Ange Postecoglou could extend his silverware streak in his second season, but Tottenham’s Premier League form puts the Australian under pressure.
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Tottenham vs Leicester – Over 1.5 Goals For Leicester
Tottenham To Win The Europa League
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Tottenham need to arrest their slump in the Premier League and alleviate the pressure on Ange Postecoglou. The team are sitting in 15th place, 14 points behind 6th place Newcastle. Qualifying for Europe via their league positions appears unlikely.
In his first season at Tottenham, In November, Ange had the team comfortably perched at the top of the league. Things eventually fizzled out and they had to settle for a 5th place finish, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification to Aston Villa. The club have failed to build on Postecoglou’s encouraging first season and the results might cost the manager his job.
Since beating Manchester City 4-0 in November, Tottenham have won just one of their 10 league outings. Fans and pundits have been lining up to critique the team’s woeful defensive displays.
During that poor run, the team have failed to keep a clean sheet and conceded an average of 2.2 goals per game. The three goals conceded at Goodison Park last weekend represented a new low for the Spurs’ defence.
Ange has been reluctant to make changes to his philosophy in the Premier League. His team likes to focus on winning the ball back quickly with a high defensive line, and inverting full-backs gives them a numerical advantage in the middle. However, it has also left them vulnerable to opposition counterattacks.
They face a Leicester side that are battling relegation at the weekend. The Foxes need the points and are averaging 0.19 more goals per game than the Everton side that scored three against Tottenham. Leicester have scored an average of two goals per game in the last five head-to-heads between the sides, so we’re backing them to score a couple on Sunday.
The cup competitions are now the focus for Tottenham. Postecoglou has made a habit of winning trophies in his second season with previous clubs. The Aussie secured silverware with Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic in his second campaign in charge. Spurs haven’t won a trophy since 2009, so replicating that success would certainly be something to celebrate.
The EFL Cup is their first chance at getting a trophy. Tottenham took a narrow one-goal lead into the second leg against Liverpool at Anfield, thanks to Lucas Bergvall’s decisive goal in the first leg. Although Spurs created more big chances than Liverpool in that clash, it is unlikely they will replicate that dominance in the away leg.
The Reds haven’t lost against Spurs at this ground since 2011. In the 14 matches since, they have scored an average of 2.29 goals per game. Additionally, they have scored in the last two meetings between these teams in Liverpool.
The Europa League is perhaps Tottenham’s best chance of ending their wait for a trophy. They are amongst the favourites in the betting, along with Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao.
The Red Devils are also enduring a tough season and struggle to maintain a winning streak. Ange Postecoglou’s side are set to make it into the top 24 with ease and are aiming for a place in the top eight of the league phase. Spurs’ odds of winning the entire competition are enticing, considering Ange’s knack for securing trophies in his second season.