Tottenham’s defensive numbers paint a clear picture on whether they have improved from last season, disproving the media narrative about their struggles at the back.

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Spurs criticised for being too open

The general criticism of Tottenham this season has been that while they are enthralling to watch going forward, they are too open at the back and can always be got at defensively.

However, while that criticism might have been valid last season, they certainly do not hold up to scrutiny this campaign when one takes a closer look at their defensive numbers.

Tottenham have made major strides defensively

Premierleague.com did a deep dive into Spurs’ defensive metrics (prior to gameweek nine) and they found that the North London side are actually one of the best in the league defensively.
Only four teams in the entire Premier League have a lower figure for Expected Goals Against (xGA) than Tottenham’s 8.9, suggesting that Postecoglou’s men are among the best in the league when it comes to restricting the opposition’s chances.

The Lilywhites have shown a significant improvement when it comes to xGA from last season after conceding 61 goals over the course of 2023-24.

Even more impressively, Tottenham have restricted the opposition to an xG of one or lower on four different occasions this season, as many as they managed through the whole of last campaign.

(Credit: @georgedunnphotogr...