Tottenham Will Benefit from Flying Beneath the Radar

Jul 28, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino talks with his team during training in advance of the 2015 MLS All Star Game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 28, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino talks with his team during training in advance of the 2015 MLS All Star Game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Guardian recently ran a feature on the best starting XI of the Premier League so far. Some familiar and expected faces graced that list. Riyah Mahrez from Leicester, Chris Smalling from Manchester United, Graziano Pellè from Southampton. In all, players were represented from six of the top seven sides in the Premier League table.

The one team that missed out? Tottenham.

To be fair, the Guardian includes among the bench players/honorable mentions Dele Alli, citing his surprising maturity and composure for his age. Nevertheless this represents something of an oddity for Tottenham’s fans, most of whom have been witnessed to the jump in quality so far this season. Where is the love for Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld, Kyle Walker or Christian Eriksen?

Part of the issue likely stems from the fact that three of those four names are defensive players. Their qualities are obvious to those that watch them week in and week out, though would be significantly less so to people only glancing at the number and scorelines. Even looking at the team’s performance as a whole, it might be easy to dismiss the club as yet another batch of also rans. Yes, Tottenham are unbeaten since opening day, but six of those eleven results have been draws.

The rise – temporary as it may be – of the likes of Leicester City and West Ham also obscures just how much quality Tottenham have brought to bear so far this season. No one is necessarily surprised for Spurs to be fifth at his stage in the season. For former relegation candidates to be in the Champions League conversation is the stuff of headlines however.

POPULAR: Tottenham Have Dramatically Improved in Only 18 Months

Such prejudice on the part of the Guardian and many other football publications is therefore justified. Tottenham just aren’t doing anything particularly flashy, at least on the surface. And in a strange way, that could play in the club’s favor.

Look at the hubris that cost Manchester City three points in their September visit to White Hart Lane. So confident were Manuel Pellegrini and his players that they knew how to unlock this Tottenham team that they didn’t even particularly bother with defending after going up, especially in the second half. They were sure that this was the same Tottenham side who has fallen apart so many times before before. Their considerable offense would see the Spurs off.

Only it didn’t. Tottenham came screaming back into that game, scored four unanswered goals and took a win from an opponent that they’d had a notoriously hard time dealing with in the recent past. Critics shrugged off the result as the consequence of some particularly poor offside calls. Surely this was merely good fortune.

More from Hotspur HQ

A month and a half later, Tottenham traveled to the Emirates for the North London Derby. Arsene Wenger laid out his usual Arsenal side, confident that his title-contending team could deal capably with their local rivals.

Only it didn’t. Tottenham dominated huge swaths of that match, overpowering Arsenal’s midfield and defense on the regular. Wenger was forced into a rare defensive substitution at halftime when he took out Santi Cazorla in favor of Mathieu Flamini in order to deal with Tottenham’s press. Even that change didn’t work particularly well, though Arsenal ended up salvaging a point as their quality shined through when they needed it to. Again, bolstered by a tame-looking scoreline, critics could dismiss this as merely an even contest.

RELATED: How Tottenham Drew: Away vs Arsenal

Two results aren’t exactly a large sample size, but they do suggest a trend developing. Tottenham has been the whipping boy of the top Premier League teams for so long that they’re now actually underestimated. City, Arsenal and others feel as if they can simply play their game and win without having to take any special precautions.

Tottenham can only benefit from the media and opponents shrugging off the club’s considerable progress as unsustainable or unconvincing luck. Southampton owed a lot last season to clubs believing that the Saints were doomed after a ostensibly disastrous off-season where they lost their coach and the bulk of their quality players. They came into most games as underdogs and consistently proved that label to be an inadequate description. Tottenham can ride that same wave of arrogance.

Next: How is the Goalkeeper Role at Tottenham Different?

There are hints that this veil might be parting a bit around Tottenham however. Even if Arsenal are too proud to plan specifically for Tottenham, some smaller clubs are taking notice of the team’s vulnerabilities. Bournemouth’s 5-1 loss to Spurs two weeks ago masked the fact that their crosses and attacks from the flanks broke through far more than you might expect them to. The draw with Liverpool and the loss to Anderlecht in the Europa League exposed how vulnerable Tottenham can be to pressing and counterattacks. Mauricio Pochettino will have to remain vigilant against ‘lesser’ teams who think they have Tottenham figured out.

Overall though, Tottenham’s leap in form compared to recent seasons should combine nicely with their current underdog status.