After a couple of heavy defeats at the hands of both Manchester clubs in their two opening fixtures, the idea of Tottenham as title contenders seemed a million miles away. Harry Redknapp’s decision to draft in Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker before the closure of the summer transfer window has transformed the club and, as the season unfolds, are looking like the best pieces of business by any Premier League side since the end of the previous season.
With ten wins and a draw in the eleven games since the introduction of Parker and Adebayor to the first-team, Tottenham have taken the Premier League by storm over the last few months. Gareth Bale has stepped up, finally developing a consistency that has seen him produce top-class performances on a weekly basis and allied to the brilliance of both Rafael Van der Vaart and Luka Modric, has helped propel Redknapp’s side to third place, two points behind Man United with a game in hand.
WhoScored compares Tottenham’s stats with the rest of the top four to analyse just how they compare with the rest of the title challengers in the Premier League Team Statistics and highlights their key performers:
Spurs are second only to Man City – by a whisker - when it comes to shots per game. Roberto Mancini’s side have averaged 19.4 shots compared to Spurs’ 19.2, with Emmanuel Adebayor providing their main goal threat. The on-loan Man City star has averaged 4.2 shots per game - the fourth best in the league - and has added plenty of creativity to the side, with 2.1 key passes per game. As a result, he has grabbed 7 goals and 5 assists in only eleven appearances, picking up a WhoScored rating of 7.72 for the campaign so far. Only Man United’s Wayne Rooney (4.3) has managed more shots per game amongst the top four, with Edin Dzeko’s 3.6 top for Man City and Daniel Sturridge, on 3.3, the best for Chelsea.
Spurs have managed more shots on target per game than any team, though; an average of 7.4 just edges out Man City but is far superior to the likes of Man United, with 5.9. Rafael Van der Vaart and, of late, Jermain Defoe have proved significant threats alongside Adebayor. Both have scored 6 goals over their eleven appearances, with Defoe’s 3.5 shots per game slightly superior to the Dutchman’s 3.4. Van der Vaart, however, is easily the most creative of the pair, producing 1.9 key passes to Defoe’s 0.9.
Man United lead the way when it comes to successful dribbles, with 9.2 per game. Nani, with 2.1, has the best tally of any player in the top four, though Gareth Bale is hot on his heels with an average of 2. Further analysis of the pair’s attacking stats, however, show just how potent a force Bale is in comparison; he has produced 3.2 shots and 3 key passes to Nani’s 2.6 and 1.9 respectively.
Bale’s 3 key passes per game sees him as the most creative player in the Premier League Player Statistics, with Man City’s David Silva and Chelsea’s Juan Mata just behind him on 2.9 apiece - Nani’s aforementioned 1.9 is the best on offer at Man United.
Of all the top four, Spurs have the least average possession, with just 53.2% per game. Their direct game, hitting teams with pace and precision in equal measure, is shown by the fact they make 74 long balls per game, joint-top with Norwich. Man City make only 52 in comparison.
Luka Modric plays the most long balls for Redknapp’s side, with 7.9 per game from his central midfield playmaker role, but the little Croatian has been outstanding all-round thus far. Modric, along with Parker, makes the most passes of any Spurs player, with 62.9, and his attacking stats, despite registering just a single goal and a couple of assists, have seen him produce 2.2 key passes, 2.3 shots and 1.7 successful dribbles per game. Averaging 7.78 in the WhoScored rankings, he is third overall in the Premier League, behind David Silva (7.99) and Robin Van Persie (7.97).
Spurs are second only to Chelsea when it comes to tackles per game, with 19.8 just behind the 20.1 recorded by Andre Villas-Boas’ side. Scott Parker makes 5.3 tackles and 2.7 interceptions, the second most tackles in the Premier League, bettered only by Lucas’ 5.7. His stats highlight just how crucial he is to this Spurs side - sitting deep in the centre, he has the work-rate, intelligence and positional sense to allow Modric to move forward and prompt the attacks from the middle, also sweeping up behind when forward moves break down. Despite the wealth of attacking talents on offer at the club, it’s arguable that Parker is the key to Tottenham’s success - his absence could hinder them more than any other player.
A look at the rest of the top four shows a significant drop and suggests the other three are less reliant on any one individual in terms of nullifying the opponents’ threat. Ramires is top for Chelsea with 3.5 tackles and 1.8 interceptions, while Patrice Evra (2.4 and 1.2) and Micah Richards (2.3 and 1.2) are best for Man United and City respectively.
Overall, a squad average of 7.07 is the fifth best in Europe’s top five leagues, an indication of Spurs’ brilliance this term; only Barcelona (7.32), Real Madrid (7.27), Bayern Munich (7.16) and Man City (7.15) have averaged more. If Redknapp can keep his key performers fit and injury free, Spurs clearly have the potential to surpass all previous expectations.
A title challenge would be new ground, though, and as the season heats up, temperament and nerve become every bit as crucial as talent. Spurs have shown they clearly have the ability - whether they have the mental strength in that vital last quarter of the season, only time will tell.
