Can Spurs recover from injury and go on to win?

Spurs got their new Premier League campaign off to a solid start. However, a shock defeat to Crystal Palace has already put them in the crosshairs for other teams. Being able to beat the likes of Manchester City but failing at Palace is not a good sign.

While they took their opportunities to win in the first three games, they lacked passion in their fourth. A poor attitude and injuries cost them. Could this be a sign of what is to come? Or can they bounce back?

Perfect Start

Spurs set a benchmark from game 1. Any Premier League team that can beat Manchester CIty deserves to be taken seriously. They started the first half strong, were dominating the game, and barely allowed City enough time on the ball to build anything.

Harry Kane was missing, apparently due to injury, and many believed that Son would simply not be able to score or make anything happen for his side without his partner in crime. However, he proved those doubters wrong, scoring 10 minutes after the start of the second half.

Nuno’s return game at Wolves got off to a cracking start, with Dele Alli putting a penalty away early in the first half. The rest of the game sat on a knife-edge, but Spurs withstood numerous attacks to keep the score 1-0.

Their third win was another 1-0 victory, this time against Watford. Son was on the scoreboard again, slotting home the eventual winner in the 42nd minute. Harry Kane was notably invisible during the game.

Loss to Crystal Palace

Their fourth game against Crystal Palace did not go according to plan in the slightest. While Son was unavailable for the tie, Lucas Moura and Dele Alli could support Harry Kane and help the Englishman out to put a couple of goals away.

However, Spurs were disjointed, disorganized and were slowly getting picked apart by the supposedly weaker Palace team. Eric Dier going off early didn’t help matters, and while the first half ended 1-1, it was all Palace going into the break.

A tackle by Japhet Tanganga on Wilf Zaha early in the second half set off a series of arguments that led to both players being yellow carded. A few minutes later, Tanganga would be booked again and sent off.

If Palace wasn’t dominating before, they were now. Kane was in no-mans-land without his right-hand man Son, and Palace pounced. A goal in the 76th minute by Zaha put them in the lead, and then new signing Odsonne Edouard slotted two home from the bench.

Injuries

The Palace loss showed Spurs weakness, not having the right players fit. Dier going off early put their defense at risk, and not having Son on the field proved to be a recipe for not scoring any goals. Spurs only had one shot on target the whole game, dismal for a team with the attacking players.

Tanganga is now out for three games. It is unknown if Son will be fit enough to start, with the same problems applying to Dier and Stephen Bergwijn. Considering they have the London Derby against Chelsea next, anything but a full-strength squad could spell defeat.

The biggest problem in the spotlight against Palace was just how ineffective Harry Kane was when he didn’t have Son to support him. His talent is undeniable, but becoming almost useless when Son isn’t playing is not a good sign.

Out of all the injury worries, Spurs will want Son back as soon as possible. He is the player that takes chances, makes the runs, allows others to score, and puts himself in positions to score. Without him, it is difficult to see where Spurs will be getting a lot of goals from.

The Future

Nuno seems to have brought something new to Spurs. They aren’t trying to do anything but score goals and defend. However, injuries have already proven to be the thing that can derail their season.

They seem to lack depth in the positions that matter, most notably upfront. They have developed into a team incredibly reliant on the likes of Kane and Son scoring, while forgetting that players like Dele Alli and Lucas Moura can be prolific in the right situations.

Speaking of Alli, he was disappointing when last seen but has found his feet again. He is attacking the goal, making runs, and making himself a nuisance in the box. If he can transform that into goals, Spurs could find themselves with the third prong of their attack, something they have been missing for several seasons now.

First off, though, Spurs need to stay injury-free; they just don’t have the depth to fill in the gaps left by Son or Kane. Kane also needs to find his feet again; the uncertainty surrounding his departure needs to be put to bed for the time being.

Spurs have shown they can beat the big dogs, but they have also proven that they can crumble at the slightest hurdle placed in front of them. If they can find the middle ground, they can finish in the top four and make their way up the ranks of world football once again.