Dusting off the Darts

Darts, arrows, rockets... whatever you want to call them, we scored a lot of goals across the club's last three senior games—ten goals, to be exact. This is pure Tottenham Hotspur attacking football, folks. Perhaps more surprising is the fact that only one goal was conceded during the past week, and Spurs Men and Spurs Women each earned a clean sheet apiece.

This weekend will provide tougher tests for the two squads, but at least momentum is now on our side.

In this issue: Brentford recap | Crystal Palace recap | Qarabağ recap | Previewing the weekend matches | News from around the Lane

There are quite a few cool milestones to celebrate from this recent slate of games, plus some club and league news to round up.

PL Matchday 5 recap | Tottenham 3 - 1 Brentford

Solanke 8', Johnson 28', Maddison 85' | Mbeumo 1'

You kind of had to laugh when Bryan Mbeumo scored within the first minute of the game. So much for building on the comeback win in the League Cup game, eh? But the team righted itself pretty quickly and responded with an equalizer in the 8th minute, taking the lead in the 28th, and then killing off the game in the second half. This was arguably the best performance of the season so far since Brentford presented a bigger challenge than Everton did in the 4-0 drubbing last month—to the point that it was a rare game where Spurs didn't claim the majority of the possession. The forward line was in perfect sync, and they took their chances.

Starting XI:

After the slew of changes for the cup match, we saw a reversion to the starting lineup from the previous league game.

So what made for the difference in result from the Arsenal match with the exact same personnel in play? Brennan Johnson had a boost in confidence, Dominic Solanke a boost in fitness, and James Maddison a boost in form. We also saw a more clinical edge from Son Heung-min, who provided two assists (his first in the new campaign).

Top three things:

1. Vicario played with fire, but didn't get burned. Speaking of fires, my football fandom was forged in the Manuel Neuer flame of risky goalkeeping, so some of the antics Guglielmo Vicario has gotten up to lately seem quite mild by comparison. Which is to say: I don't have a problem with Vicario making bold choices, whether in playing out from the back or coming out for a tackle with a razor-thin margin of success. We talk all the time about the Angeball system demanding a lot of his defenders, but the same goes for the keeper. We're fortunate that Vicario has the stomach for it! All that being said... it was definitely a handball, albeit only a yellow card offense and free kick by the letter of the law.
2. More direct, more goals. The team's play had become far too reliant on the wing zones early this season, but by eschewing the flanks and opting to focus more of the attack in the center of the pitch, we were able to present some new problems to the Brentford defense—which, to be fair, wasn't operating in a low block as every other opponent has so far, making the task easier for Spurs. Maddison was integral to this shift because of his ability to create pin-point passes over the top and through defensive lines. He created a few additional chances for his teammates that were well-saved by Mark Flekken or shot just wide of the mark.
3. Solanke starts his tally. Solanke finally got off the mark for Spurs with a rebounding goal on a saved Maddison shot, scoring the kind of poacher's goal that should be a staple of his game at the club. I was glad that he scored his first Spurs goal in front of the home fans. Even with his limited game time so far, he's shown how adept he is at being in the right place at the right time—creating his own luck. But beyond his instincts in front of goal, he's also going to provide a strong work rate and superb hold-up play, all of which were evident in the next match.

SAtP Player of the Match: James Maddison

I have a feeling that my pick is the unanimous one for this match. Maddison's quality was undeniable, and it was the first time in a long time that it felt like he was truly controlling the game. We need more of Madders at his imperious best if we're going to continue climbing up the PL table.

Side note: I think that if a player has an undershirt on they should not be given the mandatory yellow card for showboating. It's a dumb, joy-stifling rule in the first place.

Notable and quotable:

• All three goal-scorers (Solanke, Johnson, Maddison) scored their first PL goals of the season.

• Solanke became the club's 173rd distinct goal-scorer in the Premier League, extending the club's record for having the most different scorers for a single club.

• Johnson scored his second goal in two games, and his second game-winner in as many games.

• Son's two assists took him into second place outright in Tottenham's records for most PL assists with 63 total—one above Christian Eriksen, and four below Darren Anderton.

• The third goal was our first leadership trio goal of the season, with Romero providing the pre-assist to Son's actual assist for Maddison. Though I suppose that now we know Vicario has been added to the leadership team, we need to challenge him to get a goal move started for the first leadership quartet goal!

• Mikey Moore subbed on for his first PL appearance of the season.

• Son on the team's handling of outside criticism to start the season:

We’re playing for a great team, and we’re playing and battling against great teams. There has been a lot of efforts to distract and split our team, but we should never let ourselves be affected by that... In this situation, you have to always firmly trust yourself. I trust in this team firmly. It will be important to battle and get through this situation.

• Not necessarily specific to this game, but Son was asked ahead of the following Europa League game about fixture congestion in general:

Don't get me wrong, we love playing football. That's clear. It's not only just about the games though, it's the traveling and the preparation. It's a lot of work. For example, Man City's games, this week they played Sunday and Tuesday, that's not even flexible. This is what we're talking about and it's normal that people get injured and there's a high risk of injury. It's not ok.

WSL Matchday 1 | Tottenham 4 - 0 Crystal Palace

Raso 19', Naz 53', Spence 76', Ahtinen 88'

I am so glad to finally be writing about Spurs WSL matches again, and boy did writing out that scoreline make me even happier! It was almost the platonic ideal of a Spurs Women win, with the notable absence of a goal from either of the dedicated strikers. That didn't mean they were idle in the game by any means though, and truly, everyone contributed to this result across the pitch, from Becky Spencer in goal to Beth England's substitute assist. There's your starting lineup spoiler...

Starting XI:

...No start for the captain! I had predicted this turn of events simply based on how well Martha Thomas had performed in the pre-season, but it's always a big call for the manager to bench the club captain. As the schedule starts to pick up and we begin playing midweek matches (next week, actually), there will be plenty of rotation and minutes to go around, so expect England to play a key role sooner rather than later.

Robert Vilahamn's first lineup of the campaign ended up being very similar to my predicted lineup from the match preview, with the exception of Eveliina Summanen getting the nod in the midfield pivot over Olga Ahtinen. Ahtinen made a big impact off the bench, however, so that pecking order could be in flux as the season goes on.

We got to see debut starts from Clare Hunt, Maite Oroz, and Hayley Raso, while Anna Csiki made her debut later on from the bench. Lenna Gunning-Williams made just her second career WSL appearance, also as a substitute.

One player who won't be involved in 2024/25 is Kit Graham; she suffered a season-ending ACL injury during the pre-season. The team dedicated the win to her after the game, holding up her kit to show she is still a valued teammate even during her rehab.

Top three things:

1. Instant impact from the summer signings. Raso had perhaps the standout performance of all the new signings as she opened the scoring, but Oroz was also hugely influential from the midfield with her anticipation in the press and quick, decisive passing. While Hunt didn't have much to do in the defense, she didn't put a foot wrong either. Csiki was the only new signing who looked like she needed a bit of an adjustment period to the new league. Most importantly, we didn't miss the departed players at all—but the season is still young.
2. Elevated performances from longtime stalwarts. We don't win this game by such a dominant scoreline without the strong showings from veteran players Drew Spence and Ashleigh Neville. The fresh injection of energy from the new signings seemed to invigorate their games as well. Spence was denied an official assist but was crucial to Jess Naz's goal. And Neville was everywhere, in defense and in the attack.
3. No drop-off with substitutions. There were two goal contributions from the substitutes, an assist by England for Spence's goal and a rocket of a shot by Ahtinen (assisted by Oroz). Having a higher-quality bench was a big part of the rapid improvement last season under Vilahamn, so it's good to see (at least so far) that we can still rely on the reinforcements to provide a spark. The top teams in the league have built their dominance on being able to maintain a consistent level of play no matter who they have on the pitch—a luxury that teams with lower playing squad investment literally can't afford. Spurs are still somewhere in between the two extremes, but trending upward with some of the smart signings made in recent transfer windows. And it obviously helps that we increased the strength of our starting lineup as well. I feel a bit bad now for thinking that Raso wasn't a "marquee" level signing anymore at this stage of her career. Maybe she wouldn't make a dramatic difference at a club like Chelsea, but she has already at Spurs.

SAtP Player of the Match: Ashleigh Neville

Although she didn't get on the scoresheet, her presence was felt in nearly every chance created. Neville may have heard all of the positive chatter about new signing Ella Morris and decided she needed to step her game up another level to hold onto her starting spot. The fact that she's still managing to do so season upon season—at the age of 31 and playing two tiers higher than when she joined the club—continually impresses me. And quite frankly, if Lucy Bronze (32) is out here talking about her certainty that she'll be playing at the next World Cup in 2027, it would be a travesty for Ash not to finally get her much-deserved England debut this year. Do I think it will happen? No, because the universe is unfair, and Sarina Wiegman more so. But it should happen.

Vilahamn revealed in his recent press conference that Ash had scored a few goals in pre-season in the behind-closed-doors friendlies, so fingers crossed she gets on the scoresheet in the league soon, too.

Notable and quotable:

• Csiki became the first Hungarian national to play in the WSL. Fun fact!

• Oroz registered her first assist with the club—of many, I think we can safely assume.

• This 4-0 win was Vilahamn's largest margin of victory in the league since he took over as manager.

• On a downer note, the official attendance was reported below 2,000. I have heard all of the excuses and rationales for playing the games at Brisbane Road, I even understand some of them, but I will never be convinced it's a sufficient setup for a team of Spurs' ambition. There are semi-pro teams in the US regularly drawing more fans than Spurs Women do at Brisbane Road, and the US is not a self-professed "football-mad" country like England (well, not that football, anyway). I just don't get where the disconnect is happening, but it's frustrating to see so little evidence of a boost post-FA Cup final appearance.

• It would be malpractice for me to complete this recap without noting my enduring love of Jess Naz, who also scored a goal, so here it is, noted!

Europa League Matchday 1 recap | Tottenham 3 - 0 Qarabağ

Johnson 12', Sarr 52', Solanke 68'

This had trap game written all over it, especially after Radu Drăgușin's 8th-minute red card for DOGSO, but the team pulled out a spirited clean sheet (!) win instead of succumbing to the pressure.

For the record, I think Drăgușin made the right decision in the circumstances to make the red card foul and avoid giving up a near-certain goal-scoring opportunity. The nature of the current Europa League squad made the sending-off a little more costly in the short term since we're already low on defensive depth, but at least it will only be a one-game suspension. I'll take the mentality win of gaining three points in a tricky situation and keep it moving. And for what it's worth, I'm not yet ready to write him off in the grander scheme of his Spurs career. Young players who haven't had a ton of game time make mistakes. I don't think his deficiencies are totally uncoachable either, but time will tell.

We now have two players on an active scoring streak across all competitions and it feels like momentum is firmly on our side. That could be very useful heading into the weekend fixture, but for now, let's try to enjoy the (nearly) perfect start to the Europa League campaign.

Oh, and be thankful that we don't have to visit Azerbaijan for a reverse fixture.

Starting XI:

Ange was a little more conservative with his squad rotation than in the League Cup match, but the one truly enforced decision ended up being the most impactful. Drăgușin took the place of Cristian Romero, who was suspended due to his sending-off way back in March of 2023 in the Champions League (suspensions carry across UEFA competitions)—a poisoned chalice for Radu, as it would turn out.

His early departure from the game with a red card necessitated a substitution to bring on Destiny Udogie (also less than ideal, since he was supposed to be resting). Lucas Bergvall was the unlucky sacrifice. He looked devastated to be ending his European debut so soon into the game, but he'll surely get plenty of game time in the future "league phase" matches. (Yes, I'm still salty about the format change.) With Udogie taking up the left fullback position, Ben Davies shifted to centerback to partner with Micky van de Ven.

Ange had to be shrewd with his substitutions later in the match as well, endeavoring to keep the players somewhat preserved for the weekend fixture. One beneficiary of this priority was Mikey Moore, who got to make his European debut as relief for Dominic Solanke (not in a positional sense). Prior to his introduction, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were brought on to see out the lead.

Top three things:

1. Johnson can't stop scoring. And long may it continue!
2. Game management wins out. Not only did the players have to be selective about when to press with their man disadvantage, but Ange had to bring on reinforcements at the appropriate times to enable the team to keep playing in the preferred style. It made a difference for the scoreline and will also pay dividends in terms of continuity into the next game. We didn't have to lose any ground on the progress being made in the attack of late.
3. Lucky finally going our way. I would argue that we had more than the usual share of bad luck in the first few fixtures of the season, so naturally, it's starting to balance out now. Qarabağ certainly got the short end of the stick in this matchup, missing a big chance as well as a penalty. Even the slight deflection for Sarr's goal (rather than a successful block) felt fortunate for Spurs. We'll take it.

SAtP Player of the Match: Guglielmo Vicario

Not only did he get to wear the captain's armband for the first time since joining the leadership group, he made a fingertips save to preserve the clean sheet. There was also a heart-in-mouth moment when he had to come out to tackle the ball away from a Qarabağ player outside the box and would have put the team in a very vulnerable position if he mistimed it.

Notable and quotable:

• Johnson has scored three goals in three games across all competitions, while Solanke has now scored two in two.

• All three goal-scorers scored their first goals in European competition.

• The major concern coming out of the game fitness-wise was Son Heung-min, who came off with a knock. Ange addressed the concerns around Son's heavy workload, after acknowledging that injuries to Richarlison, Solanke, and Wilson Odobert have required him to play Son more than he would have liked so early in the season:

Sonny always wants to play, that’s his attitude, but we’ve got to be sensible about it. I don’t think it’s got so much to do with his age because I haven’t seen that affect him. It’s more I just don’t think that kind of workload in the modern game is sustainable. We’ve spoken a lot about fixture overload and part of that responsibility lies with us to try to protect our players and certainly with Sonny we’re going to have to be mindful of that.

Previewing PL Matchday 6 — Manchester United

Erik Ten Hag is back under pressure at Manchester United, but that doesn't mean we should take the Red Devils lightly. They have plenty of attacking firepower—if we catch them on one of the days when they manage to harness it.

United don't have a ton of significant injuries at the moment, although they have yet to see their summer signing Leny Yoro feature in a competitive match due to an injury picked up in pre-season.

For Spurs, Son Heung-min is a game-time decision after picking up a knock against Qarabağ. But we all remember what happened the last time he was a game-time decision to feature at Old Trafford, right? Just a casual 1-6 away win, with two goals and one assist from Son.

It's unlikely to be such a high-scoring match this time around, but I happily would take a solid one- or two-goal win.

Previewing WSL Matchday 2 — Aston Villa

I think I'm actually more nervous about this game—which is taking place simultaneously with the Men's match, annoyingly.

Aston Villa have a new manager (Robert de Pauw), a handful of promising new signings, and a new primary home ground at Villa Park. They held Chelsea to a close match on opening day, only conceding one goal to the defending title-holders in the loss. And since Villa and Spurs have both been angling to reach the upper echelon of the WSL in recent seasons, this will be seen as a must-win by both teams to gain an edge in the chase—or at least for bragging rights.

One of Villa's summer signings, Gabi Nunes, is a doubt to feature but would be a tough attacking threat to deal with if she does. You may recognize her from the Olympics this past summer, where she featured for Brazil, scoring one goal in the group stage.

There are a handful of other injuries for Villa, including Rachel Corsie, Jill Baijings, and Anna Leat.

In Spurs' camp, Amy James-Turner is still out with concussion protocol, as is Wang Shuang with her pre-season injury, but Ella Morris could get her first competitive minutes with the team. Luana Bühler is a game-day decision. Luckily, Amanda Nildén is okay after suffering a black eye in the Crystal Palace match and is in contention to play on Sunday. Robert Vilahamn described her as "a warrior."

Personally, I'm hoping we don't see too many (if any) tweaks to the starting lineup from last weekend—give those players another opportunity to build chemistry, and be proactive with the substitutions again if and when needed.

I'm particularly excited to see how Clare Hunt does against some tougher opposition in Villa's forward line, especially the Rachel Daly and Kenza Dali double team. Another player matchup to watch out for will be Spurs' Hayley Raso coming up against Villa's promising new left fullback, Paula Tomás. Sabrina D'Angelo could be an interesting x-factor in goal for the hosts as well—in a good way or a bad way.

News from around the Lane

• The Women's Super League has extended its title sponsorship from Barclays with a new £45m deal over three seasons. Barclays will also remain the sponsor of the Women's Championship.

• Speaking of contract extensions, Spurs are reportedly about to trigger the one-year extension in Son Heung-min's contract. This would mean a guaranteed 11th season in lilywhite for Sonny. He says that there hasn't been any talk yet of a new deal, however, noting that he was fully focused on bringing silverware to the club this season.

We haven’t talked [about] anything yet. It was very clear for me, I’m very focused for this season. At this age, every second is like a goal.

I find it hard to believe that there's been zero discussion of a new contract between Son and the club, but as ever, I admire his commitment to Spurs and steadfast focus on his performances in the meantime.

• Finally, Spurs Men received their draw for the League Cup fourth round. We take on Manchester City at home, with the fixture taking place during the week commencing October 28. My immediate reaction to the draw is not fit for print, but suffice it to say that I was frustrated. And I don't trust Pep Guardiola for a second to stick to his promise of playing City's second string for the match.

All right, get your dual screens ready for the Sunday single-header (I mean, it's not a double-header if they overlap!) and hopefully we can celebrate two important wins in the league campaigns.

COYS

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