Sandro Tonali is set for a Tottenham Hotspur reunion with former club Newcastle United this weekend, looking to justify his £100 million summer transfer fee after a difficult start. Spurs sit 18th in the Premier League with 0 points, having lost their opening game 3-0 to Brentford, a result that leaves them three points behind early leaders Brighton. The Italian midfielder was rested for the midweek Carabao Cup win over Charlton Athletic to focus on his physical conditioning ahead of the Newcastle clash.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi made the decision to excuse Tonali and defender Marcos Senesi from the 5-0 Carabao Cup victory. De Zerbi stated, "Sandro has to work to feel better for physical condition." This move came after the manager blamed the opening weekend defeat on many players not being in the right physical shape. The club's extensive pre-season tour to New Zealand and Australia, which involved a 25-26 hour journey home and matches every three days, was cited as a disruptive factor. Several players, including new £85 million signing Mateus Fernandes, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, and James Maddison, picked up minor injuries during the tour.
Despite the team's overall poor performance in the 3-0 loss, Tonali's individual statistics from the match were notable. He covered 11,948 metres, a distance bettered only by Brentford's Vitaly Janelt. The midfielder also ranked highly in other metrics, with only two players having more touches and only two making more line-breaking passes than him. He featured prominently in the pressing statistics, behind only Richarlison and Conor Gallagher for Spurs. These numbers suggest the 26-year-old was active, but the collective unit lacked organisation. De Zerbi admitted it would take time for the team to find its spirit after a summer of significant change.
The club's preparations were heavily impacted by international commitments and a demanding travel schedule. Only four of the starting XI against Brentford had played at the recent World Cup, accumulating 901 minutes between them. This contrasts sharply with opponents like Manchester City, who started their match with eight players claiming 3,351 World Cup minutes. Players like Senesi, who featured in Argentina's World Cup final win over Spain on July 19, and JP van Hecke, a £54 million signing from Brighton who had less than three weeks off after the tournament, were granted extra recovery time. De Zerbi compared Tonali's situation to van Hecke's, who admitted the schedule impacted his body for weeks.
The immediate focus is Saturday's home game against 11th-placed Newcastle United, a fixture Tonali himself highlighted. In his first interview as a Spurs player, he said, "Newcastle second game, really I can't wait to play." His former manager, Eddie Howe, once compared his influence to Andrea Pirlo, noting his ability to 'put out fires' out of possession. After a week that also saw the signings of Savio and Omar Marmoush confirmed, taking summer spending close to £400 million, the pressure is on for immediate improvement. The team must quickly address a goal difference of -3 and find a way to convert possession and running into points, starting with a key test at home. Fans can track the team's progress and upcoming challenges on the standings and fixtures pages.
