A respected football analyst has taken a closer look at whether the data backs up the idea that Tottenham have faded in the second half of matches, and the results are extremely interesting.Barring the opening day 3-0 loss to Brentford, almost every single one of Tottenham’s games this season has followed a very similar pattern. Saturday 10th October Premier League Manchester UnitedManchester United1|1TottenhamTottenham Saturday 19th September Premier League TottenhamTottenham2|3Aston VillaAston Villa Saturday 12th September Premier League TottenhamTottenham0|0EvertonEverton Saturday 5th September Premier League Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest0|0TottenhamTottenham Saturday 29th August Premier League TottenhamTottenham0|2NewcastleNewcastle Saturday 22nd August Premier League BrentfordBrentford3|0TottenhamTottenhamRoberto De Zerbi’s side start with extremely high intensity and pin back the opposition, who struggle to keep the ball in the first 30 minutes, but the Lilywhites fail to hit the back of the net.Tottenham’s intensity drops in the second period, and they concede chances, with opposition sides tending to make their dominance count by converting their chances. However, a closer look at the numbers suggests that narrative may not be entirely correct.Credit: @thatfootballphotog / InstagramTottenham only fade for a 15-minute block in the second halfFootball analyst Enya Collins has now dug into the numbers behind Tottenham’s visible drop in intensity in the second half, and her findings are very interesting.She compares Spurs’ non-penalty xG numbers with their opposition in the various 15-minute blocks across matches. The only time when Tottenham have a worse xG than their opposition across their six-game sample this season is between 61 and 75 minutes. During that period alone, Spurs have conceded four Premier League goals in the opening six games.Tottenham conceded both Newcastle goals in that window, a game which they lost 2-0 despite bossing the first half. Spurs also conceded the second of a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa in the 67th minute, as well as one in the 73rd in the 1-1 draw with Man United. Obviously, this is not how football works, but remove that window, and Tottenham could have been looking at two draws and a win instead of two defeats and a draw.Collins also points out that De Zerbi’s men create 59 per cent of their non-penalty xG during the second half, which is slightly higher than the league average of 56 per cent.Across the whole second half, there’s no drop-off. Spurs create 59% of their non-penalty xG after the break, against a league median of 56%. That’s 8th of 20.Man Utd are 1st at 70%, Chelsea are last at 39%. Spurs are ordinary here. https://t.co/DbB1kwqqJ3— Enya Collins (@enyacollins) October 14, 2026What causes Spurs’ drop-off from 60 to 75 minutes?Collins points out that the drop-off from Tottenham is to be expected as the Lilywhites lead the Premier League for pressing intensity, with 31.9 per cent of their pressures coming in the attacking third.Her data shows that Spurs men are among the most intense sides in the league out of possession, which means that fatigue could be setting in after an hour.Collins suggests that a fix for this slump could come from the players improving their fitness levels or De Zerbi timing his substitutions better.Probably our pressing intensity.Nobody presses higher: 31.9% of Spurs’ pressures come in the attacking third, 1st in the league. Or better: 5.7% force a miscontrol, also 1st in the league. No one else is in that top right corner. Spurs are an elite pressing side! https://t.co/XhxryjOLAQ— Enya Collins (@enyacollins) October 14, 2026So the dip from 61–75 minutes looks like the bill for the press: legs tiring just as the substitution window arrives.It’s the cost of being the best pressing side in the league. Fitness combined with better-timed subs might be the cheapest fix there is.— Enya Collins (@enyacollins) October 14, 2026READ MORE: ‘Be very careful’ – Steven Gerrard warns Tottenham about ‘risk’ of Marbella campThe post Tottenham have a 15-minute window that has cost them five points this season appeared first on Spurs Web.