Sporting Clube de Portugal v Olympique de Marseille - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 Roberto De Zerbi, head coach of Olympique Mars...
Credit: Imago
Cameron Smith
Wed 27 May 2026 14:10, UK
Tottenham Hotspur can at last turn their attention to the upcoming summer, with their place in the Premier League now secured.
Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Everton ensured they stayed clear of danger, matching West Ham’s 3-0 win against Leeds at the London Stadium.
That result guarantees top-flight football for Roberto De Zerbi and his squad, despite what has been a bleak 2025-26 campaign for the Lilywhites.
After finishing 17th in back-to-back seasons, the North London side clearly require major upgrades if they are to move forward.
And to do so, there are serious goalscoring issues that must be fixed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Alarming goalscoring figures highlight severe Tottenham issues
In the 2025-26 Premier League season, eight teams found the net less often than Tottenham.
The concern, however, is not just about the number of goals scored; it is the absence of a reliable structure for creating chances.
Expected Goals (xG) Goals
40 48
Tottenham’s xG to goals this season
At first glance, the table above suggests Tottenham are simply outperforming their xG and finishing clinically. But a closer look at how they create their chances tells a different story.
In the league, Spurs ranked just 14th for big chances created with 71.
For context, Manchester City and Arsenal sat first and second with 120 and 116, respectively, while even West Ham edged ahead of Tottenham with 72.
In other words, this is not a side carving opponents open at will from open play.
Instead, Tottenham relied heavily on dead-ball situations. Corners and free-kicks are undeniably part of the game, and any team should be lauded for high-quality set-piece routines.
But there is a difference between using set pieces as a valuable weapon and depending on them as your primary route to a goal.
Spurs survived by the skin of their teeth, scoring 19 of their 48 league goals from set pieces.
That level of reliance is unlikely to be sustainable if they aspire to become a more dominant and convincing side yet again.
The underlying numbers suggest that, without those set-piece goals, the Lilywhites would actually have finished 19th, below Burnley.
Naturally, set pieces will always be an important part of the game; however, they cannot be the most reliable source of goals over the long term.
There has to be a balance, with a more serious threat from open play crucial if Tottenham are to progress.
Tottenham have picked the right man in Roberto De Zerbi – what is his style?
De Zerbi arrived in North London over the March international break and did not have the chance to fully impose his ideas.
It may be harsh to expect Tottenham to immediately produce free‑flowing, attacking football while key players are missing.
But for a club aiming to compete at the top of the league and in Europe, they must create more chances and show greater control, rather than leaning so heavily on set‑piece strength.
In De Zerbi, Spurs appear to have picked the right man.
Roberto De Zerbi's Premier League projected finish at Tottenham
Credit: Breaking Media
His Brighton side were known for fluid, progressive football: defenders comfortable on the ball and a midfield capable of making quick decisions and creating transitions by design, not by accident.
The return of Mohammed Kudus should help, as will the availability of Wilson Odobert, whose pace adds a different threat.
By contrast, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani are not natural wingers, and using them wide risks dulling their impact.
With the right recruitment, De Zerbi’s blueprint should start to take shape as he tightens his grip on the squad.
But the players must fit the philosophy, and there is still work to do before he can truly embed his style and get Spurs playing fluid football again.
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