Spurs after five gameweeks
Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham are bottom after Gameweek 5 with two points: defeats at Brentford and at home to Newcastle and Aston Villa, and goalless draws at Nottingham Forest and at home to Everton. Two goals scored, both in the 3-2 loss to Villa, and eight conceded.
The squad turned over in the summer. Cristian Romero has joined Atlético Madrid, Guglielmo Vicario is on loan at Juventus, and Sandro Tonali (from Newcastle), Omar Marmoush (from Manchester City), Jan Paul van Hecke (from Brighton) and Andrew Robertson (from Liverpool) have arrived. De Zerbi’s possession game has not produced chances yet, and for FPL that decides it: Spurs are a source of cheap defenders, not of attacking points.
The cheap defence is the only Spurs pick
Two clean sheets in five is not much, but at these prices it is enough to make Spurs defenders useful bench and rotation options. Antonín Kinský has played every minute in goal at £4.5m and is one of the most-owned budget keepers in the game. Jan Paul van Hecke has played every minute, scored once, and is Tottenham’s top FPL scorer. Andrew Robertson has started four games at left-back at £4.4m, and Micky van de Ven four at centre-back.
Martin Dubravka is one of the most-owned Spurs players as a £4.0m bench keeper, and has not played: fine as a fifteenth man, not as cover for Kinský. Pedro Porro takes the corners and free kicks and is the attacking full-back, but has started three games and carries a fitness doubt.
Why no Spurs attacker is a buy
Dominic Solanke is first on penalties and has started two games. Omar Marmoush, second on penalties, has started four without scoring. Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison have not started a league game between them. Conor Gallagher has a goal from two starts in midfield.
Two goals in five games is the whole argument. When De Zerbi’s side starts creating chances the penalty taker becomes interesting, and the live table on this page will show it before any article does.
Spurs’ next five
After the international break Spurs play Manchester United (A), Coventry (H), Chelsea (A), Crystal Palace (H) and Leeds (A). The FPL difficulty ratings put the home games against Coventry and Palace at 2 and both away trips to United and Chelsea at 4.
The home games are the time to own a Spurs defender. Kinský at £4.5m is the one to hold across the whole run as a playing bench keeper.