A stat has emerged regarding the number of sprints per game that the Tottenham players collectively manage, and it sheds light on the kind of intensity that Ange Postecoglou expects from his squad.
Returning players help Tottenham return to winning ways
Tottenham registered a home Premier League victory for the first time in what feels like an eternity against Manchester United on Sunday, and Ange Postecoglou will be especially pleased by the fact that his side kept a clean sheet.
The Spurs head coach will argue that it is not a coincidence that his side delivered a much-improved performance after having a week to rest and prepare for the game and seeing several injured players return to action.
In fact, it was one of Tottenham’s high-profile returnees, James Maddison, who scored the goal that separated the two sides.
Stat shows the intensity Postecoglou expects from his players
Tottenham’s performance on Sunday was everything that one has come to expect from a Postecoglou side when they are firing on all cylinders.
They hardly gave United’s midfielders and forwards any time on the ball and were playing line-breaking passes quickly when they won it back.
A number of Tottenham players got up and down the pitch all game and played with the kind of energy we have hardly seen from them over recent months.
It has now been revealed by Sky Sports that on average, the Spurs players collectively managed more sprints per game than any other side in the division, registering 175 sprints per match.
Is this style sustainable for Tottenham?
The big question for Postecoglou and Tottenham to ponder over is whether this kind of intense style of play is sustainable throughout the season, particularly in a division as demanding as the Premier League.
The club’s injury record over the past two seasons suggests that it might not be, with the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero evidently breaking down regularly when asked to sprint as much as they have.
The one clear thing is that if Postecoglou sticks to this approach (and there is no indication he is going to change), Spurs need a bigger squad than almost any other side in the Premier League to enable regular rotation.