Recap of the Tottenham vs. Bournemouth match: Spurs fell behind 2-0 before being rallied by Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies, and Rodrigo Bentancur, the most unlikely trio of goal-scoring suspects, on Saturday at Vitality Stadium.
Tottenham (26 points) remains third in the Premier League standings thanks to the win, two points ahead of Newcastle United in fourth (and now five above 5th-place Chelsea following their heavy defeat to Brighton on Saturday). Despite their recent poor play, Spurs still appear to be the third-best team in the Premier League while Liverpool (16th) and Manchester United (20th) battle through their own early-season troubles.
What Tottenham vs. Bournemouth taught us
Spurs frequently outperform their opponents.
Tottenham currently suffers from two problems: 1) Antonio Conte’s continued insistence on playing out of the back and defending excessively deep in their own half of the field (discussed here and here), and 2) the lack of a midfield creator on the team (discussed here and here),
despite the fact that Bryan Gil has shown signs of improvement in recent substitute appearances in the Champions League (and did so again on Saturday), despite Conte previously refusing to even utilise him for Premier League games (he got his first six minutes of the season). Spurs’ performances and outcomes may vary if one of the aforementioned factors does.
This strategy cannot be maintained or repeated.
Not that anything needed to be mentioned, but it can’t be the game plan every time to get played off the field by a freshly promoted team (or any non-big-six side, for that matter), go down by two goals in the first half, and then claw their way back via set pieces.
Important plots & leading actors
In Bournemouth’s best moments, tenacity and defence have been key, as Jefferson Lerma, Lloyd Kelly, and Philip Billing have all worked together to make sure the opponent pays for their opportunities.
While there are other players in the Premier League outside Erling Haaland who are having better and more significant seasons than England’s center-forward, Spurs are more than just Harry Kane.
Team news, injuries, and lineup choices for Bournemouth
QUESTIONABLE: OUT: David Brooks (thigh), Lloyd Kelly (ankle), Neto, and Dominic Solanke (thigh)
Tottenham’s roster options, injuries, and team news
OUT: Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski (thigh) (calf)
