Tottenham Hotspur added to their growing collection of poor results against the Premier League’s less glamourous clubs tonight with a 1-0 defeat away to Bournemouth.
Not for the first time this season (or in the previous one), Ange Postecoglou’s team conceded what appeared a preventable goal from a corner, with defender Dean Huijsen ghosting in at the far post unmarked to score midway through the first half.
The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jay Harris analyse the key talking points…
Set-piece weakness stings Spurs again
When Tottenham drew 2-2 at home against Roma in the Europa League last Thursday, the Italians’ first goal was an Evan Ndicka header from a wide free kick. Afterwards, Postecoglou was in no mood to discuss his team’s perceived weakness from set pieces, and whether there was anything he could do to improve it.
“I don’t even know what to say to that,” Postecoglou said. “I think that’s the third set piece goal we’ve conceded this season in about 20 games. I get it, but I don’t know what to say. Let’s move on.”
Clearly, Postecoglou does not enjoy the fact that whenever his team concede from a set piece it is magnified. It was the same when Spurs conceded from corners against Arsenal and Aston Villa earlier this season, and again tonight when Huijsen was totally free to score what proved Bournemouth’s winner from a corner on 17 minutes.
Postecoglou could reasonably point to the fact that Spurs are better on set pieces now than they were last year, with new assistant Nick Montgomery taking special responsibility for them. At the same time, fans are still frustrated by the fact that these goals they concede from dead-ball situations seem so painful. Tottenham created more than enough to win this game but they were always chasing it after that early breakthrough.
The four league goals Spurs have conceded from set pieces have come from an expected goals (xG) figure of 5.38, according to Opta, the third-highest total in the league. Even if Tottenham are improving overall, fans will not always look at the bigger picture when it has just cost their team another game.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
An away performance like so many others
Don’t be fooled by Tottenham’s impressive victories over Manchester City and Manchester United this season. Those matches on the road are the exception to the rule.
Postecoglou’s side have lost eight of their last 12 away games in the Premier League. You can file this defeat in the same category as the trip to Crystal Palace in October. It was the same final scoreline and both goals arrived midway through the first half. And from that point onwards, Tottenham barely threatened their opponents.
When Tottenham concede first at home, it seems to galvanise them. They respond aggressively and charge around. For example, Bryan Mbeumo scored in the opening minute for Brentford but by the half-hour mark Spurs were winning 2-1. They have beaten Villa and West Ham 4-1 this season after going behind on their own pitch. It is a completely different story on their travels.
Tottenham’s confidence is dented and they look devoid of ideas. Postecoglou tried every possible trick in the second half tonight. In the last 15 minutes, Son Heung-min dropped into a centre-midfield role. Spurs were then top-heavy, but did not come any closer to scoring while Bournemouth wasted multiple chances to finish the game off. If anything, the final score flatters the visitors.
If they want to be serious about challenging for a top-four spot this season, Tottenham have to produce better away performances more consistently. These defeats at Brighton, Palace and now Bournemouth more than cancel out their five-star displays against the Manchester clubs.
Jay Harris
Solanke a shadow of his usual self
It was certainly good news that Dominic Solanke recovered from the illness that put him out of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham to play tonight. Spurs looked lost without him at the weekend because he is so important to how they function both with and without the ball.
But while it was better to have Solanke back, he did not look restored to his physically dominant best for this first return to the club he left in the summer. He had the two best chances of what was a poor first half from Tottenham but could not take either of them with any conviction. And while his work rate was as good as ever, putting his back into every run he made without the ball, he looked understandably short of his normal physical levels.
This meant that Spurs struggled to put enough pressure on Bournemouth when they had the ball, because Solanke is the man in charge of leading the press. And it meant they couldn’t keep much of a foothold in the opposition half because it was difficult to retain possession.
When Solanke is properly at it, he makes the whole Tottenham team function. It is good that he is back playing, but with their other attackers looking low on confidence right now, Spurs will need him back to his best soon.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
What next for Tottenham?
Sunday, December 8: Chelsea (home), Premier League, 4:30pm UK, 11:30am ET
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(Top photo: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)