Tottenham achieved their aim of Champions League football last season and have room to be optimistic with serial winner Antonio Conte in charge.
The Italian took over from Nuno Espirito Santo last autumn and it didn’t take long for him to instil a more disciplined mindset.
They ended the season very strongly and a run of only one loss in 11 Premier League games saw them edge out Arsenal to fourth.
Conte has been given licence to bring in his own players and another top-four (4/6) finish will be the aim.
Hopes for the new season
Conte was lauded as a great appointment when he took over at Spurs and now in his first full season in charge, he will be able to mould his squad into what he wants.
The Italian has gone for a mix of experience and marquee signings in his transfer dealings as he hopes to stay in the top-four.
It is a great opportunity for the white half of north London to assert themselves as a Premier League giant with Manchester United going through transition, question marks still over Arsenal and a Chelsea side who have struggled for goals.
Spurs begin their season at home to Southampton (Tottenham 4/11, draw 19/5, Southampton 13/2 – Match Result) and will have several new signings in situ for the fans to get excited by.
Arrivals and departures
In:
Ivan Perisic – free – Inter Milan
Fraser Forster – free – Southampton
Yves Bissouma – £25m – Brighton
Richarlison – £60m – Everton
Clement Lenglet – loan – Barcelona
Djed Spence – £12.5m – Middlesbrough
Out:
Steven Bergwijn – £26.4m – Ajax
Premier League Betting Odds
Star player
Spurs have several quality players in their squad but Harry Kane (6/1 top scorer) remains the key asset for Conte’s side and proved in the second half of last season why he is so highly rated.
He suffered a dip in form at the beginning of last season following a summer of being courted by Manchester City.
However, in combination with fellow attacker Son Heung-min, Kane ended the season in brilliant fashion, scoring five in five and 27 overall for the season.
He is the ultimate all-round centre-forward and the Spurs team will be geared to suit his abilities.
Manager/Tactics
Conte has been so successful over the years because he is a winner at heart and a very strict disciplinarian.
Players may not enjoy the almost military nature of his training sessions – especially pre-season – but over the years, they have been proven to work.
In terms of style, Conte loves width and the 3-5-2/3-4-3 with attacking wing-backs has become something of a trademark.
That extra defensive cover allowed him to give Kane, Son, and Dejan Kulusevski so much attacking freedom in the second half of last season and if you add Richarlison and Ivan Perisic into the mix then they could be a very entertaining watch this season.
Last season – 4th
Football Betting Odds
AFC Bournemouth
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Brentford
Brighton
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Leicester City
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
