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In an open letter to the Tottenham Hotspur fan base at the end of the 2021 season, chairman Daniel Levy highlighted the club would look to appoint a manager who could deliver “free-flowing, attacking and entertaining” football – and they’ve found what they were looking for in Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian has turned Spurs into the Premier League’s top pressing side. If you look at the chart below, going left to right, Tottenham have won more high turnovers than any other side so far this season. Their upcoming opponents Arsenal are dwelling in the middle of the pack.
Going up the chart, you can also see only Manchester City have typically won the ball back higher up the field – a metric called ‘starting distance’. So, Spurs currently win the ball back around 46m from their own goal.
They’re on the front foot and the North London Derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – live on Sky Sports this Sunday – will be no different.
The aggressive nature and influence Ange has had on the team is clear to see in the graph below. Prior to his arrival, Tottenham sat back, just 40m away from their own goal, when starting a passage of play.
Since then, Tottenham have pushed forward nearly six metres. That’s a lot. They’ve gone from a deep team to the most advanced side – bar Man City.
They’re reaping the rewards for their efforts, too. Last season, Tottenham ranked second for possession, second for forward passes and fourth for shots. Their defensive efforts are translating into a threat at the opposite end of the pitch.
It’s a new season but nothing new from Spurs, as they look set to continue with their mercurial style of play.
Just look at this: Who’s received the ball most in the final third while under pressure this season? Let’s glaze over Kevin De Bruyne. Next on the list? James Maddison, then Heung-Min Son, then Pedro Porro – a full-back.
There is a downside to all of this, of course. The trademark high press and focus to maintain possession of the ball further up the pitch leaves them susceptible to counterattacks.
As you can see in this chart, Manchester United were turned over more than any other team last season with counters reaching the final third – and we know that was a problem with United last season.
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We also know Newcastle suffered defensively and they rank among the five teams here.
Spurs rank sixth worst. Given their attacking dominance, perhaps the high-risk approach is worth that?
The alarm bells don’t stop ringing there, either. When you compare Spurs and Arsenal last season, Ange’s side conceded more than twice the number of goals.
Only six teams conceded more expected goals than Tottenham. And then there’s the touchy subject of set-pieces, known to get on Ange’s nerves.
Spurs shipped 23 goals from dead balls last season and only Nottingham Forest (27) and Sheffield United (24) conceded more.
In complete contrast to Spurs, Arsenal conceded a league-low 29 goals. Even their expected goals conceded was a league-low – which suggests there was no luck involved.
But the question is, will the Arsenal defence miss the presence of Declan Rice ahead of them following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion?
These numbers suggest he completes 97.1 per cent of passes while under pressure – a higher ratio than any team-mate.
Losing a cool, calm and collected figure like Rice would impact any team – but can Spurs exploit this new-found weakness in the Arsenal squad?
Spurs typically only allow opponents 6.3 passes before pressing and causing a defensive action – which is two less than Arsenal, even when they have Rice leading the charge.
Postecoglou is yet to taste victory in the derby – with his side taking just one point from the fixtures last season.
However, with the footballing philosophy he’s instilled in this group of players, as well as an immense amount of talent across all positions, he’s got the tools at his disposal to secure all three points against a depleted Arsenal this time around.
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