MY ACCOUNT
Antonio Conte has brought the feel-good factor back to Tottenham.
The Spurs boss masterminded a charge into the top four last season and the North Londoners are determined to build on that platform in 2022-23.
Big-money moves in the transfer market have boosted hopes of a title challenge in N17, as the club go in search of their first piece of silverware since 2008.
Claiming top spot ahead of Manchester City and Liverpool may be a big ask — but Tottenham will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with.
Last season: Fourth
Three wins from three matches kicked off Tottenham’s 2021-22 campaign in style before things began to unravel at an alarming rate for Nuno Espirito Santo.
A run of five defeats in seven matches forced chairman Daniel Levy to act — and the ex-Wolves manager was relieved of his duties on November 1, after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Conte was appointed as his successor the following day and had an immediate impact on results.
Spurs went on a nine-game unbeaten run that included six victories, before four defeats from five fixtures in January and February put a dent in their top-four hopes.
But Tottenham rallied and won 10 of their final 15 matches to edge ahead of rivals Arsenal and claim a Champions League place.
New faces
Tottenham have backed Conte in the market this summer, having spent more than £100million so far.
Brazilian forward Richarlison has joined from Everton in a £60m deal, while Brighton’s midfield star Yves Bissouma signed for £25m.
Spurs’ defence has also been bolstered by the arrivals of centre-back Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona, right wing-back Djed Spence from Middlesbrough and left wing-back Ivan Perisic on a free from Inter Milan.
Veteran stopper Fraser Forster will add experience to the goalkeeping department, after swapping Southampton for North London back in June.
The line-up
3-4-3: Lloris; Romero, Dier, Lenglet; Doherty, Bentancur, Bissouma, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.
Captain Hugo Lloris will marshal a rearguard of Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and new signing Lenglet, though Ben Davies will be pushing hard to claim Tottenham’s left centre-back berth.
Matt Doherty and Spence will fight it out on the right flank, while Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon represent high-quality options on the left.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Bissouma are expected to anchor the midfield, with Dejan Kulusevski or Richarlison lining up alongside Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son up front.
Star man: Heung-Min Son
South Korean sensation Son hit new heights for Tottenham last term.
The 30-year-old forward has enjoyed a telepathic understanding with fellow frontman Kane over the past few seasons — but finally surpassed his team-mate in the goalscoring stakes during 2021-22.
Son shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot award with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah after notching 23 times across 35 appearances, as well as chipping in with a further seven assists.
He has now struck 131 times in all competitions for Spurs — and the 102-cap international will be hungry for more when the new season gets under way.
Up-and-comer: Alfie Devine
Fresh from winning the European Under-19 Championship with England this summer, Alfie Devine is bidding to make his mark at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The meticulous attacking midfielder, 18, has impressed at youth level, scoring nine times in 17 appearances for Spurs in the Premier League 2 last season.
He has featured only once for the first team, in an FA Cup third-round tie against Marine, where the young prospect scored his first senior goal for the club.
Despite his lack of experience, Devine is held in high regard by the hierarchy at Spurs. Should he get an opportunity to feature under Conte this season, he will be keen to repay the Italian’s faith in him.
The boss: Antonio Conte
Conte is one of the game’s elite managers and has enjoyed success throughout his coaching career to date.
Promotions from Serie B with Bari and Siena saw Juventus appoint the 52-year-old in May 2011 — and he has not looked back since.
Three Serie A titles followed, before a stint with the Italian national team included a quarter-final finish at Euro 2016.
The Lecce native typically employs a 3-4-3 system with attacking wing-backs to great effect — winning the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea, before another Serie A title at Inter in 2020-21.
Spurs will be hoping that his knack for securing silverware rubs off in North London.
All information correct as of 11am, August 1, 2022
