Yet again, Tottenham Hotspur struggled to mesh everything together on Saturday afternoon but nonetheless proved their top-four credentials with a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
The blistering start to life under Ange Postecoglou now feels long in the past but a dismal run of Premier League form before Christmas has been rectified and fifth-placed Spurs are firmly in contention for Champions League qualification, five points behind Aston Villa but with a game in hand.
Before the weekend’s win, Postecoglou had grudgingly confirmed that Richarlison faces three to four weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury, though Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson both stepped up to showcase Tottenham’s impressive attacking depth, complemented by the ever-brilliant Heung-min Son.
Timo-Werner-Tottenham
However, it was indeed a performance that left plenty to be desired and the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur will need to start raising his game if he is to positively affect the narrative heading into the business end.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s game vs Palace in numbers
Bentancur has not had it easy over the past year having been struck down by injury against Leicester City in March 2023, rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and beginning an interminable fight for fitness.
Having now started six of Tottenham’s past seven Premier League matches, the Uruguayan has yet to rekindle the level that led observers such as Statman Dave to hail him as a “monster”, with his recent display against Crystal Palace doing little to prove he is deserving of a regular starting berth right now.
Rodrigo Bentancur PL Stats: 22/23 vs 23/24
Stat
22/23
23/24
Matches played
18
11
Goals
5
1
Assists
2
0
Pass completion
85%
83%
Key passes per game
0.6
0.4
Dribbles per game
1.2 (66%)
0.5 (60%)
Tackles per game
2.5
1.0
Interceptions per game
1.1
0.5
Duels won per game
4.9 (53%)
2.6 (40%)
All stats via Sofascore
The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick echoed this sentiment, awarding Bentancur just a 4/10 match rating and writing:
‘Gave away the free-kick leading to Eze’s goal with a clumsy challenge. Still looks short of rhythm and struggled to make an impression.’
Bentancur-Bissouma-Emerson-Royal-Spurs
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Clumsy is probably apt phrasing, with the £75k-per-week ace lacking much of the crispness and technical quality that had become of staple of his skill set, hooked just after the hour mark having failed to make a single key pass, lost his one attempted dribble and won only three of his nine contested duels, as per Sofascore.
Pape Matar Sarr was introduced late into the second half and with a crucial league fixture away to Aston Villa forthcoming, it might be wise for Postecoglou to relegate Bentancur to the bench next weekend.
All that said, it’s understandable that the 26-year-old has not reached his pre-injury fluency at this time, and while Tottenham indeed turned the game around – admittedly with all three strikes coming after Bentancur’s substitution for double assist maker Johnson – there were others culpable for a testing afternoon, with Dejan Kulusevski notably below par.
Why Dejan Kulusevski could be benched
Having scored Tottenham’s only goal in the solemn defeat at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers two weekends ago, Kuluseski failed to deliver in a poor display that was spared by the likes of Werner and Johnson’s respective impact.
This season, the Sweden international has scored six goals and added two assists across 24 Premier League matches, starting 23 times to underscore his value and the trust his manager has in his ability.
But, Tottenham have proved they can impress without him in the starting line-up and others are making an impression who might feel that they deserve a shot down that right channel, Johnson surely hoping for a starting berth in the next outing.
Kilpatrick did hand Kulusevski a better match score against Crystal Palace, giving him a 6/10 rating, though the journalist did write: ‘Anonymous in the first half but more involved after the break, and his cross was turned onto the post by Son.’
Playing the full 90 minutes against Oliver Glasner’s Eagles, the 23-year-old was in the thick of the action with 70 touches, also winning four of his eight contested duels and making three tackles, but he completed just 77% of his passes and lost possession 21 times, also failing with his one attempted dribble.
Usually more effective and involved, Kulusevski might have been a constant presence on the ball but he was uncharacteristically ‘anonymous’ in his creative support while also failing to strike a single shot on goal.
cristian-romero-tottenham-hotspur
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As per FBref, Kulusevski ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles and interceptions per 90, with such tenacious defensive application denoting his energy and importance to the high-energy system.
Still, Johnson has posted a goal and two assists across his past three Premier League performances despite being introduced after the interval on each occasion.
Maddison, moreover, offers elite creativity that leaves his deployment in the No. 10 position imperative for Spurs’ prospects, especially so against a well-oiled and polished Aston Villa side. The England international is hardly averse to contributing defensively too and will not hamper Tottenham’s fluidity, winning a whopping ten of his 13 ground duels last time out.
Dejan Kulusevski looks dejected.
Let’s not forget that Kulusevski is a dogged and enterprising winger who brings so much to Postecoglou’s side, having been the architect behind the team’s success on so many occasions this season, but Werner looks likely to start on the left flank at the weekend and Johnson has staked a good claim for a return to the starting line-up with his recent efforts.
Postecoglou may well opt to unleash his squad’s “engine” – as Kulusveski has been described by Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir – from the outset, but there’s no question that a talented and multi-faceted crop has been assembled down N17, hinting at the success yet to come under the Australian’s leadership.
