Premier League 2019/20: Bournemouth vs Tottenham

When José Mourinho first graced the Tottenham Hotspur dugout in November for his first home game in the Premier League, his side put on a good attacking display beating Bournemouth 3-2. This performance whetted the appetite of the home fans, the dawn of a new rejuvenated playing style under the Portuguese manager. However, Mourinho soon went back to his conservative style, and with key players like Harry Kane being injured, became very inconsistent.

When the league was halted in March, Tottenham Hotspur were one of the teams that were tipped to benefit most from the break as they would get back players like Kane who would recoup from their injuries to galvanise the North Londoners after the restart. The presence of a full squad, however, did not have the required effect as Spurs continued their inconsistent form with some rather unconvincing performances which led into the display against Bournemouth, a lacklustre and uninspiring 0-0 draw at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday evening, a stark contrast from the reserve fixture at the start of Mourinho’s helm.

Bournemouth, who are battling to get out of the relegation zone, had the better chances and looked the more likely to take all three points from the game. This tactical analysis will discuss the tactics and strategic setup of both teams and explain how Eddie Howe organised his team well defensively that got them a vital point but also left them with a chance to nearly grab a winner late on. The analysis will also focus on the reasons behind Spurs’ lack of intervention in the final third and how they struggled to create any meaningful chances in the game.

Lineups

Eddie Howe set up his side in a 4-4-2 formation as he kept his team in the same shape that was well beaten in the 5-2 loss against Manchester United last weekend. The Englishman did make two personnel changes, however, looking to pick up results from such an unfavourable run in. Howe kept his faith in his backline and goalkeeper who shipped five goals as they remained unchanged for this game.

His first change was to bring in a bit more stability and physicality in the middle as Dan Gosling came in for Lewis Cook in the heart of midfield. Howe’s other change was the introduction of Bournemouth’s top goalscorer this season in Callum Wilson, who has scored eight goals in the league this season. He replaced Dominic Solanke who fell to the bench as Howe looked to build on his sides attacking play an area in which they have struggled to excel in all season.

José Mo