This season, Tottenham Hotspur will finish above arch-rivals Arsenal for the first time
since 1994-95, and have kept the pressure on league
leaders Chelsea from the off, playing an attractive, dynamic, and high-pressing style
of football.
Mauricio Pochettino, who previously led Southampton to their then highest finish
in 8 th place in 2013-14, will oversee the team’s
transition from White Hart Lane to a new stadium and has confirmed his status this season
as one of the top managers in the Premier League.
Spurs have played with two main formations this season, a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-4-2-1, though
the style of their play, with full-backs pushing
high and a central midfielder dropping deep, mean
that both systems can interchange during matches if required.
Indeed, when in possession in the 4-2-3-1, it is not unusual for one of the attacking
midfield trio, often Christian Eriksen, to drop off
and create a spare man in the centre or offer an
option between the lines for forward transitions.
Similarly, in defence in the 4-2-3-1, with Eriksen or another attacking midfielder dropping
off, the spare central midfielder, usually the
more defensively minded Eric Dier, can drop between the midfield two into a half-back
position.
This is something Pochettino did regularly at Southampton too, where Victor
Wanyama, now at Spurs as well, was the anchor who dropped in between the centre-backs when
needed.
Spurs defend narrowly where possible, with the three attacking midfielders pressing high,
and one of the two deeper central midfielders happy to cover across in the half space in
front of the full-back on the side where the opposition is attacking.
In transition, the full-backs push high, often playing as high as wingers might, while being
covered by one of the two midfielders, again usually Dier.
This is why, when Spurs move to a 3-4-2-1, it is a simple transition: the full-backs
are auxiliary wide midfielders in attack already,
and Dier is used to dropping off.
In attack, Spurs have a variety of options.
Their players are comfortable on the ball, happy to
drop into space or wide, and with Harry Kane as a direct forward who also moves laterally,
there is space behind him for runs.
In both formations, Eriksen is often the focal point around whom the attack moves.
With 34 games played, he has 12 assists, eight goals,
and has created 101 chances including assists, the most of any player in the Premier League.
Eriksen drops off into space, leaving a trident of Kane, Dele Alli, and usually Son Heung-Min
ahead.
These three can then play much as the top end of the 3-4-2-1 does, with one, often
Son, peeling wide into space before running back across the box and one, usually Dele
Alli, dropping into space ahead of the back four
before surging late into the box.
This level of movement, combined with skilful players who are used to interchanging and
capable of receiving and giving the ball under pressure, makes Tottenham hard to defend
against.
The full-backs, either Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier on the right and Danny Rose or
Ben Davies on the left, get forwards to create overloads that allow the wider of the attacking
three midfielders to drift inside.
As wing-backs or even defensive wingers in the 3-4-2-1,
these overloads are again created and the narrower top three, where Spurs effectively
play ​ two up and one dropping, but rotate this,
benefit from the width provided by the wing-backs getting forwards.
Both systems rely on the quality of the full-backs.
They must be able to defend narrowly, augmented by a deep-dropping central midfielder,
and then burst forwards and wider when in possession.
The use of a central midfielder who drops off into the space in front of the
centre-backs allows a degree of cover and it’s noticeable that Spurs have Wanyama,
who played this role at Saints, and Dier, a converted
defender, who both function in this way so well.
Ahead of them, Spurs are flush with players who can not only pose a goal-threat, but can
also drop off between the lines and play through passes and all capable of playing in each
other’s positions.
Ahead of them is Harry Kane, a superb striker who is also able to drop into
space or pull wide and shoot from acute angles accurately.
It’s a potent mix, superbly coached and organised, and explains why Spurs
are pushing Chelsea all the way this season.