2022/23 Premier League Previews | Tottenham, Antonio Conte and their return to relevance

How well did Tottenham do in the 2021/22 Premier League season?

That was despite the fact that their PSxG+/- (Post-Shot Expected Goals minus goals allowed) of -0.5 which means that Hugo Lloris allowed a half goal more to sneak past him. They also committed the fewest errors leading to a shot (4) but they committed third most fouls (515), had the fifth worst successful pressure percentage (27.8%) and did it while getting the fourth most Points Per Match at 1.87.

Improvements they’ve made so far:

Having let Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jack Clarke and Steven Bergwijn leave the club, Tottenham have managed to keep the core of their team intact and in place as all three men were bit part players. But as far as incomings go, Tottenham have done their business sensibly and very early which is very very unlike them and that means Antonio Conte most definitely played a part. Ivan Perisic kicked things off with Fraser Forest, Yves Bissouma, and Richarlison all arriving soon after with Clement Lenglet completing the set.

On paper, all five moves are exactly what Tottenham needed this summer and players who could most definitely take their squad up to another level. Richarlison more than most especially given the fact that he could, theoretically, replace everyone in that front-line. Combine that with Yves Bissouma’s addition in midfield and the arrival of young wing-back Djed Spence, and this could be an exciting time for Tottenham if things click.

In a hypothetical world, this team could challenge for a title especially when you consider the fact that Antonio Conte has done a lot more with a lot less. But we don’t live in a hypothetical world and thus in the real world, their floor should be a bare minimum of the top four places. That doesn’t mean a title charge is out of the question as Manchester City and Liverpool need a challenger given that Chelsea seem to be in a weird transition state.

Should things go their way, Spurs have enough in them and the manager to help guide them through the tribulations of a said title challenge, but that’s a big if. The ceiling could be practically anything but the only problem with that is that Spurs will need the other three sides (Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea) to falter and make big mistakes. But in a world where Conte explodes, tears through everyone at Tottenham and the team implodes, then their floor could be as low as a top-six place, maybe even top eight.