In his second season as Tottenham Hotspur manager, Martin Ho continues to keep the team among the early season pacesetters. Their form in the early part of the 2026-27 season is proof of that.
However, a tough defeat against a reloaded London City Lionesses could have exposed the lingering issues that separate them from the top teams. Nevertheless, this disastrous performance should not erase the evidence of wider tactical improvement and better finishing.
Opta’s analysis report on Tottenham Hotspur has delved into some stats that highlight what we can expect from Ho’s team. If we compare the start of this season with last year, Tottenham have doubled their goals scored in five games (7-16). No one expected this team to become one of the most prolific offensive sides in the league, and yet they are doing so at an extraordinary rate.
Some of their most notable stats are 42 shots against Crystal Palace (the opposition played with 10 men from the seventh minute) and 35 shots against Aston Villa. That’s 77 shots in just two games, indicating that the Spurs have not only generated extraordinary shot volume, but also replicated the offensive pressure in back-to-back games. They don’t always play directly with an attacking movement of only 14 passes before the goal.
Ho’s team didn’t just score because they could, nor did they just score by chance. They applied constant pressure, drove players into the box and moved the ball forward with a purpose.
Tottenham’s prolific attack in their first five games has not been based solely on shot volume. They lead the league with 14.1 xG and 20 big chances, and are second in shots on goal with 7.4 per game.
Players behind attacks
Victoria Pelova from Holland is the finalist of “Spurs”. With five goals and one assist in five games, he was top scorer in the loss to London City. In addition to his goals, he also recorded 24 touches in opposition penalty boxes, featuring Pelova. His finish was world-class, pushing his personal xG over 1.48.
Denmark’s Olivia Holdt is another route to goal for Spurs. The 25-year-old football player scored a hat-trick in the game against “Crystal Palace”. Holdt also leads the club in shots, shots on target, touches in the box and big chances after Ho’s head.
What about Signe Gaupset? The Norwegian became the youngest player in the English league to create eight chances from open play in a match. The 21-year-old is the creator of a strong start, creating 29 chances under Ho.
As Tottenham have impressed everyone in the first four games, the match against the Lions was a completely different story.
London City created 5.99 xG, but Tottenham still remained in attacking positions. In fact, the number of shots of both teams was not that different. Tottenham hit 18 shots to London City’s 21. The difference was the number of shots on target (just 2 to 10), which produced 2.41 xG.
Ho talked about the importance of winning the first and second balls in the post-match press conference. He also said that decision-making was nowhere near as good as expected and that the team struggled to react to evolving situations. He pointed to Alexia Putellas’ first goal, as an example, when he scored on the rebound after London City’s initial shot was saved.
“Against those types of players, if you don’t respond quickly enough and when he’s in those positions, he often scores,” Ho said.
The coach admitted that the opponent is stronger in individual fights and drew attention to physicality.
Spurs’ early attacking output is a product of Ho’s style – more targeted development, sustained pressure and different players helping to create chances. However, the loss to London City Lionesses exposed their weaknesses and the gap that exists between them and the top four teams in the league. It was difficult for them to look dominant and at the same time compete physically and defensively against a high quality attack.
London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal may have sorted out some of their problems during the international break, although they have two tough tests ahead of them. We will see if they have learned a thing or two from their defeat against London City and if they can perform better against their next top-flight opponents next Sunday.