View: Tottenham must exploit Crystal Palace free-kick weakness in Premier League clash
With Brighton beating Manchester United on Thursday evening, Tottenham Hotspur now sit seventh in the Premier League table, level on points with Aston Villa.
The prospect of Champions League football is now very much a pipedream. This group of players have shown their true colours and it’s clear a rebuild is desperately required in the summer window. With Liverpool, Brighton and United all in good form, the Conference League is looking like the most likely destination.
With the season falling apart, the players and Ryan Mason need to get the fanbase back on side, starting with this weekend’s fixture against Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson’s side travel to North London in good form and on the verge of being mathematically safe, something the former England boss has now admitted.
The Eagles have some explosive talent on the counterattack, but there’s certainly reason for Spurs to feel relatively confident heading into the clash on Saturday (6 May).
There’s a definite opportunity for Tottenham to dominate play and counterattack when given the opportunity. According to Wyscout, only four teams have lost possession more than Palace during the 2022/23 season. On average, Hodgson’s side give the ball away 101 times per match.
This could allow for two outcomes. Firstly, Tottenham’s creative sparks could well see a lot of the ball due to Spurs being in possession. Secondly, counterattacking situations could arise frequently, which Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski could exploit.
Another area that Spurs must target is set pieces. According to Whoscored, Ryan Mason’s side have scored 15 goals from dead-ball situations, which is the most in the Premier League. Palace have also given away the second most free-kicks (406), with an average of over ten per match.
Furthermore, the Eagles have conceded eight goals from set-pieces this season. It’s an area that Mason simply has to be looking to target.
Finally, Palace’s reluctance to press could allow for Tottenham to build from the back whenever possible. The Eagles’ PPDA (passes per defensive action) is among the lowest in the Premier League (12.95). Essentially they allow their opponents plenty of the ball and sit deep.
It’s essential for the likes of Christian Romero to step out of the defence with the ball and find passes into midfield. Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic taking up more central positions to receive the ball could also be an option for Spurs. A low block can often be a tough nut to crack but long spells of consistent pressure could see Tottenham land a breakthrough.
The season is very much teetering on the edge of oblivion and another home defeat could send the already disillusioned fans into a full-blown meltdown.
In other Tottenham news, one youngster has been told to put himself in the shop window as his future in North London hangs in the balance.