Tottenham: Do Spurs lack a spark from the substitutes bench?

Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 with Sunderland on Tuesday. Did the game prove that Spurs need more firepower from their bench?

Tottenham have once again been one of the success stories of this season. But much like last year, it’s starting to look like Spurs might just fall short of the title once again. So what is missing? What do Tottenham need to get over the hump?

Mauricio Pochettino’s team dropped valuable points on Tuesday when they drew 0-0 with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Spurs dominated the game but could not find the breakthrough they were looking for.

Sunderland were resolute and David Moyes will no doubt take confidence from his team’s ability to hang in there. Under fire for most of the second half, the Black Cats could have easily folded late on. A lot of teams near the bottom would have.

But despite that, Spurs have to find a way. To win a title, you have to grind these wins out. You just have to find something from somewhere. Anything. Ultimately, was it just one of those games? No big deal. Or are Spurs missing something for occasions like these?

BBC Match of the Day analyst Danny Murphy has suggested that Tottenham lack a spark from their bench. That they have nobody to change a game beyond their starting XI. And when you look at the Tottenham substitutes, you can see the point.

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Cameron Carter-Vickers, Ben Davies, Kevin Wimmer, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Vincent Janssen were the six outfield players on Tottenham’s bench against Sunderland. Janssen being the only striker and the Dutchman is still struggling to find his feet in the Premier League.

Sissoko can be good on his day, but you just never know if he feels like playing today or not. Whilst the rest are not particularly offensive players, as good as some are. So where is the spark? That different look? That game-changer?

Janssen has made 16 appearances in the Premier League this season, but started just five games. He has scored just one goal – it was a penalty. Sissoko has made 14 appearances and is yet to score.

This is what Pochettino turns and sees when he is looking for a solution to Sunderland’s stubborn defense. It’s not particularly inspiring. There was a time when Tottenham had Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko all in their squad. Options. Different looks.

Next: Does Oxlade-Chamberlain deserve a chance in midfield?

Today, Tottenham are fantastic at being Tottenham. But you need more than just one side to you. There has to be something extra. There was no solution in the end against Sunderland. Hey, maybe it’s just one of those games. It happens.

Spurs are unbeaten in eight league games at present and have won six of those eight. Tottenham are doing just fine. But to take that next step, does Pochettino need to add some firepower to his substitutes bench?

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