There are really three ways of interpreting Tottenham’s start to the season. One is that a team playing this modestly, with such an overreliance on the counterattack, is due a reversion to the mean before long. Another is that their results are an impressive indication of resilience and confidence, and once performances catch up and new signings gel, they will be a formidable presence.
But of course there is a third theory: that when you have one of the world’s greatest strikers, under the tutelage of one of its greatest strategists, the conventional laws of footballing gravity do not necessarily apply. Antonio Conte’s teams have always prided themselves on taking the shortest and most expedient route from goal to goal. And if that means simply giving the ball to Harry Kane, then it will certainly do for now.
