Tottenham can begin to rely on Dominic Solanke – His work in draw vs Brighton shows why
Tottenham Hotspur missed a big chance to climb back out of the bottom three on Saturday, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side playing out a 2-2 draw with Brighton.
The Italian arrived in North London over the recent international break and was handed the immediate task of guiding the Lilywhites to safety.
Thus far, he has yet to win at the helm, with defeat against Sunderland followed by the gut-wrenching draw against his former club.
There were positive signs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, though, particularly from striker Dominic Solanke, who led the line well despite not finding the back of the net.
With the relegation battle intensifying, former Spurs shotstopper Joe Hart was impressed with his showing, while De Zerbi will have seen the signs that he can rely on the forward in the coming weeks.
MORE SPURS STORIES
🏟️ TOTTENHAM MATCHDAY HUB 🏟️
Line-ups, predicted XIs, player ratings, tactical verdicts, match analysis, and live Spurs form guides.
Get 24/7 updates from your definitive Lilywhites source
Dominic Solanke led the line well vs Brighton
One of the biggest flaws for Tottenham this season has been their passivity in pressing from the front and their lack of impact in possession.
This was something a manager of De Zerbi’s ilk was brought in for, and there did seem to be an impact in his first home match.
The lack of creativity from players other than Xavi Simons remained concerning on Saturday, with Solanke having to feed off scraps in that regard.
But despite this, he worked tirelessly to continue initiating the press from the front, while he worked well with Simons throughout the evening.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Hart highlighted the shift in intensity from Tottenham, highlighting Solanke’s importance.
“Solanke is working hard; he is not a striker who just wants to score goals,” said the former England international. “He wants to work hard.
With six defensive contributions and 34 touches against Brighton, the forward was not exactly blessed with many opportunities to do what he does best inside the box, but he remained vital for the cause, with Hart outlining how important it is to up the atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“It is all well and good pressing, it is also about what you are going to do with it when you win it back. That’s when you want to get your creative players on the ball.
“Xavi Simons picks up that little pocket, and only players like him see those passes, and really brave from Pedro Porro. That was a really important goal, and the whole stadium was rocking,” he concluded.
Goalscoring will have to improve for Dominic Solanke
While Solanke is showing signs of getting back up to speed after returning from injury earlier this year, his numbers in front of goal will have to begin improving.
Saturday was not necessarily his fault in that regard, with the forward feeding off relative scraps, being able to let fly with just one effort.
Making 13 carries with the ball and attracting two fouls while in possession, Solanke will hope he is rewarded for that hard work at Wolves with chances to score.
But with Tottenham in a relegation battle, they are going to need goals.
It was a much-improved performance against Brighton, which should raise confidence despite the late equaliser.
And as De Zerbi continues to get his ideas across, the Lilywhites may find themselves more capable of creating chances for their striker; the only task then for Solanke is to prove he can finish them off.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Tottenham Hotspur News Access
Get the full story from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Hotspur Way with our dedicated expert hubs:
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from N17 and Hotspur Way.