Arsenal are 1000% ahead of Tottenham in shocking stat that shows huge Thomas Frank issue

A new set of numbers show Tottenham sitting behind every other Premier League club in a fundamental attacking stat, highlighting just how big an impact the injuries have had on them.

Thomas Frank’s first season at Tottenham Hotspur has delivered moments that suggested Spurs were finally finding consistency, but those spells have been mixed with performances that left supporters increasingly frustrated.

The 0-1 defeat to Chelsea at home, which marked a fifth straight loss to their London rivals, was probably the moment the mood properly shifted, because of how lifeless and unthreatening Spurs looked across the ninety minutes.

The deserved boos at full-time stemmed from the fact that Tottenham barely created a meaningful chance, mustering a record low 0.05 xG, and would have been punished far more heavily if Guglielmo Vicario hadn’t produced several outstanding saves.

It wasn’t an isolated case either. The 0-0 draw with Monaco in the Champions League and the early-season 0-1 defeat to Bournemouth were both tough watches, and those moments chipped away at the goodwill Frank built in his opening weeks.

Tottenham rank bottom for through balls in Premier League

A few weeks ago, Spurs fans were celebrating a stat that showed Tottenham were top of the league for overperforming their expected goals. Put simply, they were finishing difficult chances well. But that stat also hinted at a bigger issue: they weren’t creating enough clear-cut opportunities in the first place.

The Athletic has now revealed that Tottenham sit 20th in the Premier League for through balls played: just four in eleven league matches, an average of 0.36 per game. For comparison, top-of-the-table Arsenal have played 40 in the same period.

The four Tottenham have managed came one each from Pedro Porro, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Xavi Simons, and this is a big proof of how pragmatic Thomas Frank’s approach has been.

For context, Spurs played 91 through balls under Ange Postecoglou in 2023/24 (2.39 per game) and even last season’s decline to 54 still looks miles healthier than what Frank’s side are producing now. (Fbref)

How Tottenham can fix the problem

Of course, the absences of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have played a big part in Spurs ranking so low, as those two led the team for through balls last season.

Maddison is still a long way from returning, while Kulusevski has resumed training, though his comeback date remains unclear.

There’s still a clear path forward for Spurs if they want to rebuild their attacking rhythm without the two, and much of it centres around giving Xavi Simons the freedom he needs to operate.

When he has runners around him, as we saw with Brennan Johnson in the Copenhagen match, he’s far more confident driving into spaces.

That support has to become a regular feature rather than an occasional moment. Pairing him with a more dynamic midfielder like Pape Sarr or Lucas Bergvall instead of the Bentancur-Palhinha duo would also give him the central options he’s been missing.

Frank will also need to improve his use of shadow strikers, something he’s tried with Bergvall and Sarr, but without the timing to really pull defenders out of shape. If that movement becomes more coordinated, the forwards will finally get the gaps they’ve been waiting to attack.