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A Rollercoaster of Emotions for Spurs Fans at the Start of the Season

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur had several rollercoaster rides in the summer of 2021. Starting from the whole saga about Harry Kane and his potential move to Manchester City right after the Euro 2020, across the perfect start with three wins in three opening games of the season, to a massive slump in form in the following two outings, we can say it has been a busy summer for the Spurs.

The team is currently has tons of ongoing issues. We are going to address these with the help of the experts at NewJerseySafeBetting.com and discuss whether the former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has what it takes to take Tottenham to the battle for the top-four finish in the Premier League.

Tottenham denied all bids for Harry Kane

Manchester City were desperate to sign Harry Kane in the summer of 2021. Most reputable journalists and transfer experts believed it had been a done deal on several occasions, but Tottenham’s chief Daniel Levy had different ideas.

Even Kane himself was keen to leave Tottenham and he did not join his team-mates at all during the preparation period. At one point, Manchester City had already broken the British club transfer record by signing Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. They were ready to break it once again for the English national team captain.

Nevertheless, the "Citizens"' pursuit of England's talisman was so frustrating. They made several different bids, each apparently stronger than the previous, but Kane remained at Tottenham. Well-informed journalists later revealed that Manchester City were ready to swap up to five of their first-team regulars for Tottenham’s star. Allegedly, the deal could have included one or more of Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, and Aymeric Laporte. However, that proposal, as well as all others, was rejected by supremo Daniel Levy.

A fabulous start to the season

The narrative was all there. Spurs hosted nonoe other than Manchester City in the first game of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign. Of course, Harry Kane was nowhere near the pitch on that occasion. Nevertheless, Spurs hardly felt it as a strong and superb tactical display, featuring Heung-Min Son’s phenomenal solo effort got the job done. Thus Spurs got off to a dream start, beating the reigning champions 1-0 in London.

Hojbjerg, Skipp, and Dele Alli were all fantastic at the center of the park, as well as Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, and Sergio Reguilon in the back line. That opening game performance promised a lot.

Spurs backed up the Man City scalp with two more 1-0 victories. However, they did not shine in either game (unlike in the first one). Tottenham barely threatened Wolves and Watford in the second and their third league matches. Despite creating many chances, they scored a goal and defended until the very final whistle following a pattern.

Instant turnaround

While Spurs stood top of the table with a perfect record after three opening games, their fans still had plenty of reasons to be worried. The third match against Watford saw both Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son in the starting XI for the first time in the season. However, the duo did almost nothing to harm the Hornets’ defence. Nuno’s men got in front through a lucky free-kick goal from Son.

The shift in the team’s fortunes were inevitable. Tottenham went to visit Selhurst Park for the matchday four clash against winless Crystal Palace who had taken only one point from their opening three matches. Son was not available this time (injury) as Spurs once again did nothing in a desperate goal-less first half.

Tanganga was then sent off for two bookings in quick succession (the 53rd and the 58th minutes respectively) and Tottenham were brutally punished. Wilfried Zaha came up with a goal and an assist while substitute Odsonne Edouard bagged a brace on his debut for the "Eagles". Crystal Palace destroyed Spurs in the final 30 minutes, and the final score was 3-0.

The matchday five game against Chelsea did not bring anything new. While Spurs offered at least some kind of energy in the first half, they seemed like a lower-division outfit in the second half, falling 0-3 at home to the Blues.

Miserable numbers at the start of the season

It is not hard to sum up Tottenham’s individual numbers after the opening five games of the 2021/22 season. Spurs scored three goals in total. Only two men have managed to get their names on the scoresheet in the process. Only one goal was scored from open play (Son’s solo effort against Man City on the opening day).

Tottenham have not scored a goal from open play in four consecutive outings. Son bagged two of their three goals, while the remaining one came from Dele Alli who successfully converted the penalty kick in the second game against Watford.

How do bookmakers see Spurs’ chances?

At this point, even the biggest Tottenham fans must feel pessimistic regarding the team's chances of success in the 2021/22 campaign. A top-four finish in the Premier League seems like mission impossible, especially if we take a look at the strength of the main rivals. Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United are all flying high at the beginning of the season.

Each of those teams have star-studded lineups and their key players actually want to play for them. This is, unfortunately, not the case with the Spurs. This is, after all, why you can get 80/1 odds to back Tottenham to win the Premier League. Note that they are just four points shy of joint-leaders Chelsea and Liverpool after five games.

Moving forward, Spurs are 5/1 to finish the season inside the top four. One of the best scorers in the history of the Premier League, Harry Kane, is 12/1 to become the top goalscorer of the season. The leaders after five rounds are Michail Antonio, Bruno Fernandes, and Mohamed Salah who have bagged four goals each so far.

In normal circumstances, Kane would still be among the main favorites for the Golden Boot. Sadly, these are not normal circumstances for Tottenham.

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