Spurs could fix blow by unleashing £85k-p/w underperformer
More than a little appropriateness accompanied the standing ovation that echoed throughout Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.After 11 games against Chelsea, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur team, who had surprised everyone by unexpectedly rising to the Premier League title race this season, was ultimately eliminated.
The 4-1 scoreline most likely flattered the Blues. Actually, Dejan Kulusevski’s early goal gave Spurs the lead in the first half. He skillfully ducked under Levi Colwill’s extended leg, kept up the pressure, and appeared more skillful and sophisticated than his rivals.
It came apart like a loose spool of string when main men James Maddison and Micky van de Ven were injured, with the latter’s hamstring issue appearing to be quite serious. Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were also given the order to march off at halftime.
What remained intact, though, was Tottenham’s remarkable unity under Postecoglou, which was hardly recognizable from the dismal team of the previous campaign.
Spurs should be pleased with their performance even though they lost badly; to be honest, it’s hard to believe that the hosts would have put up as strong of a fight before the summer.
However, they battled Mauricio Pochettino’s team, who won in a thrilling match on his return to Tottenham, even though Spurs will undoubtedly celebrate the effort of their struggling squad.
Even with the departure of important players, Tottenham demonstrated their abilities and demonstrated that this season, they are more than just Postecoglou’s first-choice squad.One man who demonstrated that was Emerson Royal.
Emerson Royal’s stats vs Chelsea
Emerson will probably start at left back against Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend after Udogie was sent off for two yellow cards, the second of which was for an odd lunge on Raheem Sterling in the second half.
Emerson, a right-back by trade, hasn’t started since the season’s opening match, when he netted the game’s winning goal in a 2-2 draw at Brentford.
The player, who earns £40,000 a week, replaced the injured Maddison shortly before halftime. Spurs put up a fierce fight, but ultimately couldn’t hold off Chelsea’s two-man advantage as the game went into extra time.
Incredibly, he won 10 of his 13 duels and completed 91% of his passes, while also finishing with four tackles, two interceptions, one clearance, and one blocked shot, according to Sofascore.
The Brazilian powerhouse will be given a chance to start at left-back for the team in their upcoming game; given his recent performance, he could be a suitable stand-in.
Eric Dier, who was tremendous off the bench and contributed significantly on both ends, deserves recognition for yet another outstanding performance. With the harsh use of VAR late in the game, he came dangerously close to tying the score.
Eric Dier’s stats vs Chelsea
The £85k weeklyDier, a 361-game veteran of Tottenham, has been marginalized since Postecoglou’s hiring. On the other hand, he unexpectedly excelled after Brennan Johnson was replaced.
The England defender did, in fact, win both of his contested duels, make three clearances and an interception, and he eerily narrowly avoided beating the odds with a spectacular goal that would have sent the home crowd into an unheard-of frenzied frenzy.
Why Eric Dier should replace Cristian Romero
Given that Romero has been confirmed to be suspended for the next three games and Van de Ven may be out for some time, Dier may be the focal point of Spurs’ efforts going forward.
Romero is without a doubt a world-class defender. According to FBref, he ranked in the top 6% of center-halves in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles per 90 over the previous year. Esteemed countryman Lionel Messi even called Romero the “best defender in the world right now.”
