Micky van de Ven netted his fifth goal against Everton to become Tottenham’s leading scorer in all competitions.
Kevin Danso put in a shift for Tottenham in their 3-0 win over Everton, but it was van de Ven who grabbed headlines.
Indeed, van de Ven surpassed his all-time Tottenham goal tally since he arrived in 2023 after scoring a brace. In the last two seasons, he has scored a combined three goals, but this season he has netted five goals alone.
But what was clearly a joyous occasion for the centre-back and fans is likely to cause trouble for Thomas Frank later down the line.
How have Tottenham’s attackers performed this season?
Tottenham currently have seven forwards in their senior team, who have netted a combined eight goals this season.
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To put this into perspective, defender van de Ven and defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha have scored eight goals between them.
Solanke has been injured for most of the season, so his tally is understandable, but it is too simple to say that the others need to pull their weight.
Indeed, eight goals scored by seven forwards in 14 games is fundamentally a tactical issue.
Richarlison and Xavi Simons illustrate the issue
Frank likes to create from the wings, with Tottenham often progressing the ball in a U-formation.
This means that Spurs’ wingers often have more time and space with the ball, unlike their attackers, who operate more centrally.
Xavi Simons has underperformed for Tottenham this season, but the number of touches he’s received in the Premier League suggests he may not be at fault.
Indeed, the Dutch international has averaged 44 touches at Spurs this season, while he had around 68 during the 2024/25 season. And when your intended main creator can’t get on the ball, the problem trickles down.
Richarlison’s goals this season have come against Burnley and Brighton, where he took five shots. Comparatively, Wolves at home was one of his worst games this season, where he had one shot all game.
Meanwhile, Kudus has been Tottenham’s prime creator this season.
When Kudus has a bad game, Spurs struggle to create for their centre-forwards, which is reflected in Richarlison’s weaker performances.
The verdict?
Frank’s insistence on creating from the wings is harming the team.
Indeed, his tactics effectively render Simons ineffective, which leaves the Lilywhites with one less option going forward.
As a result, it is no wonder that van de Ven tops Spurs’ goalscoring chart and why they have looked most threatening during set pieces. This is something that Frank will need to nip in the bud, or it’s looking like a long season ahead.