The loss at Vicarage Road sort of put a blotch on Tottenham Hotspur’s impressive start to the season. They won each of their first three games but fell short against Watford as they tasted their first defeat of the 2018-19 campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino, however, has a strong squad at his disposal and one that can beat the best teams in Europe on their day.
The Argentine manager is yet to win his first trophy with the club and will be eager to get his hands on some silverware this season. However, there are a few areas the team needs to improve on if they are to challenge for the trophies this year.
Here are three such areas Spurs need addressing before the return of the Premier League, after the international break:
Defensive midfield
Spurs undoubtedly have one of the best backlines in the league. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, as a pair, is probably the best in the country while Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies are also impressive fullbacks to have.
The squad has able backups in Serge Aurier, Danny Rose and Davinson Sanchez but what has hurt them early this season is the lack of protection for the back four or the back three.
Eric Dier is their best option in that role along with Victor Wanyama. But Dier often slows down the pace of Spurs’ gameplay, which makes him less effective. Wanyama seems to have lost the manager’s trust as he doesn’t start regularly, leaving Moussa Sissoko and Mousa Dembele playing alongside Dier.
Neither Dembele nor Sissoko is adept in making those tackles or cutting out the passing lanes, so that’s one position that needs Pochettino’s focus if Spurs are to challenge the best teams in the league.
Consistency in front of goal
The English striker got rid of his ‘August voodoo’ by scoring a couple of goals already this season, but he has not got enough service from the playmakers behind him, which was a major reason for their loss at Vicarage Road.
The team, as a whole, have registered close to 10 key passes per game and taken 15 shots a game. However, close to five of them in a game is taken from outside the box, which hardly troubles the opposition goalkeepers.
They have six players in their first team with an assist this season already but none of them has shown enough consistency to provide Kane with enough service.
They have also missed 11 big chances so far this season, more than any other club except Manchester City, and if they continue to do so, they will need to make sure that they create more chances to win games regularly.
Width in attack
The absence of Heung Min-Son pushed Pochettino into using a 4-2-2-2 system, with Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen acting as playmakers in a slightly withdrawn role.
The pace and creativity of Lucas Moura got them through the first three games but the lack of width in attack, that only the full-backs are ready to provide, is an issue that can hurt them this season.
Son’s return from international duty could solve that problem, but that will mean Spurs will have to drop one of their attacking players, which is another issue Pochettino will have to solve.
Playing wing-backs could be an answer but may leave them vulnerable at the back. So it is up to the manager to make sure that his side has the right balance to challenge every team in the league.
Stat Credit: Whoscored.com
