Five Things Roberto De Zerbi Must Do Over the International Break to Thrust Tottenham Toward Europe

Tottenham Hotspur go into the November international break with a sobering reality check, courtesy of Daniel Farke and Leeds. Spurs were 90 minutes away from enjoying a two-week break off the back of four straight Premier League wins, only for Noah Okafor to slam home a 1-0 winner that brought the Lilywhites back down to Earth.

Still, there is much to be jubilant about in North London, and De Zerbi will be working hard to bounce back once his players return from international duty. Let’s take a look at the top five things Tottenham will focus on this November break…

Tottenham Could Welcome Back Four Players After The International Break

Spurs are currently without a number of first-team players at Hotspur Way. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are not expected to return to training until December, but four others could be back in time for the Ipswich clash on November 21st.

Roberto De Zerbi confirmed Tosin Adarabioyo was available once more for the Leeds game at the weekend, although he missed out on the matchday squad in the end. Destiny Udogie was also left out in order to give him a chance to work on his fitness, while Mykhailo Mudryk and Savio have been missing for the past few weeks. All four could return to the squad against Ipswich, which would give De Zerbi a lovely problem to have when it comes to his squad selection.

Another player who could get his first minutes in a month is James Maddison…

James Maddison Should Get Back up to Speed at Spurs

Maddison has looked sharp every single minute he has been on the pitch for Tottenham so far this season. Unfortunately, those minutes have been few and far between, to say the least. The playmaker has started just two Premier League games, racking up a measly 195 minutes across six fixtures.

Despite being in the squad for the last two matches, Maddison remained rooted to the Spurs bench, meaning the Ipswich game will be almost an entire month since his last taste of action. If the England international can’t use the next two weeks to get fit enough to take part, he may find the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons eventually take his place in the number 10 spot. And a creative outlet is definitely something the Lilywhites have been missing…

Tottenham Needs a Creative Spark

Tottenham may have climbed to 11th in the Premier League table – far from the bottom spot they occupied a month ago – but scoring goals remains a consistent issue. Spurs rank 13th for big chances in the league this season, only just above Ipswich Town. The Lilywhites are also 10th for shots on target per match (4.4) and 17th for xG (12.4).

Most of Tottenham’s threat has come from out wide, with the club’s 5.1 crosses per match sitting them fourth in the Premier League. Only three clubs have more touches in the box than Spurs, yet only two teams have scored fewer goals per game.

Whether it comes in the form of better deliveries, more clinical finishing, or a number 10 who knows how to pick a pass, Roberto De Zerbi must fix this particular issue over the international break in order to kick on through the festive season.

The Continued Curse of Tottenham Left-Wingers

It remains to be seen how long Mathys Tel will be out for, but De Zerbi already described it as a ‘bad’ injury. It represents awful timing for the Spurs winger, who was just hitting some form and even made the preliminary France senior squad before a rogue Jayden Bogle challenge cut him down. Spurs are now without Tel, Savio, Odobert, and Mudryk, the squad’s four left-wingers, as well as Xavi Simons, who covered there plenty last season.

After so many privileged years of Heung-min Son and Gareth Bale on that side, Spurs are desperately in need of a consistent threat down their left attacking flank. But amidst an injury crisis, De Zerbi must come up with a short-term solution in time for Ipswich.

Three Big Fixtures Could Define Tottenham’s Christmas

Ipswich at home. Sunderland away. Fulham at home. Tottenham fans will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of what should be nine points from nine leading into the North London Derby on December 6. Of course, things are rarely that easy in the Premier League. Considering Tottenham have a run of Arsenal, Hull, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Man City after that. All but Hull are above Spurs in the current table, including all four of the current top four. De Zerbi will be keen to earn some wiggle room over the next three fixtures, because the festive season could be a lean one for the Lilywhites.