Five keys to Tottenham Hotspur beating Manchester City in EPL opener

Tottenham Key Five – Avoid the silly mistakes and stupid fouls

The real issue for Tottenham Hotspur last season was not one of goal scoring rather it was one of conceding goals at inopportune times and late in matches. The Spurs dropped a ridiculous amount of points – 21 – from winning positions last season. Additionally, they conceded a lot of goals they simply should not have.

Whether it was Eric Dier being called for a phantom handball, or Serge Aurier conceding a penalty just before the half, or Davinson Sanchez scoring an own goal, there were a lot of moments that did not go right for Tottenham defensively, many self-inflicted.

Many of the bad situations they found themselves in – see the Dier handball and subsequent draw with Newcastle – were the result of poor fouls. As Tottenham really struggled to defend set-pieces in and around the box and that issue was compounded by a continued string of fouls at the worst time in the worst positions.

The greater fitness the team has under Santo should help late in games. But if Tottenham cannot avoid giving City big chances for free around the box it may not matter. More than anything avoiding the big mistake by not committing the poor foul or making the dumb error can increase Tottenham’s odds of a victory.