Christian Eriksen stayed. Toby Alderweireld stayed. Jan Vertonghen stayed. Three key Tottenham players remained at the club beyond the close of the European transfer window. The trio were linked with moves away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, yet Mauricio Pochettino can now look forward to working with the Ajax alumni until at least January.
Pochettino had claimed prior to Sunday’s North London Derby that his squad was at its most unsettled during his spell in north London and with the three core stars rumoured to be on their way out of the club in recent weeks, the Argentine can now focus on the action on the pitch rather than off it.
The immediate aim is a top four finish, something they achieved last season in part due to their rivals’ incompetence in the final stretch. It meant that Spurs’ dire form in the backend of the campaign wasn’t capitalised upon as Arsenal and Manchester United failed to make up the ground in the race for a Champions League spot.
Their run to the final of Europe’s elite club competition masked the underwhelming domestic form with Spurs having now won just four of their last 16 Premier League matches. That said, as we come into the first international break of the season, the north London side have five points to their name from the opening four matches. It’s hardly the worst return considering they have faced both Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad and Emirates, respectively, and come away with positive results.
Is a sustained title push already out of Spurs’ grasp?
A 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle was a blip on the record for a Spurs side that has previously started seasons slowly under Pochettino before gaining a head of steam as we move from Autumn through to Winter, the head coach can at least now focus on the task ahead of him. While a sustained title push may be beyond them, even at this early stage – they are now seven and five points, respectively, behind favourites Liverpool and Manchester City – the priority remains a top four finish.
Having retained the services of key players and shipped on the deadwood, Spurs at least enjoyed a solid transfer window. Tanguy Ndombele is a fine capture from Lyon, while Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon will prove shrewd additions to the squad as and when they are fully up to speed with Pochettino’s demands. A new right-back to cover for the exit of Kieran Trippier would have been welcomed, but in Kyle Walker-Peters, Serge Aurier and Juan Foyth, Pochettino at least has options in this area of defence.
However, there is always going to be the lingering doubts of the futures of Eriksen, Alderweireld and Vertonghen. The trio have less than a year to run on their respective deals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and are free to negotiate pre-contracts with potential suitors at the turn of the year and as the end of 2019 looms, supporters will be fearful over what is to come next from the three.
Tottenham have navigated two tough away matches already
This may yet have a long lasting impact on the side over the course of the campaign. At the time of writing, Spurs are the [1.55] favourites to secure a top four finish outside of the two title favourites on the Exchange, even accounting for their rocky league form. Having come away with positive results in trips to City and Arsenal, despite being dominated against the former and throwing away a two-goal lead in to draw with the latter, Spurs have at least navigated two difficult away matches at this early stage of the campaign, which is very much a bonus for the north London outfit.
It’s results like the one against Newcastle, though, that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, and whereas once Spurs would have blitzed opponents that sat deep, they have recently shown their struggles against staunch sides. This at least coincided when a driving midfield force from deep or Eriksen, or both, were not in the XI, so it’s an issue that can be rectified once Ndombele returns to fitness, but the pressure on the pair to perform is high and if either have an off day, then Spurs will suffer.
At least Pochettino will be aware that there is a quick fix to the problem of breaking teams down, as was evidenced in the 3-1 opening weekend win over Aston Villa where the second half introduction of Eriksen turned the game in Spurs’ favour as the came from one goal down to secure all three points. Villa remained compact to frustrate Spurs last month and came close to nicking a point in the capital and if Crystal Palace implement a similar approach, then the Eagles may upset the odds after the international break.
Three points needed in Palace clash after the international break
Palace are of the four sides Spurs have beaten in their recent lacklustre run, doing so on their first league match at their new stadium, but the south London side have, perhaps surprisingly, conceded fewer goals (2) than any other Premier League team this season. Boasting the fourth lowest possession average in England’s top tier this term (44.6%) it’s fairly obvious what approach Roy Hodgson will implement when they make the short trip across the capital.
If Spurs can avoid slipping up on this banana skin of a fixture, then it’ll be a timely reminder of their ability to break sides down and improve their chances of topping the London Club H2H table, of which they are [2.26] favourites on the Exchange. A failure to pick up all three points, though, and fresh talk of a crisis will dominate the headlines and heap further unnecessary pressure on the squad ahead of their Champions League campaign, which kicks off in Greece later this month.
Either way, after a so-so start to the campaign, victory after the international break will do Spurs the world of good, but a failure to overcome Palace and uncertainty is likely to again creep into the squad in a fixture that should prove easier said than done to navigate. With Eriksen, Alderweireld and Vertonghen all staying put, though, Pochettino’s focus will at least now be on the football rather than rumours linking the three stars with possible moves abroad, and that can only be a good thing as he aims to really kick-start Spurs’ season.
Source: Betfair Premier League
