Dominic Solanke has only been at Tottenham for three weeks and has made just one appearance, but the £65 million signing from Bournemouth is already emerging as a key player for Ange Postecoglou’s side. Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle was a painful reminder of Spurs’ ongoing struggles, as they dominated possession and created numerous chances, yet failed to secure a result due to defensive lapses and a lack of clinical finishing.
Spurs managed 20 shots on Nick Pope’s goal but were undone by two moments of defensive frailty, either side of half-time. Harvey Barnes opened the scoring after Tottenham switched off from a throw-in, and despite equalizing through a Dan Burn own goal, Spurs were caught out again when Joelinton’s pass sliced through their defense, allowing Jacob Murphy to set up Alexander Isak for a late winner.
While the defending was certainly to blame, the match also highlighted Spurs’ problems up front. With Solanke and Richarlison sidelined due to injuries, Dejan Kulusevski was deployed as a ‘false nine’ in the first half, but with limited impact. The introduction of Brennan Johnson at halftime and the shift of Heung-min Son to center-forward provided marginally more threat, but Spurs continued to waste chances and make poor decisions in the final third.
Spurs’ approach under Postecoglou involves sending low crosses into the six-yard box, but these tactics are rendered ineffective without a proper center-forward to convert them. Despite their dominance, Spurs ended the game with a lower ‘expected goals’ metric than Newcastle (1.30 to 1.61), underscoring the low quality of chances they created despite their 20 shots and 49 touches in the box.
Postecoglou acknowledged the need for better decision-making in the final third, saying, “Fair play to Pope, I thought he had an outstanding game. But we could have tested him a few more times with just some better decision-making. It’s not just the opportunities we did create. I thought there was another probably six to 10 moments where we could have created even more opportunities.”
The lack of a reliable center-forward is glaring. While Son, Kulusevski, and the other wide players like Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner are talented, they lack the instinct and consistency needed in front of goal. Last season, Richarlison struggled to fill this role due to fitness issues and inconsistency, while Son and Kulusevski, though versatile, are not natural No. 9s.
This is where Solanke becomes crucial. Expected to be available for the North London derby against Arsenal after the international break, Solanke will need to provide the cutting edge that Spurs currently lack. His ability to convert Tottenham’s territorial dominance into goals will be key to mitigating the defensive vulnerabilities that arise from Postecoglou’s attacking approach.
Without Solanke stepping up, Tottenham may continue to struggle in turning their possession and chances into the results they need to achieve success this season.
