Tottenham’s Counter-Attack Craze: Goals and Gaffes
So, after just a handful of matches in the 2024-25 Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur are doing something a bit… well, unusual. Their top scorers? Not Son Heung-min, not Brennan Johnson, but their counterattacks! Yes, you heard it right. Counterattacks! One can only imagine what the Tottenham Hotspur marketing team is thinking: “First Tottenham, then the counterattack, then world domination!” Right? Or perhaps just a few more goals.
Son and Johnson have managed to net three each, which is impressive… if you count owning a pet rock impressive. Seven out of eighteen goals coming during a break? That’s more break time than I get during a comedy gig!
Double Trouble or Just Counter Trouble?
Now, for the sake of all that is holy, let’s break down the stats: Spurs have scored *twice as many counter-attacking goals this season* than in all of last season combined, and they’ve only played eight games! That’s a bit like breaking all your New Year’s resolutions in January and saying, “At least I was consistent!”
It’s almost like they figured out that, hey, sometimes when the opposition has the ball, it’s a good time for a bit of running! I mean, who needs coordinated attacking plans when you can just wait for the other team to get bored of keeping possession?
The flying wingers have certainly made an impact. Did you see them ready to sprint as Solanke dribbled the ball against West Ham? It’s like watching kids in a candy store; one can almost hear the fluttering excitement… just without the dental bill.
Breaking Down the Beautiful Mess
Speaking of mess, West Ham’s defense might want to have a word with themselves. Nothing says more about one’s inability to defend than being outsmarted by a team that seems more interested in catching a cab than executing an elaborate play. Remember that West Ham goal? None of the wingers decided they needed to help out the defenders, which left Udogi to fend off Bowen alone. And that? That’s like sending a newborn to try and negotiate peace in the Middle East!
Now let’s paint a picture of our Spurs’ third goal: Son shooting after being fairly saved, leading to an own goal by Todibo. Lovely! Because, you see, even in a match you can always count on the opposition to be your best friend—at least when it comes to scoring!
Aligning the Stars or Just Spurs?
It seems like Postecoglou has shown more tactical brilliance than a chess grandmaster at a kindergarten tournament. There’s a delicate balance in how Tottenham’s attack is structured, with players constantly stirring chaos, running glorious laps around defenders like it’s an Olympics event—and yet, they’re lacking that clinical edge to put the game to bed.
Kulusevski, bless his socks, is like a kid with a shiny new toy, always keen to get involved between the lines. However, it’s his juggling act that raises questions whether he’ll end up an MVP or just the lucky chap that showed up for the party but forgot to buy a drink.
Pressing On: Counter to What?!
These counterattacks are good, mind, and they’re much improved from last season. Let’s not confuse ourselves: *Tottenham were *painfully* less effective last year; they barely tickled the opposition with counterattacks. While other teams were painting masterpieces, Spurs were making Macaroni art in the corner. And yet, here we are, tapping into a newfound swagger, as they glide past tired defenses. Isn’t football just brilliant? Or at least it’s meant to be… sometimes.
But whilst Tottenham’s counterattacking brilliance is certainly alluring, it’s a double-edged sword. Relying on it can feel a bit like having a great left foot but being entirely incapable of walking straight. After the team’s last game, it’s clear that a careful balance of possession play with counterattacking flair could be the way to go, unless they want to end this season in another round of ‘What on earth just happened?!’
Final Thoughts: Wing It Like a True Champion
In conclusion, the lesson here is simple: Tottenham’s counterattacks may have opened the floodgates for goals, but we all know a classic case of “counter attack” can lead to “let’s just sit back and watch!” Will Spurs evolve from their summer fling with counterattacks to a genuine love affair with attractive football? Well, wouldn’t that surprise the lot of us! In the meantime, let’s continue to keep an eye on those counterattacks—they just might be the best show in town!
So strap in, love it or hate it, Tottenham’s counter football has arrived and it’s here for the laughs as much as the goals. And remember, if you’re not counterattacking, you’re probably just… well, watching.
After eight Premier League games in the 2024-25 season, Tottenham Hotspur have the most unusual goalscorer: counterattacks.
Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson have three, the most of any Tottenham player. In total, seven of the 18 Premier League goals in those games (including two own goals) came during the breaks. (Opta defines these as goal attempts resulting from attacks by the defending team shortly after the ball returns to their own half.)
This means that Tottenham, who have 30 of their 38 league games remaining, have already scored twice as many counter-attacking goals this season as in all previous games (three). In fact, the last time they scored more than seven such goals in a campaign was in 2019-20 (nine), when Mauricio Pochettino was fired in November and replaced by José Mourinho.
Tottenham’s first and third goals in their 4-1 home win over West Ham United on Saturday came from counterattacks following long passes.
The aggression was evident in Spurs’ ‘break attack’, where the forwards, especially the wingers, positioned themselves while defending.
Here, wingers Son (left) and Johnson (right) are in forward positions, ready to run in behind as striker Dominic Solanke beats West Ham midfielder Tomas Suchek and lobs him into the path of number 10 James Maddison.
Maddison now carries the ball along the middle of the field, which is another characteristic of Tottenham’s counterattacks: they do not come back early and increase the overload, they constantly attack four players in the opposing defense and the runners are outside the area more wide. advocate. .
This stops defenders from being able to get close to the running back and dribble towards the man in possession (Maddison in this case). Similarly, if they jump forward and apply pressure, it opens up a simple pass to the running back.
Maddison bides his time and just passes to Dejan Kulusevski while Johnson makes an inside run to take out West Ham centre-back Maximilian Kilman.
Kulusevski’s goal is accurate, with both sticks, although in reality Tottenham should have been in a better position than in the four-on-four situation.
The responsibility of Tottenham’s wingers was demonstrated in West Ham’s goal that opened the scoring, as neither Son nor Johnson returned adequately to support their defenders Destinee Udogi and Pedro Porro. Udogi struggled to defend Jarrod Bowen one-on-one while Porro was absorbed in the middle. That left Mohamed Qudus at the far post and he finished after a cut from Bowen.
The touch maps of Spurs’ starting wingers in the game highlight just how far along the pair have been.
It was a similar play for Tottenham’s third goal of the game.
Son was awarded a free kick after West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola played a long ball and Lucas Paqueta mishandled Kulusevski before colliding with him. The Swedish team returned the ball, Son’s shot was saved, but then it hit Jean-Clair Todibo and entered his own goal.
Early access to their wingers was key for Tottenham’s right side when opposing teams overworked their full-backs. Johnson’s goals this season against Brentford and Coventry City (the latter in the Carabao Cup) have been almost identical around the goalkeeper after quick passes to his feet from midfield.
Similarly, Mickey van de Ven’s drive from the back (see his assists for Son at home against Everton in August and for Johnson at Manchester United last month) after recovering to create charges and gain vital yards was, while than the opponent’s defense. The structure remains. disrupted
The passing style of play adapts to the profiles of Tottenham’s attackers. Son has thrived alongside Harry Kane in Mourinho’s counter-attacking system, while Johnson excels at running into open spaces and moving in defence.
Working with Kulusevski as a number 8 means Spurs maintain their pace down the flanks and also have presence and balance with their left foot. Kulusevsky is also particularly resistant to pressure. He took the ball well between the lines many times in the first half against West Ham.
Last season, incoming manager Ange Postecoglou alternated between Richarlison and Son at number 9 after Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, forcing them into low-impact roles, truly hoping to suffer a poor run. This season, summer signing Solanke has a well-rounded presence up front: he can be a focal point and allow midfielders to get away from him, as well as offering Tottenham more possession, which helps force turnovers.
His first goal at Brighton & Hove Albion two weeks ago and his second at Old Trafford are examples of this.
Here is the last one. From a deep return and a clearance by Christian Romero, Solanke beats Casemiro in an aerial duel and immediately throws the ball to Johnson.
He carries the ball deep into the United half and his left line suits Kulusewski perfectly to score.
Consider the spacing between three of Tottenham’s backs (plus Johnson) to maximize the four-on-two overload.
Improving the passing of the attack is important, given Tottenham’s situation last year.
According to Sports Analytics and Data Vision, they scored almost five fewer goals in total expected goals (xG, a measure of the quality of chances) than on counterattacks: eight times against counterattacks for a total of 13.4xG, ranking third place. Only Manchester City scored fewer goals on counterattacks in the 2023/24 season. Footovision’s definition of a counterattack is slightly different from Opta’s definition of a counterattack, so the numbers are not the same, but the point remains: Tottenham were not electric in transition.
Postecoglou said before the game against West Ham that “there is no style that suits us or that doesn’t suit us. When we play well, we can play against most systems and styles, as we showed.”
However, Tottenham have reached a glass ceiling in their formation and are increasingly reliant on Udogi to create relegation situations.
West Ham tracked the runs well and opened up the passes particularly well in Saturday’s first half, with the home team’s only real opening coming from Udogi’s cross for Johnson to make a diagonal run towards goal, although the ball was not came out of his shoulder. . the head
Tottenham’s problems in the established minutes (only two shots from 13 corners) increased the importance of their good counterattacks, which Postecoglou described as “the outstretched arm” of the match.
Including this victory over West Ham, Spurs have won 18, drawn 5 and lost 15 of their last 38 Premier League games – a season’s worth – a football – and are the same as Manchester United and the Newcastle United (59). . . Notably, they are yet to play a home league game under Postecoglou and are second to Liverpool (28) in terms of positions lost since the start of last season, when he was appointed.
Postecoglou’s pride in style and “principles” means they will never rely on counter-attacks like they did under Mourinho, but Tottenham must use them more.
They have individual profiles and collective balance, and as Premier League teams try to dominate possession, the counter-attacking threat will become increasingly valuable.
