Lucas Moura is providing more than goals for Tottenham

It’s cliché to say a returning player is like a new signing for his club, but it really is true for Tottenham and Lucas Moura.

When Lucas Moura curled in a beautiful left-footed shot for his first Premier League goal for Tottenham you could almost see the pressure lifted from his shoulder. Fortunately for the Brazilian attacker, he’d already done enough to earn his manager’s admiration before he ever found the back of the net.

The truth is Mauricio Pochettino never had any doubts about Lucas’ offensive abilities. He was confident the winger would score goals if he was given sufficient playing time. Instead, the Spurs gaffer was concerned over whether or not the former PSG star would ever work hard enough off the ball to merit a place in his starting XI.

That’s the biggest improvement Lucas has made this season. Last season he looked hesitant about where to move when his team lost the ball. Now, he’s suddenly turned into the player who initiates Pochettino’s press.

The development isn’t lost on the Argentine gaffer. He credited Lucas after the win against Fulham for working “very hard for the team without the ball.” Pochettino regards that as the most important thing a player can do to earn playing time.

It’s worth noting that Lucas won more tackles (four) than any other Tottenham player against the Whites. He doesn’t do that by physically muscling players off the ball. Instead, he can win the ball by simply beating the opponent to the spot. In particular, he harried the Fulham back line into numerous errant passes.

Lucas’ ascendancy into a quality starter is crucial for the club given the current absence of Son Heung-Min. The Korean’s current job is to help propel his country to a gold medal in the Asian Games. His absence leaves a massive opportunity for Lucas to earn a spot in the starting XI. He’s certainly taking advantage of the opportunity.

At the very least, Lucas has already done enough to maintain a key role in the squad once Son returns. He may not be able to keep Son and Erik Lamela out of the starting XI every week, but he’ll be an interesting option off the bench when he’s not involved from the opening whistle.

His work rate is why Lucas is really like a new signing for Tottenham. His development doesn’t excuse the club’s lack of summer signings, but it is helping give Pochettino’s squad more depth this season. That could be crucial for a club working to win silverware on multiple fronts.