Takeaways from Tottenham preseason draw at Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur had their fourth preseason game on Wednesday against Chelsea in a charity match, so what did we learn about Spurs as the season draws near. 

The difference in competition from the first three preseason matches to the fourth was truly a chasm for Tottenham Hotspur. The Spurs went from playing a third division and two fourth division sides to facing the European Champions. Given the Lilywhites will host the Premier League Champions a week from Sunday, it was a very appropriate warm-up test. Besides a solid debut for Pierluigi Gollini in goal, what did we learn about Tottenham versus Chelsea in the Mind Series?

Tottenham’s middling midfield

Some fans may point back to the loss of Christian Eriksen, while others may harken all the way back to Mousa Dembele. Regardless of your view, there is no doubting Tottenham’s midfield engine is not what it once was in the Pochettino heyday. Of course, Spurs are still missing Giovani Lo Celso, who will add both tenacity and a hint of creativity to the midfield but overall Chelsea showed they are a class above Spurs in this area in the first half.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg being a step off the pace was to be expected, likely more so than seeing the man play. Of course, getting a play who needs to play as well for Tottenham as he did this summer for Denmark minutes is really important.

While clearly not up to his own standard, it was fantastic to see Højbjerg out there with his mates. The way both he and Heung-Min Son returned straight back to the pitch says something about their commitment to the club and team. Højbjerg’s overall performance gets a pass but both Dele Alli and Oliver Skipp could and should have done more.

Dele disappeared while Skipp disappoints?

Saying Oliver Skipp disappointed is probably a bit harsh but he was not near the level he was in the first two preseason outings. Skipp’s touch was not as sound and his distribution was not as crisp but the competition was again much, much higher.

The move the disappointed me the most, however, was on the second goal when Skipp did little to run with the midfielder pushing through on the attack. This left Winks one-on-one when a hustling Skipp would have been able to cut that pass into the box. If Skipp is not hustling all the time he is going to have a hard time staying on the pitch consistently.

This criticism is again harsh on Skipp, but his presence on the field needs to be about total effort because while he is a solid player, he is not at the level of some alternatives – Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele to name a few. It was not a poor outing and the lad put in his shift over the full 90 minutes and he will improve against top competition, thus I continue to have high hopes for Skipp’s contribution this season.

The bottom line with Skipp at this juncture, is we need to temper our expectations in terms of footballing performance but hold him to the highest standard in terms of effort because that is what he needs to bring.

Speaking of effort, at times it looked like Dele was grafting hard to keep the ball and make something happen. At other times in the match, he just drifted out of the involvement and away from the game.

As we all know Dele’s biggest problem is his position, which is one that no longer really exists. Hurt the most from the freedom lost by selling Mousa Dembele, Dele has yet to find his rhythm and place in what is a transforming Spurs line-up and formation. Seeing Lo Celso come in on the left side of the midfield three where Dele has been lining up the last two matches seems very possible.

That said, Dele did almost score the winner at the death. His run into the box off a decent long-ball from Son over the top at 93 minutes would have certainly won the game for Spurs had it connected. When Dele was at his best one of his talents was scoring at opportune moments or inopportune depending on your perspective and team.

Those late and darting runs into the box were part of what made Dele great and it is possible that magic is still there but Spurs need more than flashes of brilliance. Maybe as Højbjerg rounds into form and Skipp improves they can live with Dele providing flashes but more likely than not, Spurs need more consistency in the middle of the pitch.