Tottenham Hotspur continued their excellent away form on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion. The Lilywhites didn’t exactly provide a comprehensive display but were lucky to get away with a victory through Harry Kane’s late winner. Nevertheless, Jose Mourinho will be happy with the win, and before we head into the international break, we will take a look at three key takeaways for Spurs in their win over West Brom this past weekend.
Tottenham Clueless Going Forward
Tottenham Hotspur have been in relatively free-scoring form in the Premier League this season. However, a closer observation would suggest that without providing much penetration as a collective unit, they tend to strongly rely on the services of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min.
The duo has a remarkable understanding and is more than capable of breaking the shackles of the opposition using their link-up play. However, Spurs are pretty ineffective in their absence, particularly when it comes to forcing the opposition to defend in numbers as the Lilywhites barely managed to get inside the box.
It was evident against West Brom, who only had to defend the box and clear out any potential crosses from reaching Kane. They did well for the most part but one small mistake in the 87th minute led to the winner.
Nevertheless, for Mourinho, this is an alarming problem, and the Portuguese tactician must find alternative ways to attack the opposition if he is to make Spurs one of the most feared teams in Europe.
Toby Alderweireld Starting To Get Back To His Best
While the Tottenham attackers were finding it difficult to breach the West Brom backline, Toby Alderweireld had a relatively great time at the back this past weekend.
The Belgian, once again starting ahead of Davinson Sanchez, produced a solid display at the back. But in truth, it was his passing and remarkable ball-distribution that added a new dimension to Spurs’ build-up play. The veteran defender also delivered a couple of excellent diagonal balls forward that were key to maintaining the pressure on the opposition.
Alderweireld’s impressive form should serve well for Mourinho, who is in desperate need of leadership and solidity at the back despite his team hovering around the top of the Premier League table.
More Chances Incoming For Carlos Vinicius
Carlos Vinicius finally made his Premier League debut on Saturday when he appeared as a late substitute. And it will be fair to suggest that the Brazilian also had an impact on the proceedings as his dynamism and willingness to find the back of net unsettled the backline.
Most notably, Vinicius attempted a shot on goal late in the game, which was saved by the goalkeeper. But the presence of an additional centre-forward allowed more freedom for Kane to make runs in and around the penalty area, so it wasn’t surprising to see him latching onto Matt Doherty’s cross late in the game.
Vinicius’ positive impact should definitely help him earn more first-team opportunities in the league as Mourinho looks to find out his best playing eleven.
