Tottenham Hotspur have only won two of their opening five Premier League matches, but have a chance to record a statement victory to kickstart their season against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Both United and Spurs sit on seven points after five top-flight matches, which is middling ground at best. However, the Lilywhites have now won their past three matches in all competitions and look to be building their fluency and oiling the mechanics at just the right time.
Thursday evening’s victory over Qarabag highlighted Tottenham’s togetherness. Radu Dragusin blew his chance to make an impression in the starting line-up, sent off after just 12 minutes. Still, the Romanian centre-back’s mishap only strengthened the Londoners’ accord, for they dispatched their Azerbaijani opponents with a confident 3-0 win.
We all know that Ange Postecoglou won’t diverge from his high-octane and aggressive style of football, but he may have to implement it at The Theatre of Dreams without his skipper.
Why Heung-min Son might not start
Heung-min Son has been impressive over the first few months of the season, scoring two goals and claiming two assists across five matches in the Premier League.
He’s created 13 chances in the league this term which is more than any of his teammates, emphasising his multi-functionality and the influence that he instils across the team.
As per FBref, Son actually ranks among the top 3% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.
His absence will be a blow, but it might be necessary. Postecoglou admitted after the 32-year-old limped off on Thursday that he will need to balance the captain’s workload, lest he fall to an injury that sidelines him for an extended period.
He will make a late call on the South Korean’s availability against Man United but based on his acceptance that Son cannot start 40 plus matches this season, it might be worth urging caution here.
Son is Tottenham’s deadliest and most distinguished forward, and the recent goalscoring streak of Brennan Johnson and impressive displays of Dejan Kulusevski serve as a reminder that Tottenham have quality and can impress without their skipper.
1.
Harry Kane
2011-2023
435
280
2.
Jimmy Greaves
1961 – 1970
356
246
3.
Bobby Smith
1955 – 1964
292
192
4.
Heung-min Son
2015 – present
415
164
5.
Martin Chivers
1968 – 1976
332
155
Son has been praised as a “priceless” member of Tottenham’s team by new recruit Archie Gray, and though he could possibly be forced to the bench for this one, he has the skills to make a difference when introduced after the break.
Speaking of Gray, Postecoglou should consider dropping the 18-year-old talent for the Old Trafford clash, even if he did catch the eye against Qarabag.
Why Postecoglou should drop Archie Gray
It looked for all the world like Gray would sign for Brentford this summer, having been crowned the Championship Young Player of the Year for 2024/25 after an impressive breakout season with Leeds United.
Tottenham hijacked the transfer, adding Gray to the ranks for a £30m fee. He’s started life in the capital on strong footing, playing from the outset against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup third round and again against Qarabag, having also made three cameos in the Premier League.
But there’s just cause to drop him for this one. Manchester United might be a capricious team but they are also host to some of the most talented players in English football and Gray is not quite ready to make that leap.
Minutes played
90′
Touches
63
Accurate passes
28/39
Key passes
2
Possession lost
19x
Dribbles (completed)
2 (1)
Tackles
2
Clearances
2
Total duels (won)
8 (3)
He’s enterprising and sought to make things happen, but Gray also squandered possession on numerous occasions, losing the ball 19 times, and only won three of his eight ground duels. He’s framed with an impressive physique but there is growth yet to come for this 18-year-old.
Writing in their post-match ratings, the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick even gave the future England star an 8/10 score, stating: ‘Composed and eye-catching in possession, and made one outstanding run up the pitch. Defended well, even if he was often outnumbered down the right.’
Though this is the case, he must not start. Pedro Porro has been unleashed from the start in each of Tottenham’s Premier League contests thus far this season and offers the complete skillset to make a significant impact on the game.
Man United’s defensive organisation can be fragile at times and Porro’s creativity and drive will help to exploit this, but he’s also a tenacious defender and could subdue the aforementioned Rashford.
Last season, the athletic Spaniard posted 91 tackles, which was the fourth-highest from any defender. This year, he’s made 13 tackles already, with both translating to 2.6 per game.
That’s an impressive state of consistency and one that will be crucial in stifling United and turning Tottenham’s Premier League campaign toward the upper level of the table.
The 5 foot 9 talent’s protean attacking quality must not be discredited though. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of full-backs for goals scored, the top 19% for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.
Son or no, Spurs have a real wealth of quality at their disposal, and a player like Porro, one of the club’s very best, simply has to start.
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