Darren Fletcher has claimed Tottenham Hotspur have lost their ‘desire to win’ following their lacklustre 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday.
The BBC pundit has raised concerns about the club’s current trajectory, describing the situation as ‘baffling’ after their disappointing start to the Premier League campaign.
Spurs have won just four points in the top flight so far this season, marking their worst start since 2015/16. They currently sit 13th in the table after four games.
Post-match, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou summarised his team’s ‘story of the season’, suggesting Spurs are struggling to take their chances and are ‘getting punished’ for it.
In his first start since returning from injury, summer signing Dominic Solanke struggled to find his rhythm, managing only four touches in the opposition box and no shots on target against Arsenal’s defence.
Spurs will be hoping Solanke’s impact can help address their goalscoring issues, as they finished with the fewest goals among the top seven teams in the Premier League last season, netting 74 in 38 matches.
Spurs Situation Branded ‘Baffling’
‘The desire to win has gone’
Fletcher, speaking on The Premier League Review show, noted that Tottenham’s desire for success appears to be diminishing, despite their attempts to play entertaining football under Postecoglou:
“I find this whole Tottenham situation baffling, really strange. I think I'm in the minority that I kind of look at it through eyes that say ‘I don't think this is going that well at all’ from a Tottenham perspective.
“Yet people keep telling me they entertain and that's what they want to do, because they had Conte and Mourinho before and I don't quite know where the desire to win has gone, if you're part of that fan base.
“But I look at it at the moment, and it confuses me, rather than gives me answers to questions when I look at the way this is all developing for Tottenham.”
Tottenham have now lost three consecutive home league games against Arsenal for the first time since 1988, with the defeat highlighting their fragility in set-pieces as the Gunners punished Spurs from a corner once again, courtesy of Gabriel’s emphatic effort.
Losing to their bitter rivals is especially frustrating given that Arsenal were missing several key players, including captain Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and summer signing Mikel Merino.
Spurs last won a trophy in 2008, defeating Chelsea 2-1 in the Carling Cup final at Wembley.
Tottenham Eyeing Angel Gomes
Nearing end of his stay in Lille
Tottenham are among several Premier League clubs interested in Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes, with Newcastle and Liverpool also monitoring the 24-year-old, according to The Sun.
A number of clubs are reportedly eyeing the former Manchester United youngster, who has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal in France.
The report suggests Gomes is not planning to renew his contract at the end of the season and is expected to seek a new challenge, four years after joining Lille from Manchester United.
Newcastle are understood to be the club showing the most interest in the Englishman at present and could even make a move in January for the creative midfielder.