The defence wobbled in a few games and there were matches where the attack was missing. As October looms, a few regulars need to find more consistency and step up.
In the 1–1 draw with Wolves, the issues from those earlier games reared their head again. Santiago Bueno scored from a defensive mistake to put Wolves ahead early in the second half.
Tottenham had a Mohammed Kudus goal ruled out for offside and Sam Johnstone made a great save to deny them further control. After the game, Thomas Frank said his team didn’t reach the level required , especially after the break , and needs to be sharper in the coming weeks.
Here are three players who now need to up their game in October.
3 Tottenham players who must up their game in October
1) Rodrigo Bentancur
Bentancur is expected to hold everything together for Tottenham in midfield, extremely so if the team is having difficulty controlling the ball. Against Wolves, Tottenham lost a bit of control in the second half, and a few important transitions did not come off well.
He’ll need to limit mistakes, discipline himself within the overall shape, and offer support as teammates move forward. With a busy October coming up, Tottenham is going to need him to provide a calm, collective presence in midfield.
2) Xavi Simons
Xavi Simons has demonstrated glimpses of his ability, but is still settling in at Spurs. In matches like the 2–2 draw with Brighton, he was more vibrant in the first half but quietened in the second.
Thomas Frank has noted that at times Simons seems to take a fraction too long to get the ball moving and could be quicker to make an impact. Frank sees Simons as versatile, being able to play wide or centrally, but with Tottenham requiring more creativity, Simons could be asked to do more centrally and really push the team forward.
3) Richarlison
Richarlison has shown flashes of his talent this season, but has not been a consistent performer. There have been games like the Wolves draw, where he hardly impacted the game at all and seemed to drift in and out of the fixture.
With the Spurs missing some of their creative flair, Richarlison will need to be more involved and will need to be more intelligent with his runs to capitalize on any chances. If Tottenham wants to remain competitive in October, Richarlison needs to be a constant threat in the front line and lead the way in attack.