RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: Tottenham have handled Harry Kane’s exit awfully well, but Ange Postecoglou’s thin squad will be challenged when the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup come around

• Dejan Kulusevski says Tottenham’s start was aided by a lack of European football
• Spurs have handled Harry Kane’s summer exit well, which was unexpected 
• But Ange Postecoglou’s thin squad will be tested when January comes around 

Dejan Kulusevski is certain that Tottenham’s place at the top of the Premier League has been assisted by missing out on European football. Trickier to ascertain is whether they have been helped by what they lost to the continent.

It remains a sporting sacrilege to suggest Spurs are a better side without Harry Kane. It would also be a simplistic and perverse failure to appreciate how the Bayern Munich striker would enhance any team in the world.

And yet, counterintuitively, each week is offering strengthened evidence that both parties have handled the split awfully well. Only one of those was to be expected.

For Tottenham, two points clear at the top after Monday’s win over Fulham, there persists the sense that a thin squad will reveal itself eventually, most ominously in January when the double whammy of the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup will be felt.

Those international commitments could cost Ange Postecoglou the vast qualities of Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, so that will be a pivotal period, but in the meantime Spurs are illuminating the division with their style and effectiveness. They are only two points better off than this stage last season within the tighter tactical constraints of Antonio Conte, a fact which is easy to forget, but the diversification of their striking options would appear to be a welcome difference under Ange Postecoglou.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side are two points clear, but may run into trouble in January

Harry Kane’s summer exit has been handled awfully well by Spurs, under Postecoglou’s reign

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It has been conspicuous through the first quarter of the campaign that Tottenham have evolved a greater threat from deeper positions. James Maddison has been a fluorescent contributor in that regard and was once again against Fulham, where he scored the second – his third of the season to go with five assists – but served a more menacing purpose with the quality of his dribbles and clever balls through Marco Silva’s defensive line. There should be no surprise that along with Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier he has created more chances (29) than anyone else in the Premier League so far.

Where once Kane might have dropped deep to occupy similar spaces, sometimes in a form of desperation, Maddison is now blitzing through the same areas in a direct, front-facing manner and feeding a more dynamic, unpredictable strike force. At times in matches this season, Son, Kulusevski and Richarlison have seemed almost interchangeable in their positioning, with Maddison and Bissouma often playing forward at speed to an ever-shuffling deck.

Maddison’s importance in that area was touched upon by Kulusevski, who said: ‘He is very good. As soon as he has the ball I try to make as many runs as possible.

‘You always feel you will get chances from him. It is fantastic. He is good at dribbling, passing and also scoring so he adds a lot to our team.’

Postecoglou would add pressing to that list – it has been one of his ‘non-negotiables’ this season and by his recognition on Monday, they were ‘outstanding’ off the ball against Fulham. Maddison put a shift in, as did Son, who has looked close to his best again in the opening nine games.

Collectively, the upshot is Spurs are outperforming their attacking metrics from last season and Opta’s statistics paint an interesting picture. Beyond the obvious of Postecoglou’s Tottenham outscoring the 2022-23 side that included Kane (2.2 to 1.8 goals per game), they are also playing vastly more passes in the final third (180 per 90 minutes compared to 111). They are crossing a little less, but their sequences of 10 passes or more has gone up a third.

Dejan Kulusevski is convinced the lack of European football is giving Spurs a huge advantage 

But captain Son Heung-min is just one of the players heading for international duty next year

They are cold numbers but point directly to the nimbler style we are seeing. The question is whether this is a fun interlude or something sustainable and perhaps the biggest advantage in Tottenham’s favour is the scheduling. It is notable how Manchester City and Arsenal have each dropped points immediately after European exertions this season.

Kulusevski said: ‘Honestly, it helps a lot. Physically, I remember last season was very hard playing three games a week. You feel very tired in the warm-ups. Also, mentally, not having to travel to Spain or Italy to play games helps. You are at home, with your family. You have a good rest mentally, also, so it is a huge thing that we have and we have to take advantage of that this year.

‘You can feel the difference and hopefully, you will see even more at the end of the season.’

So far, it is among the factors working in Tottenham’s favour.

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