Spurs' high press can reap more rewards against Fulham

Tom Hancock looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 9.

Spurs v Fulham

Tottenham Hotspur went into Matchweek 9 top of the Premier League table, having made a storming start to the season under Ange Postecoglou.

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2-0

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Spurs’ haul of 20 points from eight matches – of which they’ve won six and drawn two – is their highest in the Premier League era.

Indeed, only once in their history have they ever racked up more points from their first eight matches of a top-flight campaign - 24 way back in 1960/61.

Underpinning their fine form has been a discernible increase in intensity since Postecoglou stepped into the dugout – and Fulham are next in "Ange-ball’s" firing line.

That intensity begins off the ball, in the press – an aspect of the game where Spurs have been just about the best in the Premier League so far.

Heading into Matchweek 9, they averaged the division’s lowest Passes Allowed Per Defensive Action (PPDA).

Lowest PL PPDA 2023/24

A measure of pressing intensity, PPDA is calculated as follows: the number of passes completed by the opposition divided by the number of defensive actions by the out-of-possession team (defensive actions are interceptions, successful tackles, attempted tackles and fouls).

Spurs are giving their opponents’ minimal time on the ball – a marked improvement from last season. No Premier League team has reduced their PPDA by as much as Spurs have from 2022/23 to 2023/24.

Biggest PL PPDA reductions between 22/23 and 23/24

One player who has been especially important to Spurs’ effectiveness in that respect is left-back Destiny Udogie.

Signed from Udinese in the summer of 2022 and loaned back to the Serie A club for the duration of last season, the 20-year-old made his Spurs debut on the opening weekend of 2023/24 – and he’s arguably been the breakout star of the first two months of the Premier League campaign.

Spurs have scored three goals from high turnovers (defined by Opta as possession won within 40 metres of the opposition’s goal) this season, and Udogie – who earned his first senior caps for Italy in the latest international break – has been at the root of all three of them.

Most goal-ending high turnovers 2023/24

While Udogie has forced two goal-resulting high turnovers on the left – most notably for Dejan Kulusevski’s stoppage-time winner in last month’s dramatic comeback at home to Sheffield United – his deployment as an inverted full-back has added a new dimension to the team.

And that was exhibited to great effect in Spurs’ season-opening 2-2 draw at Brentford – where Udogie’s possession regain sparked the move which led to fellow inverted full-back Emerson Royal’s equalising goal.

After perfectly reading a Brentford clearance to intercept the ball centrally 30 yards from goal, Udogie laid the ball off to James Maddison in space, before darting into the box and showing for a return pass.

Maddison was dispossessed, with the loose ball falling to Royal to fire home first time (via a deflection) from the edge of the area, but Udogie’s unhesitating movement exemplified the kind of instinctive positivity which has helped make him such a valuable asset to Spurs.

On Monday night, though, Fulham might need to be more concerned about the threat from Spurs’ right flank – the source of much of their creative spark, largely thanks to Kulusevski.

Among players to log 450 minutes or more across the first eight matches, the Sweden international created a Premier League-high average of 2.65 open-play chances per match.

Unfortunately for Kulusevski, none of those turned into assists – but the data shows what a handful he can be.

Spurs aren’t enormously reliant on crosses to create goalscoring opportunities – but when they do get the ball into the box from out wide, Kulusevski is often the one delivering it – only two Premier League forwards have delivered more successful crosses than him so far this season.

And he could have plenty of opportunity to do damage in that way at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Fulham have looked somewhat soft down their left-hand side – making for potentially fertile ground for a ball carrier as strong and unshakeably determined as Kulusevski.

Most open-play chances created*

*Min. 450 minutes played

Through a combination of high-intensity pressing, creators like Kulusevski and the brilliant Maddison, along with the clinical finishing of in-form Son Heung-min, Spurs have been one of the most potent attacking forces during the opening weeks of 2023/24.

Son's second goal v Arsenal

Across Matchweeks 1 to 8, Postecoglou’s side placed first for total shots, shots on target, shots inside the opposition box and touches in the opposition box – all a mark of their successful commitment to playing on the front foot – while only Newcastle United created more big chances than their 22.

Attacking stats comparison 2023/24

The 2023/24 season is still young, but Spurs have been clinical in front of goal so far, scoring 18 goals – with no penalties – from an Expected Goals (xG) of 15.13.

That equates to an xG overperformance of 2.87, the third-highest in the Premier League across Matchweeks 1 to 8 – behind Aston Villa (2.99) and top scorers Brighton & Hove Albion (4.2).

See: How the table would look if clubs were matching their xG

It’s an encouraging return for Spurs given the obvious worry at the outset of the campaign: how would they fare following Harry Kane’s departure for Bayern Munich?

Clearly, so far, the answer is perfectly well – and, while Son has found the net six times in his last five league outings, including a hat-trick in a 5-2 win at Burnley, Spurs have spread the goals around quite nicely.

Kulusevski, Maddison and centre-back Cristian Romero each have two apiece – with Emerson Royal, Micky van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr and Richarlison all chipping in with one each.

Spurs’ eight different goalscorers is one more than they had at the same stage last season – and, while it’s too early to say conclusively whether they need to bring in another centre-forward or not, the current signs are very encouraging – as they are in every department, really.

Tom Hancock is a freelance writer specialising in data (@Tom_Hancock_)