"No game is an island; every game is inevitably coloured by what has gone before. It is not quite five months since Tottenham last came north of the Arctic Circle and, for all that Thomas Frank insisted this is a new situation, that previous meeting with Bod/Glimt in the semi-final of the Europa League can not but colour this one in the league phase of the Champions League. There was an odd echo, too, in the buildup."
"A third of goals come from set-plays, Frank pointed out; why would Spurs not try to use them? Set pieces are extremely important. Creativity, though, has been a problem for Tottenham as their flying start has yielded to a slightly more difficult phase. They lie fourth in the table, but are ninth in the Premier League for chance creation. Last year, said Frank, most of the games, it was [Dejan] Kulusevski, [James] Maddison, Sonny [Heung-min] and Dom[inic Solanke] who played."
"It will be some time before Solanke is available. He sustained an ankle injury in the summer and has been restricted to two substitute appearances in the league this season. An injection during the last international break failed to resolve the problem so he will have what Frank referred to as a small procedure that is likely to keep him out for a few more weeks."
Tottenham’s recent Champions League fixture is influenced by a prior Europa League semi-final meeting with Bod/Glimt, producing resonant echoes in the buildup. Bod players’ comments about Tottenham’s tactics prompted reactions, including surprise at Spurs’ emphasis on long throws and set-plays. A third of goals come from set-plays, underscoring their tactical value. Tottenham have struggled for creativity, ranking ninth in the Premier League for chance creation despite sitting fourth in the table. The front four has changed from last season, and Dominic Solanke remains sidelined by an ankle injury requiring a small procedure. Cristian Romero missed travel as a precaution and Randal Kolo Muani is recovering from a dead leg.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]