 2.28 shows their clinical finishing in front of goal. They didn't have limited chances either, with three big chances created and 11 shots inside of Burnley's box. An abundance of chances mixed with some pinpoint finishing was the perfect formula that allowed Spurs to find the net five consecutive times.
Tottenham have 11 goals in the Premier League this season, the second most - joint with Manchester City. It's this high-scoring form that has allowed them to go unbeaten this campaign, drawing away at Brentford and breezing past Manchester United, Bournemouth and Burnley - all by 2 or more goals. This feat is particularly impressive considering Tottenham sold Harry Kane this summer - their star player, talisman, and captain. England's top scorer had been a nailed-on starter at Tottenham for the past nine seasons; Kane scored over a third of Tottenham's goals across that period. Losing such an important player, who was the focal point of all of Tottenham's attacks, could be detrimental to a team. However, Ange Postecoglou has guided his side smoothly through this transitional period.
The recruitment of James Maddison has to be largely credited for filling the gap of Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich striker had always been involved in hold-up play, helping Tottenham build and transition on the counterattack. James Maddison has now become the new focal point of their attacks, and the ex-Leicester playmaker is excellent at progressing the ball and creating chances; the England international already has two goals and two assists in four games.
Postecoglou started Brazilian striker Richarlison up front for the first three Premier League games, but this offered limited success as a goalscoring replacement for Kane; Richarlison was subbed off before the 71st minute in two matches and only managed two shots on target across the three games. The Australian manager scrapped this plan against Burnley, dropping Richarlison and playing Son Heung-min as a number nine. This worked out perfectly, with the South Korean grabbing a hat-trick - converting all three of his shots on target into goals.
New signing Manor Solomon played an important role in chance creation (with five, the most in the match) replacing Son on the left wing effectively - even grabbing two assists. Removing Richarlison from the team appears to have improved the fluidity of attacks, and allowed the Tottenham forward line to become even more dangerous; Son has replaced Richarlison effectively at striker, whilst Solomon has confidently replaced Son out wide. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie also continued their excellent attacking form, both contributing an assist and enjoying their attacking freedom. Every figure in this Spurs attack is playing an important role, and Postecoglou has the team playing in harmony.
Removing Richarlison from the side, and starting Son up front has revolutionised Tottenham's attack, and the signing of Maddison has linked everything and everyone together. Not only has the attack been revitalised, but so has Son's career. During the 2022/23 season, the winger only reached 10 goals and 6 assists - his lowest tally in both metrics (and lowest for combined goal contributions) since his first season in the league. This poor season (by Son's standards) occurred during Harry Kane's joint highest scoring Premier League season; whilst Tottenham only finished 8th, they certainly did not struggle on the goalscoring front. The 31-year-old appears to have recovered his career this season, suggesting that last year may have simply been a blip. Alternatively, this recovery could be explained by the combination of Kane's departure and Postecoglou's new system. Son had always been in the shadow of Harry Kane, and now he finally has the opportunity to be Tottenham's main man, and striker. This season is a great opportunity for Son to unlock his full potential.
The appointment of Postecoglou, the departure of Harry Kane, and the signing of James Maddison have all contributed to both Son Heung-min and the rest of Tottenham's attack thriving. It's hard to pinpoint the main reason for this, but Kane's departure appears to have enabled an improved playstyle. It has allowed Maddison to come into the side, and Son to take up the number 9 spot. The Lilywhites have been one of the most in-form teams this campaign, and look to be a strong contender for the Champions League spots.
Comments