Tottenham Hotspur proved their breadth of quality in attack rivals any frontline across the country, dispatching West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Admittedly, the Hammers were sorely out of shape, but it was still a triumph that has set the north Londoners back on track after capitulating against Brighton & Hove Albion before the October international break.
There’s one man above all others who’s supercharging Postecoglou’s attack: Dejan Kulusevski.
Dejan Kulusevski’s performance vs West Ham
Kulusevski has long been regarded as one of Tottenham’s most exciting players but he’s starting to hit his stride this season, with Postecoglou regularly unleashing the typical winger in a more central and dynamic midfield role.
It’s paying off handsomely, with Spurs still lacking fluency and defensive solidity but starting to look more refined and cohesive as a unit.
Against West Ham, this was showcased spectacularly, and Kulusevski was at the heart of his side’s football, awarded an 9/10 match rating by football.london’s Rob Guest, who hailed the Swede’s parity-restoring goal in the first half, his link-up play with skipper Heung-min Son, with his sky-high confidence threading it all together.
Dejan Kulusevski: Stats vs | |
|---|---|
Match Stats | # |
Minutes played | 90′ |
Goals | 1 |
Touches | 59 |
Shots (on target) | 4 (1) |
Accurate passes | 29/35 (83%) |
Key passes | 2 |
Possession lost | 17x |
Dribbles (completed) | 6 (2) |
Tackles | 3 |
Total duels (won) | 15 (8) |
Stats via Sofascore | |
The 24-year-old is embracing his more talismanic role in Postecoglou’s system and, with James Maddison hooked at half-time as more purchase was sought, looks like the main man. He might even be shaping into the Lilywhites’ own version of Martin Odegaard.
Ange’s own version of Odegaard
Kulusevski’s energy and application make him an indispensable member of the Tottenham team. His comparative raise in prolificness is merely a welcome bonus.
Pundit Graeme Souness once hailed Kulusevski as “De Bruyne-esque” but perhaps such praise could be more aptly attributed to that of the Arsenal captain.
FBref’s number-crunching model has revealed that Odegaard is one of Kulusevski’s most statistically similar midfielders, for both left-footers are natural goalscorers with a ball-carrying expertise and combative streak.
Odegaard has been named Arsenal’s Player of the Season for successive years and is one of the finest and most influential players in the Premier League, and it would be quite a thing for Postecoglou to fashion Kulusevski into a star of a similar ilk.
With two goals across his past three matches in the top flight, the Tottenham sensation will be hoping to sustain this searing-hot run of form and fire his outfit back into the Champions League and toward the deep end of a cup competition.
As you can see from the graphic above, Kulusevski is growing into one of Europe’s finest midfielders, and he could be a real difference-maker for his side across the coming months, perhaps rivalling Odegaard down the line for London’s finest occupant of the playmaking tag.
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