Can Spurs break the top two this season?

Manchester City and Liverpool have been the two dominant English teams for the past four years, besides Manchester United’s 2020-21 second-place finish… but could Spurs be the team to break the trend this season?

Tottenham have made some great signings this summer, with the likes of Ivan Perisic, Richarlison and Yves Bissouma joining the club. With a serial winning manager like Antonio Conte at the helm, they could be battling for the 2022-23 title.

In this article, we have broken down the stats showing why Spurs should be taken seriously this season.

 

Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte, undoubtedly one of the most reputable managers in the world, joined Spurs last November; his impact on the team is already clear to see.

The Italian boss has overseen 37 matches in all competitions for his new club so far, winning 21, drawing five and losing 11. This works out as an impressive 56.76%-win ratio.

When comparing this to former Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s record, who won just 47.06% of his matches, you can see just how much more confident the Lilywhites have become under Conte’s stewardship.

He also ultimately guided Spurs to fourth place, giving them Champions League football. This is something they had not achieved since 2019 (even the ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho couldn’t manage it), so all the signs look good for Conte right now.

Let’s not forget that the Italian generally wins something pretty much everywhere he goes: four Serie A titles and a Copa Italia with Juventus, a Premier League title and FA Cup with Chelsea, and most recently a Serie A title with Inter Milan in 2020-21.

Spurs have not won a major trophy since their 2008 League Cup win, so they will be desperate to get some silverware this season after spending big in the transfer market.

Antonio Conte would love to add a Champions League to his trophy cabinet, but also another Premier League title would be a simply fantastic achievement. Could he be the man to break the dominance of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp?

 

Kane and Son

It may seem obvious, but the brilliance of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane simply cannot be understated, and they could be the difference between success and failure for Spurs this season.

For the past few years, they have been one of the most prolific attacking partnerships in Europe. In 2021-22, Son was the joint-top scorer in the Premier League, with 23 goals in 35 league appearances, as well as nine assists.

Kane on the other hand scored 17 goals in 37 league performances, also making nine assists. In fact, for the past six seasons, Kane and Son have both scored at least 10 league goals – with Kane also picking up two Golden Boots in that time.

But perhaps what is most impressive is how the English striker and Korean winger complement each other. Kane and Son hold the record for the most goal combinations in Premier League history (41), and the record for the most combinations in a season (14).

If they can maintain that form under Antonio Conte with new, better players around them, this could give them a good chance at lifting the Premier League trophy.

 

The Squad

However, Spurs’ talented players go beyond just Kane and Son; they had some other stand-out performers last season.

Cristian Romero managed just 21 Premier League starts in 2021-22 after some injury problems, but he still looked impressive in the games he played. He helped his side to seven clean sheets, averaging 2.8 successful tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 3.3 clearances per game, optimising the aggressive defensive approach that Argentinian players often employ.

Dejan Kulusevski was also another standout for Spurs, after joining the club in January as one of Conte’s first big signings. In 18 matches, he scored five goals and made five assists. He was also a constant threat, averaging a goal every 253 minutes, as well as taking 1.4 shots on target and making 1.4 key passes per game. Given his fantastic start to life in England, who knows how much he could achieve next season.

Finally, another player worth mentioning is Rodrigo Bentancur, who was a fantastic January addition by Conte and was key in helping them push for that fourth-place finish. In his 17 league appearances, the 25-year-old played like an experienced Premier League number six.

The Uruguayan had one of the best pass success rates in the division, with 90%. He was also a great defensive asset, making 2.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 clearances per game. Bentancur turned Spurs into a solid defensive outfit in the back end of the 2021-22 season; if he can continue his good form, he will be key for Conte.

It’s fair to say though that in general, the performances under Conte were probably the best we’ve seen from Tottenham since Mauricio Pochettino left the club in 2019. So, Spurs fans have a lot to be excited about.

 

The Transfer Window

There may still be over a month until transfer deadline day, but Spurs have already made some fantastic signings this summer, which could prove to be the difference as they push for trophies.

Ivan Perisic is an experienced, versatile player who can play as a winger, midfielder, and wing back; he has been a consistently solid performer throughout his career. Last season, he scored 10 goals for Inter Milan and made nine assists.

The Croatian creates another option for Conte’s front three; he could also play in Spur’s back five as a wing back. He’s 33 years old but should still have another couple good seasons left in the tank. He’s another serial winner too, lifting Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, a Champions League with Bayern, and a Serie A title and Copa Italia with Inter Milan.

Richarlison is another brilliant addition after joining from Everton on a £60 million deal. He finished the 2021-22 season as the Toffees’ top scorer with 10 goals in 30 matches, averaging 0.33 per

match, as well as making five assists in total. Another versatile player who can play any position in the front three, he will be excellent competition for Kulusevski who shone under Conte last season.

Finally, Yves Bissouma is probably the third most exciting for Spurs so far this summer. He had an excellent 2021-22 campaign with Brighton as he helped them to their highest Premier League finish in their history.

As a central midfielder, he is not known for his goals and assists but rather his defensive and passing abilities. Last season he made an average of 2.9 tackles (one of the highest ranked tackling midfielders in the Premier League), 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game for the Seagulls. Bissouma also had a pass success rate of 89.2%, making him a calming influence on his team when they are in possession.

Looking at Conte’s signings from January and this summer, they look stronger defensively after the acquisition of some solid midfielders; Spurs should add more goals next season after bringing in Richarlison, Perisic and Kulusevski.

The Lilywhites have also brought in a good backup goalkeeper in Fraser Forster, a promising full-back in Djed Spence, and have made a smart loan move for Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet. After business like that, Manchester City and Liverpool may find themselves looking over their shoulders in the 2022-23 season as Spurs look to push for their first league title since 1961.