Gerrard warns Tottenham face top-four fight after Aston Villa defeat

Steven Gerrard says Tottenham are unlikely to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season after their home defeat by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Spurs were beaten 3-2, prompting the former England midfielder to identify defensive weakness and a lack of goals as the main concerns facing the club.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Gerrard said Tottenham had strengthened in midfield but remained vulnerable at the back.

“They have fixed a few positions,” he said. “I think the midfield is stronger with Tonali, Fernandes and Bentancur. That is a strong midfield. You also have Conor Gallagher, who perhaps deserved to start today. So I do not think midfield is a major problem.”

Gerrard believes Tottenham’s defensive shortcomings are more serious, particularly their inability to deal with balls played over or around their back line.

“Tottenham are a little weak and fragile in the defensive line and are conceding too many goals,” he added. “If the two centre-backs cannot deal with long balls, you will have problems. That is something that needs to be fixed.”

The former Liverpool captain also criticised what he viewed as Tottenham’s biggest mistake in the transfer market: failing to recruit a proven goalscorer.

“I think Tottenham have improved in some areas, but the big problem is in attack, specifically the lack of goals,” Gerrard said. “They do not have a clinical striker and they do not have a goalscorer.

“I say that with the greatest respect because they have good players in the forward line and exciting players. But who is going to score 20 goals for you?”

Gerrard said those responsible for Tottenham’s recruitment should acknowledge that they had not signed a player capable of reaching that total in a season.

“Those in charge of recruitment and the people who made the decisions to sign these types of players need to look at each other and say: ‘We did not go out and sign a player who scores 20 goals a season,’” he said.

“If you do not have that player and you are conceding goals, it may be time to start worrying again if you are a Tottenham supporter.”

Gerrard said teams competing near the top of the table generally need either defensive security or exceptional forwards to compensate for problems elsewhere.

“There are two ways of doing it,” he said. “You either keep clean sheets, which keeps you in a safe position in the table, or you have exceptional goalscorers in your team, as Harry Kane did for many years.

“They score the number of goals that keeps you near the top of the table. If you are fragile at the back and do not have that clinical striker, you need to be careful.”