September 13, 2020. It was a day of hope for all the Tottenham Hotspur supporters. With all the changes that COVID-19 has brought to our lives, the Premier League started that weekend giving people something to look forward to in these tough times. That day marked the kickoff of the first full season of Spurs with Jose Mourinho at the helm, one of the most decorated managers ever. As I am writing this, 5 Premier League games, Europa League qualifiers and 2 rounds of League cup are done for Tottenham. Let’s try to see how well Spurs have done so far.

Squad

Spurs squad were a totally incomplete squad last season. There were some glaring holes in the squad, which were highlighted during the injury crisis after the last festive fixtures. But Spurs were easily one of the few teams that did very smart business in the transfer window. They brought in Hojbjerg to replace Dembele who left in January 2019. Doherty and Vinicius filled the gaps which were present from last summer. Honestly, most of the fans would have happily be content with these transfers, given their experience of the Chairman. However, Levy did show incredible commitment to the Mourinho project by bringing in Reguilon, Hart, Rodon and the marquee signing THE Bale. The only way Levy could have made this a perfect window was by signing Skriniar or Rodon himself before the European deadline.

Results

One of the major targets on the pitch for Spurs in the early season was to qualify for Europa League. Since their not-so-sweet neighbors had won the FA cup last season, Spurs had to win three knockout matches to qualify for the group stages of Europa League. Albeit leaving late a couple of times, Spurs did manage to progress to the group stages.

In Premier League, even if some supporters secretly hope for a league title, Spurs would consider the job done if they finish within the UCL spots. But the early stages show no signs of how the table is taking shape. Spurs had two amazing victories, two unexpected draws and a disappointing loss in their first five games, taking them to seventh on the table. However, the usual suspects, Liverpool and Manchester City are third and eleventh respectively, which shows that any attempt to analyse the position at this stage will not be very fruitful.

In League cup, Spurs were given a bye in the first round since many players from Leyton Orient, the opponents, were tested positive for COVID-19. The second round, the London derby against Chelsea must be the game in which the supporters felt the least chance this season. This is not only due to the fact that Spurs enjoyed a very little success in recent years against them, but also since this game was packed in a week of three important fixtures. The team did well to stay in the game after conceding an early goal. With a late goal from Lamela, the game was decided in penalty shootout, which Spurs went on to win and send their neighbours packing.

Overall, Spurs have done well in terms of results to qualify for Europa League group stages, progress to the quarter finals of League cup and be in a decent position in Premier League.

Performance

Spurs had been a team to watch this season. Kane and Son are running riots at defences. The deadly duo have combined for eight goals already this season in Premier League alone. No pair have combined for more than nine Premier League goals in a season for Spurs. Another big positive in the attack is the turnaround of N’dombele. The French international who was seemingly written off by Mourinho appears to have made his way back to his good books by stringing together some top class performances. With Spurs scoring in every game since the opening game against Everton, the attack definitely is not at all a worry for Mourinho, especially with Vinicius and Bale waiting to impress.

But all is not well likewise in the defensive department. The usual defensive solidity expected from Mourinho is not seen in this Spurs squad. In fact, they have not managed a single clean sheet in any of their games this season. Particularly, set pieces are a big worry to defend. The arrival of Højbjerg has to an extent provided a cover in front of the centre halves, but the lack of real quality at the heart of the defence is evident. Dier has occassional lapses in concentration, Sanchez panics on the ball, Toby is ageing and slowing down, Tanganga and Rodon are inexperienced. Full backs, however are once again transformed into strength from weakness. Unless Rodon turns out to be surprisingly high quality, it all depends on Mourinho to convert this defence into a solid one, which is essential to winning trophies.