Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League.
The defeat ensured Spurs remained in the relegation zone this week after West Ham’s win over Wolves on Friday put them there. They will now not only need to find some rare wins in their remaining games, but also depend on other teams to drop points.
The clash against Sunderland also marked Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge of Tottenham. While there were glimpses of his impact in the first 15-20 minutes, it wasn’t enough as his side suffered their 16th league defeat of the season.
Granit Xhaka outplayed Tottenham’s starting midfield
De Zerbi surprisingly started with a midfield of Archie Gray and Conor Gallagher, with Lucas Bergvall as the No. 10 in front of them. Pape Matar Sarr and Xavi Simons remained on the bench despite putting in some decent performances in recent weeks.
The lineup backfired massively, and the starting trio was completely outperformed on the day. Granit Xhaka put in a better performance than the Tottenham trio combined. Sky Sports shared some stats between the former Arsenal captain and the Spurs trio, which can be seen below:
| Stat | Xhaka | Tottenham starting midfield combined |
| Minutes | 90 | 207 |
| Touches | 85 | 90 |
| Passes into final third | 16 | 8 |
| Tackles | 5 | 0 |
| Possession won | 9 | 8 |
| Duels won | 8 | 3 |
| Shots | 2 | 0 |
The struggles of Tottenham’s midfield are not a surprise for anyone who has watched them this season, especially with the trio chosen to start.
However, stats like zero tackles make the display even more shocking. While the starting midfield wasn’t expected to show any flair, making no tackles is unacceptable.
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Jamie Carragher also spoke about the Tottenham midfield’s struggles. He also claimed that their rivals, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds, all have better midfielders.
How can De Zerbi fix Tottenham’s midfield?
De Zerbi’s playing style is focused on highly technical players who can operate in tight spaces. This made his choice to bench Sarr and Simons to play Gallagher and Bergvall confusing. However, one would hope he learns from the game against Sunderland.
Without dipping into the market, Tottenham can still field a decently competitive midfield for the remainder of the season. De Zerbi hinted that Rodrigo Bentancur could be back against Brighton. If he is fit, he must start every game alongside Gray and Simons.
However, if Bentancur isn’t fit for the Brighton clash, De Zerbi should go with Gray and Simons with Sarr or Yves Bissouma. While Joao Palhinha would address the aforementioned stat of zero tackles, Tottenham need more attacking impetus.
Simons can help in creating an attack, and Sarr and Bissouma are excellent at defending transitions when in form.
The home clash against Brighton is perhaps Spurs’ last chance to muster a survival battle, and the Italian coach needs to get it right.
