Tottenham fans were already imagining a season of failure two weeks ago when they lost at home to Arsenal in the North London Derby. Spurs had won just one of their four games so far this season. The dream start to last season has turned into a completely different reality this season.
Sunday's victory over Man United at Old Trafford was the first time under Ange Postecoglou that Tottenham have beaten a Big Six team away from home. Despite their opponents being short-handed and having a mixed form, that is no reason to take away from what Spurs have achieved.
Right from the opening whistle, the white team rushed into the opponent's field to attack. That is what the "Rooster" fans want to see, as Postecoglou has been doing since last season. The breakthrough through the M.U defense from center back Micky van de Ven proved the determination and boldness in the way the away team entered the game.
In the first half, Tottenham created an expected goals (xG) of 4.7. Bruno Fernandes' sending off in the 42nd minute cannot be an excuse for Man United's weakness. Tottenham simply dared to play, dared to take risks and achieved unexpected success.
One of Postecoglou's successes was to bring Dejan Kulusevski from the right wing to play as a central midfielder. The Swedish star's coordination with James Maddison was considered very good, increasing the creativity and breakthrough for Spurs' midfield. After the match, the Australian captain himself admitted that the two students coordinated very well, creating a balance in the opponent's attacking play in the third of the field.
Against Man United, Kulusevski created 9 big chances, the most by a player visiting Old Trafford since 2003. The Swedish midfielder said that performance was like a dream because every player wants to play at Old Trafford in such a sublime state.
Tottenham are gradually regaining inspiration after the victory but cannot erase the shortcomings that have plagued them since the beginning of the season. A typical example of this is the strikers' ability to take advantage of opportunities, especially in the case of Timo Werner. The German star had two face-offs with Andre Onana but was unable to defeat the M.U. goalkeeper. Not only that, Dominic Solanke's positioning skills are also limited, leading to him often not being able to choose the space to shoot easily.
Another thing that is also noticeable is that Spurs do not have depth in their squad. All of the players who started in the Super Sunday match were their best players. If they play long distance and rotate, Postecoglou and his team will easily encounter a weak state like the match against Coventry City in the League Cup.
However, winning is still the most important thing, all internal problems, Postecoglou has seen. From now until the winter transfer window opens, Spurs need to stand firm before thinking about breaking through in the remaining period of the season.
