From ecstasy to pain. Tottenham Hotspur’s season will be shown in microcosm on Saturday afternoon.
Facing Roberto de Zerbi’s former employers, Brighton & Hove Albion, the Lilywhites improved significantly in his second game as the Italian international, with the returning Xavi Simons nearly clinching a much-needed victory with a stunning curling effort from distance.
The mercurial Dutchman’s moment was euphoric, but it wasn’t slow enough as De Zerbi’s side struggled to hang on in the extended stoppage time, frustrating for the hosts.
There is still much to build on, but with the north Londoners betting on Tudor, the new manager has little time to address teething issues, especially in midfield.
De Zerbi has already made cuts and substitutions in his two games in charge, but Conor Gallagher has always been the center of action in the center of the park, but will that remain the case this weekend?
Analyzing Conor Gallagher’s performance against Brighton through the numbers
With Archie Gray and Lukas Bergvall replaced by the experienced duo of Yves Bissouma and Rodrygo Bentancur, Spurs looked to have more control over how the game played out, with the latter looking particularly solid in front of the back four.
These two changes allowed Gallagher to unlock a more advanced midfield role to complete the trio, with the Englishman leading the press with an incredibly relentless all-action performance.
In fact, it’s certainly hard to fault the 26-year-old’s work ethic, at one stage going on an almost NFL-style run to chase down the Dutchman and charge into opposition keeper Bert Verbruggen.
There was certainly effort in Gallagher’s performance as he won seven of his nine games and recovered four times, posting a solid 88% passing accuracy before being tidy in possession.
However, there was little more to the ball than that, with the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid player only scoring a significant pass despite finishing with a total distance of -4.4 meters.
Gallagher vs Brighton | |
|---|---|
status | record |
minutes | 76 |
touch | 42 |
Pass accuracy | 88% |
key pass | 1 |
dribble | 3/3 |
carry | 11 |
progress | -4.4m |
Total number of duels won | 7/9 |
ball lost | 7 |
shot | 1 |
Essentially, the £34m deal typically backfired in possession, with De Zerbi seeing the benefit of a more solid midfield trio, although Gallagher and others lacked the creativity to feed the likes of Dominic Solanke up front.
Thankfully, with a number of injured players returning, there are options at their disposal now, and Gallagher could be left out of the squad next time.
De Zerbi could sign £40m Spurs star to replace Gallagher
Gallagher’s departure paid off almost immediately, with substitute Lukas Bergvall jumping in to assist Simmons’ late stunner, who had just entered the field.
O’Hara gave the Spurs star a 2/10 rating last week, but now he resembles Moussa Dembele
The Tottenham star criticized by Jamie O’Hara now looks like the new Moussa Dembele.
However, the young Swede struggled against Sunderland a week ago, with the 20-year-old taking just 19 touches, losing all 12 duels and registering just 70% passing accuracy before being substituted after an hour.
He may need to remain an impact player instead. If the 29-year-old is fit and able to play again, De Zerbi could look to James Maddison as a viable option for a creative midfield position.
Maddison did not play a single minute on Saturday but was a welcome presence on the bench after a long absence, with the former Leicester City star having not featured since May under Ange Postecoglou.
It’s probably no coincidence that the Spurs were so weak in a season where neither Maddison nor Dejan Kulusevski played, and Thomas Frank and Tudor lacked any real creativity during their respective tenures.
For example, the aforementioned Simmons leads the club in terms of ‘big chances’ created this season, but his seven is well below the N17 standard, with five players hitting double figures in that metric in 2023/24, including Maddison (11).
Injuries may have affected the Englishman’s time in north London, but his current tally of 37 goals and assists in 75 games across all competitions speaks for itself.
As pundit Jamie Carragher pointed out at the time of his 2023 signing, Maddison fits the mold of Paul Gascoigne and Glenn Hoddle, who were once brilliant creative mavericks at Spurs and made their name as Liverpool legends.
“At the moment Maddison looks like the prototype of a Spurs player, following in the tradition of Paul Gascoigne and Glenn Hoddle who bring smiles to supporters’ faces.
“Soccer is always more fun when characters like Maddison see the game as more of an art than a science. He’s one of those rare soccer players that home fans adore and even rival fans can’t help but love.”
Smiles will be welcomed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium now. ‘Mudders’, like Gascoigne and Hoddle before him, boasts the ability to win games on his own, as well as the ability to conjure up moments of playmaking magic.
The pair are certified Spurs legends, and while Maddison may not currently fall into that category, there’s a good chance the £40 million man could fall into that category if he lifts this struggling team to safety in the coming weeks.
Gallagher’s work rate and effort are to his credit, but it is his compatriot who is the real game-changer in the midfield ranks.
Spurs have acquired raw talent Xavi Simmons and could let them go
Roberto De Zerbi must unleash a young Spurs player who could become Xavi Simmons 2.0.
