Tottenham huffed and puffed for 90 minutes but, in the end, they couldn’t blow Everton away. The goalless draw means that Roberto De Zerbi’s Lilywhites are yet to register a goal this Premier League season. Here are the 5 things we’ve learned as we ask, ‘How long can this go on?’
1. Spurs are at least showing improvement in one area
Today was not the result many a Spurs fan would have hoped for. Even though a lot of the discussion will centre around Tottenham’s lacklustre attacking performance, there is some consolation to be taken at Spurs’ improvement in the first two phases of play, a meaningful metric for a team which struggled to string more than a few passes last season.
Their investment into technical defensive players over the summer window showed a lot of upside today. Spurs dominating possession gave Jan Paul van Hecke a lot of time on the ball, platforming the right centre-back’s passing ability well. The Dutchman was able to consistently break Everton’s lines of pressure with his passing and had the highest pass volume (104) of any Spurs player on the pitch.
Perhaps surprisingly given the score, Spurs were able to consistently play out from the back through the defensive and middle thirds but were also able to maintain and recycle possession whenever an attack inevitably broke down. Even if Tottenham’s attacking play was dreadful on the afternoon, Roberto De Zerbi’s tactics are keeping Tottenham on the ball, making it more difficult for the opposition to score.
2. Spurs have a toothless attack which is quickly running out of time
Spurs may as well be the best team in the world in reaching the final third, but if their attackers can’t generate a chance, all of that build-up is entirely inconsequential… Tottenham generated significantly less xG than Everton, despite managing a whopping 37 touches in their penalty box, none of them ending with a shot on target. Spurs’ only two accurate shots came from outside of the box and weren’t even taken by their attackers.
Domininc Solanke and new signing Omar Marmoush managed a combined 48 touches and generated 0.05 xG together. And while Savio looked bright in moments, especially in the opening minutes of the game as Everton kept leaving him 1v1 against his full-back Mykolenko, he offered very little in terms of combining with his teammates.
It’s obvious that the front unit looks desperately uncomfortable playing with each other as connections between players take time to build. But the lack of improvement Spurs have shown in their attacking play since the start of the season can only be seen as concerning.
3. Should Sandro Tonali be undroppable at Tottenham?
Although Spurs’ midfield was far from the most pressing issue against Everton, their current setup is definitely putting a damper on their attacking performances.
Despite fielding midfield players in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, which cost Tottenham a combined £185 million, 29-year-old Rodrigo Bentancur’s performance once again took centre stage.
Although obviously the expectations placed on Sandro Tonali, Tottenham’s most expensive signing in history, were bound to be unrealistic, it’s becoming harder and harder to see the actual upside he brings to the team.
Roberto De Zerbi expects his pivot players to play in-between the opposition block, making their first touch, turn and pass, all crucial elements of their game. Conversely, Sandro Tonali struggles with all of those things, which also seriously slows the speed of Tottenham’s buildup.
This makes the decision to play Mateus Fernandes in the 10 role all the more puzzling because while the young Portuguese excels in the kind of tight-space play necessary from a De Zerbi pivot, he’s also clearly uncomfortable with being the attacking presence required from the most advanced midfielder.
As things stand, Rodrigo Bentancur is offering more both in and out of possession than Sandro Tonali, which makes the worrying question if the Italian truly deserves a place in the starting lineup if Spurs could be fielding a more functional team without him.
4. Boos at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at full-time
Although we have yet to reach the level of fan malcontent which defined the reign of Thomas Frank, Spurs booing their team at full-time today is the first show that time is running out for Roberto De Zerbi’s team to start producing results.
Even if results don’t improve, it would still be a long while before the atmosphere in the stadium approaches anything that could be considered unsustainable. But it is also true that the Tottenham board went all-in in their bet on De Zerbi, giving him unprecedented managerial powers and an eye-watering contract which would cost upwards of £50 million to terminate.
We can only hope that this never becomes a real concern.
5. Spurs’ wait for a Premier League goal now guaranteed to reach at least 118 days
Wars have started and ended since Tottenham last scored a goal in the Premier League. 111 days passed since Joao Palhinha’s winner (also) against Everton, and the wait for a Premier League goal will have to continue for at least another week as Spurs face Villa on September 19th.
Their 4th consecutive league game without a goal is their worst since 2008 and Martin Jol’s four-game goalless streak.