Spurs have registered three of the lowest five xG across all matches in the PL this season.

What a stat.

Attacking momentum chart reflects well this Spurs performance. 0 shots, pathetic. Same problems we had against Bournemouth and Chelsea. Teams that press us well can completely dominate us. Our front 3 has no running threat behind so their defense can press our attacking players super aggressively

North London is… void of shots from high turnovers?

#COYS

@hal.thelastboyscout.uk just noting that if you look at PPDA we are 2nd in the league which is weird when you look how low our high turnover wins and especially shots from high turnovers are.

Brighton’s press has arguably been the best in the Premier League this season. Not talked about enough.

Follow up from post from yesterday:

Spurs have the 2nd most intense press in the league this season, but have been ineffective in converting that pressure into high turnovers and shots.

1 shot from 64 high turnovers. Dead last in the PL.

#COYS #THFC

@profspur.bsky.social @hal.thelastboyscout.uk I think you will find this interesting. Curious your thoughts.

The Pressing Paradox: Elite Intensity, Zero End Product Deconstructing how Spurs rank 2nd in pressing intensity (PPDA) but dead last in shot creation from high turnovers.

The full breakdown of Spurs' PPDA vs. Shots Created, including turnover volume, 1.5% conversion rate is available in my latest substack article:

spursiq.substack.com/p/the-pressi...

At a high level the issue is a two-fold efficiency gap:

1. Volume: 15th in successful High Turnovers.
2. Conversion: Only ~1.5% of turnovers lead to a shot.

Scatter plot showing Spurs are 2nd in PPDA (Pressing Intensity) but 20th in Shots Created from High Turnovers, an extreme efficiency gap.

Tottenham's Pressing Paradox: Spurs rank 2nd in the Premier League for Pressing Intensity (PPDA) but are 20th in Shots Created following high turnovers. 📊

This outlier status requires review. What factors cause this low output from elite pressing input?

#COYS #THFC #FootballAnalytics

SpursIQ | Ryan Inghilterra | Substack Data-powered insights on Tottenham Hotspur. Breaking down stats, tactics, and trends. Click to read SpursIQ, by Ryan Inghilterra, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.

This structure played directly to Spurs’ strengths, improving ball progression out of the back and giving the team much better spacing between the lines.

A lot more analysis and detail can be found here: open.substack.com/pub/spursiq

#COYS

A clear tactical shift under Thomas Frank has started to emerge. Since the Everton match last week, Spurs have consistently lined up in possession as a back three, with Udogie pushing high and wide almost as a left winger.

(Thread) 🔽

Week in Review: From Chelsea Collapse to Copenhagen Masterclass A tactical and data-driven look at two wildly different Spurs performances in the span of three days

Article link (free)

From a 1–0 collapse to a 4–0 masterclass - a rollercoaster week even by Spurs standards.
My full SpursIQ review looks at what went wrong vs Chelsea, what changed vs Copenhagen, and why the difference might be more about execution than tactics.
#COYS

This actually aligns with what I discussed in my article from a couple weeks ago. We actually seem fairly good at getting into 'threatening' positions but are terrible at converting that into good chances, which can explain partially the major xG issues we see: spursiq.substack.com/p/reading-be...

Improve xG with this one simple trick

I heard Spurs fans wanted to see more central progression. Does this count?
#COYS

We are playing well. Especially considering how many starters are out. The stats will show us with very low xG again but there were some very nice attacking sequences. Just missing the final bit of quality in the final third.

We are playing well. Especially considering how many starters are out. The stats will show us with very low xG again but there were some very nice attacking sequences. Just missing the final bit of quality in the final third.

We are playing well. Especially considering how many starters are out. The stats will show us with very low xG again but there were some very nice attacking sequences. Just missing the final bit of quality in the final third.

- A change in team shape and structure (Kudus and Xavi both more central)
- Bentancur’s improvement on the ball and with progressive passes
- Van de Ven being braver with his passing through the middle
- Kolo Muani providing more hold-up play capability compared to Richarlison and Tel

#COYS

Spurs’ pass map against Everton this past weekend looked a lot more balanced this match overall relative to many of our previous matches this season.

We were able to progress more centrally on occasions, which I believe can be attributed to: (See thread)

#COYS

Premier League Matchweek 9 Review: Everton vs Spurs A tactical and data-driven look at Spurs’ crucial 3–0 win at Everton

Spurs put in a gritty but impressive 3–0 win away at Everton.

Full MW9 review now live on SpursIQ:
🔗 spursiq.substack.com/p/premier-le...

#COYS #THFC #SpursIQ

While ‘moderate’ correlation overall, it is clear there are some teams where their xPosition (based on Opta's xPoints) after 7 matches last season were drastically different compared to their final position, with Spurs being the biggest outlier.

Full breakdown:
spursiq.substack.com/p/reading-be...

Opta’s xPoints table had Spurs 14th after seven matches, even while sitting 3rd in the real table.

Naturally, the questions came fast: “Are Spurs lucky? Is this sustainable?”

I looked back at last season, plotting each team’s xPosition after seven matches vs their final place.

#COYS #THFC

Reading Between the Numbers: What xG and xPoints Do (and Don’t) Tell Us About Spurs Why early-season metrics can mislead, and what they reveal about Spurs’ performance beyond the scoreline

Opta’s xPoints table says Spurs should be 14th, not 3rd after the first seven matches of the PL season.

I dug into what xG and xPoints actually measure, and what they can both explain and mislead this early in the season:

spursiq.substack.com/p/reading-be...

#THFC #COYS

Premier League Matchweek 7 Review: Leeds vs Spurs A closer look at the tactics, data, and key takeaways from Spurs’ crucial 2–1 win at Elland Road.

A mature and resilient away performance.

We’re not perfect yet, but the structure and mentality look stronger every week.

Full review with visuals, tactical breakdowns, and data here:
spursiq.substack.com/p/premier-le...

#THFC #COYS

xG didn’t tell the full story

The stats make it look like Leeds were better, but context matters.

Their xG was inflated by the 1st goal, while we had multiple sharp attacking sequences that don’t rate high on xG.

The match was more even than the numbers suggest.

Bentancur and Palhinha double pivot provided needed defensive stability.

Leeds are physical and direct, and Bentancur with Palhinha gave us control and protection for both fullbacks.

It also freed Xavi to focus on creating higher up the pitch.

Image shows Bentancur's cover of Porro on the right

Xavi + left-side connection

Xavi looked far more comfortable as a central creator, linking perfectly with Udogie and Odobert.

The left side finally clicked: Xavi drifting central, Odobert making runs, Udogie overlapping with good timing.