It’s fair to say that even in the wake of Monday night’s win over Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur’s summer business remains under the microscope.
Both Savio and Mykhailo Mudryk were absent through injury; £85m man Mateus Fernandes again started on the bench, while Jan Paul van Hecke endured a rough ride in that makeshift right-back role.
The Lilywhites are yet to really reap the rewards of their lavish spending, but at least Omar Marmoush has now come to the party following his belting first goal for the club.
Marmoush’s match-winning Coventry display
Like with Savio, Spurs have taken a gamble when it comes to signing Marmoush, the Egyptian notably scoring just three Premier League goals in total last season for Manchester City.
On the evidence of Monday night, however, the north London side could be onto a winner if the 27-year-old can deliver the goods on a consistent basis, having shown flashes of the player who formerly starred for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Indeed, his crucial goal to drag Spurs back into the lead really was something special, the right-footer rifling home into the far corner to open his account in his new surroundings.
Playing in that left channel, behind the focal point of Dominic Solanke, Marmoush showed just how deadly he can be, the on-loan speedster looking far more at home in that role than when asked to lead the line on his own.
That’s not to say he was perfect against Frank Lampard’s men, having lost the ball 11 times from his 35 touches, while winning just three of his 13 duels, but if supplied with opportunities in and around the penalty area, he showed why he’s more than likely to take them.
Assessing Marmoush’s start to life at Spurs so far
The hope will be that there isn’t anything too serious regarding Marmoush’s potential injury, with the ex-Man City man one of many to have seemingly limped off against Coventry.
In any case, it was still a positive outing as he bagged his first goal for the club in his sixth league appearance, having not contributed even an assist before Monday.
That’s not to say he’s been a complete disaster so far, with Marmoush notably averaging 2.2 successful dribbles per game so far, while also boasting a stellar 93% pass accuracy rate.
|
# |
Player |
Succ. dribbles |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Sávio |
18 |
|
2 |
Abdul Fatawu Issahaku |
15 |
|
3 |
Mohammed Kudus |
14 |
|
4 |
Morgan Rogers |
13 |
|
5 |
Nicolas Jackson |
13 |
|
6 |
Noah Okafor |
13 |
|
7 |
Omar Marmoush |
13 |
|
8 |
Cole Palmer |
12 |
|
9 |
Mohamed Belloumi |
12 |
|
10 |
Iliman Ndiaye |
12 |
In terms of total successful dribbles completed, he also ranks seventh in the division, with both Savio and Mohammed Kudus also included in the top ten.
There needs to be a greater end product from all three of them, yet the win over Lampard’s side did see Kudus register an assist and Marmoush get on the scoresheet himself, hopefully showcasing a sign of things to come.
Indeed, fitness permitting, that left-sided starting berth should now be Marmoush’s to lose moving forward, a fact that could spell bad news for some of a Tottenham persuasion.
Why ‘The English Neymar’ could be finished at Spurs
With Andy Robertson providing flying support alongside him, Marmoush certainly has the tools to flourish in that left channel, with that area having been a real problem position since Heung-min Son’s exit in 2025.
As Football FanCast exclusively reported, the Lilywhites are notably looking to shift Mathys Tel in January, while another potential solution in that role, in the form of Richarlison, has now been left resigned to U21 action.
There had at one stage been a feeling that young Mikey Moore might be the long-term answer off the left too, although despite a promising pre-season, the 19-year-old has since been shipped out on loan to FC Köln.
As the signings of Marmoush and co showcased, De Zerbi appears far more invested in promoting experience rather than youth, with Moore sent on his way despite netting in stunning style against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup.
He’d also scored a brace against Hoffenheim over the summer, the teenager picking up where he’d left off at Rangers last term, after swooping the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award.
Having initially broken into the Spurs first-team under Ange Postecoglou, the “English Neymar“, as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, looked to have kicked on during his time in Glasgow, leaving him primed and ready to be a consistent figure in De Zerbi’s squad this season.
Alas, the Italian had other ideas in mind, with Moore, meanwhile, enduring a muted start to life in Germany, having failed to register a goal or assist across his first five Bundesliga outings.
Like Marmoush, he has starred in terms of his ball-carrying quality, averaging 2.6 successful dribbles per game, but there hasn’t been an end product as yet, even if he has created two ‘big chances’.
There may still be hope that he can enjoy a fruitful season and return to north London refreshed next summer, but knowing how it worked out for fellow teenager, Luka Vuskovic, a sale may be on the cards for Moore in 2027.
If Marmoush keeps producting like he did on Monday, there may be no need to bring the academy graduate back into the mix next season.
