Omar Marmoush and Tottenham Hotspur might have passed the eye test against Everton on Saturday. Though they drew 0-0, marking the fourth straight Premier League game without a goal, Spurs dominated possession and again put in a strong defensive performance. You could chalk it up to bad luck not walking away with a win, except Tottenham are terrible at creating good chances. In fact, they are the worst at it.
Heading into the match against Everton, Tottenham created just 0.07 expected goals per shot, the lowest in the Premier League. Spurs’ overall xG stood at 2.75, good for third-worst in the league. Not only did things not improve this weekend, but they also got worse. Spurs produced just 0.64 xG across 14 shots, or a miniscule 0.05 xG per shot. (Manchester City, by comparison, produces almost three times more xG per shot.) Against Everton, there were few chances where it felt like Tottenham should have converted.
It’s especially frustrating because other statistics are encouraging. Take out the opening day anomaly against Brentford and Tottenham have conceded just 0.54 expected goals per match. They’re in the top half of the table in possession percentage. They’re pressing has been effective. They simply lack any quality in the final third.
Omar Marmoush needs to create and finish chances
Marmoush is indicative of the Spurs’ problem creating chances. His heat map according to Opta Analyst shows that he spent most of his time in the upper-left corner of Everton’s box and just outside of the box in central midfield. Consequently, Marmoush produced a paltry 0.02 xG and 0.03 expected assists. Savio, on the other hand, pushed much farther into the box on the right side and was generally more active out on the wing. He produced 0.10 xG and a solid 0.26 xA.
Not all of Tottenham’s offensive woes can be pinned on Marmoush. This was only his third game with the club, and manager Roberto De Zerbi has yet to figure out who should play the number 10. Is it Mateus Fernandes? Conor Gallagher? James Maddison? The ghost of Jimmy Greaves?
In any event, someone, anyone, needs to create chances for their teammates and put themselves into dangerous positions. Spurs brought in Marmoush for £60 million, and he sits atop the team’s pay table. It’s time he plays like it.
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