{"id":1348738,"date":"2024-04-17T16:03:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T15:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1348738"},"modified":"2024-04-17T16:33:43","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T15:33:43","slug":"tottenham-season-back-on-track","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tottenham-season-back-on-track\/","title":{"rendered":"How inconsistent Tottenham can get their top-four charge back on track"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tottenham<\/a>\u2019s hopes of securing a top-four finish<\/a> have taken a significant dent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ange Postecoglou\u2019s outfit were in the driving seat prior to last weekend, but a damaging 4-0 defeat at Newcastle \u2014 coupled with Aston Villa\u2019s surprise victory over Arsenal \u2014 has seen them fall three points behind the Villans with a game in hand.<\/p>\n

Although the situation is eminently salvageable, Spurs will need to overcome the inconsistency that has plagued them in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the North Londoners can get their campaign back on track.<\/p>\n

Richarlison return<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richarlison has not started a match since February\u2019s 2-1 loss to Wolves after struggling with a knee issue \u2014 and the Brazilian\u2019s absence has highlighted his importance to Spurs.<\/p>\n

He was in fine form prior to that injury, scoring nine goals in a run of eight Premier League fixtures from December to early February.<\/p>\n

But it is the forward\u2019s hold up play that Spurs have missed most, as they struggle to make the ball stick up front without him.<\/p>\n

That was particularly evident against Newcastle, when Spurs were repeatedly hit on the counter after losing possession, allowing the Magpies four fast breaks and eight direct attacks at St James\u2019 Park.<\/p>\n

Postecoglou will hope to have Richarlison back by their next game against Arsenal, where his presence in the final third could be crucial.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Maximise Maddison<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Maddison\u2019s Spurs career started in sensational fashion, with three goals and five assists in his first nine league matches.<\/p>\n

But his campaign was derailed by an ankle injury in November and he has struggled to regain the same form since returning to fitness.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old is actually attempting and completing more passes \u2014 and passes into the final third \u2014 following his enforced absence, but they are not translating into clear-cut opportunities.<\/p>\n

His chances created per 90 minutes have dropped from 3.14 to 2.25, and it has been a similar decline when it comes to big chances created (0.61 vs 0.31).<\/p>\n

Maddison\u2019s shooting boots also look to have deserted him, with his shot accuracy falling dramatically from 53.57% to 26.32%, despite attempting fewer shots overall.<\/p>\n

Postecoglou needs to find a way to get one of his star men firing again.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Defensive training<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spurs have over a week until their next match, when they host Arsenal in the North London derby.<\/p>\n

But they face a potentially bruising run of six fixtures until the end of the season, with games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City over the coming month.<\/p>\n

A similar defensive display to Saturday\u2019s performance at Newcastle will be ruthlessly exploited by the Premier League\u2019s top sides, so Postecoglou will have to maximise his upcoming time on the training ground.<\/p>\n

That should help cut out mistakes like the two errors that led directly to a goal against the Magpies.<\/p>\n

If he can drill Spurs\u2019 soft-centred midfield to be less penetrable \u2014 and increase organisation in their rearguard \u2014 then a top-four finish could still be within their grasp.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tottenham\u2019s hopes of securing a top-four finish have taken a significant dent. Ange Postecoglou\u2019s outfit were in the driving seat prior to last weekend, but a damaging 4-0 defeat at Newcastle \u2014 coupled with Aston Villa\u2019s surprise victory over Arsenal \u2014 has seen them fall three points behind the Villans with a game in hand….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":455,"featured_media":1348742,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1348738","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"\nHow inconsistent Tottenham can get their top-four charge back on track | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tottenham-season-back-on-track\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How inconsistent Tottenham can get their top-four charge back on track\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tottenham\u2019s hopes of securing a top-four finish have taken a significant dent. 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