It’s been an era-defining problem for Tottenham Hotspur under Mauricio Pochettino, but it just isn’t going away. Away from home against the division’s biggest sides, Spurs seem to come up short.
This weekend, against an admittedly historic Manchester City side, they did so again. And whilst defeat can be taken on the chin due to the level of the opposition and the fact that Spurs were missing Victor Wanyama, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld – three quality defensive-minded options – it was, nonetheless, another defeat.
That’s not in itself the frustrating part, however. But the fact that they rarely looked like troubling the City defence is.
Perhaps the performance of Harry Kane was the most obvious down-side.
Aside from a tackle – clearly borne out of frustration – which could have earned him a red card on a different day with a different referee, the England man wasn’t a central figure. Two shots from good positions, one which drifted wide, and another which was saved, was about the extent of his day.
His contribution to his side in defeat amounted to just 39 touches, fewer than any player to complete the 90 minutes – including both goalkeepers – and only 14 completed passes. Of his three shots, only one found the target.
It was a day to forget for Spurs, but it highlighted one flaw which doesn’t usually present itself in Harry Kane’s game: when he doesn’t score, he can become anonymous in games, especially the big ones.
Defeat against the best team in the country – and perhaps even the world right now – isn’t in itself a cause for too much concern, especially given the injuries and suspensions Pochettino’s side suffered in the build-up to this one. But if Spurs are to challenge for silverware, they’ll need to be more effective in games against this calibre of side. One thing’s for sure: they’ll need more from Harry Kane.
