Tottenham go in search of their first Premier League win of the season on Saturday against Aston Villa.
It has been far from an ideal start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur. They bowed out of the Carabao Cup earlier this week following a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. The Reds were ruthless in front of goal and punished Roberto De Zerbi’s side for failing to capitalise on some clear-cut chances in the final third during the match.
For the third consecutive season, Tottenham find themselves hovering in the bottom half of the league table and struggling to find ways to win. Not only that, but the North Londoners are one of only two clubs (alongside Coventry City) yet to score a single goal in the Premier League this season.
This is a major concern for Spurs, especially considering that the club’s hierarchy loosened their purse strings on attacking reinforcements during the past transfer window. Savio and Omar Marmoush were brought in from Manchester City in August, while Mykhailo Mudryk arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea on deadline day.
Former defender thinks Tottenham should have invested in a prolific goalscorer
Spurs have already made history for the wrong reasons this season by failing to find the back of the net across four league games. The players have started creating chances in the final third but have lacked the cutting edge to convert them into goals.
After the defeats to Brentford and Newcastle United, the Roberto De Zerbi-managed team’s performances have improved in the last few games. But without scoring goals, they continue to drop points in the league and remain in and around the danger zone.
Having left Richarlison out of his 25-man Premier League squad, De Zerbi must rely on Dominic Solanke, who has struggled with injuries in the past 12 months, and Marmoush. And former defender Alan Hutton feels the Italian boss made a mistake in not signing a potent goalscorer to aid his squad rebuild.
“Spurs spent a lot of money in the summer, but after the window the main problem I saw was that they were still missing a goalscorer. They need a number nine who can consistently score goals,” Alan Hutton was quoted by Football London.
“They obviously can’t go and sign Erling Haaland from Manchester City, but they need a player like that – a player who has a reputation for scoring goals everywhere he plays.
“When you see the likes of Mudryk and Savio coming in, you’re never too sure how they’re going to work out. I like Tonali and Fernandes, and I think Van Hecke was a good signing and I understand why they strengthened in those areas, but they’ve been missing a proper goalscorer since Harry Kane left and that still looks like the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Tottenham have to beat Aston Villa
Ex-Liverpool and Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy feels Tottenham will slowly start accumulating points and climbing up the table. Indeed, fans have witnessed minor improvements in the last few games, both defensively and going forward, and the onus now falls on De Zerbi to ensure his team becomes clinical in front of goal, starting with Saturday’s clash against Aston Villa.
The Lilywhites have to come flying out of their traps and take the game to Unai Emery’s side, who have picked up just one point from four league games. It will be an encounter between two teams struggling with confidence and goals, but in front of a raucous home crowd, De Zerbi’s boys must turn up and beat Aston Villa.
