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Moussa Sissoko has replaced Mousa Dembele at Tottenham

By Rucker Haringey

Tottenham Hotspur's French midfielder Moussa Sissoko (L) vies with Leicester City's Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on February 10, 2019. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's French midfielder Moussa Sissoko (L) vies with Leicester City's Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on February 10, 2019. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Some Tottenham fans thought it would take ages to find a replacement for Mousa Dembele. The reality is that Moussa Sissoko already has filled the void.

There was a time when Tottenham relied on Mousa Dembele’s unique ability to shield the ball from the opposition to close out tense Premier League matches. Now, Spurs approach the issue of relieving pressure a little differently in the midfield. Mauricio Pochettino’s new tactic is to allow Moussa Sissoko to carry the ball away from danger.

The Frenchman’s ability to change a match’s field position was on full display in the second half against Leicester on Sunday. Late in the fixture, Sissoko dropped a shoulder and launched a marauding run into the Foxes’ half of the pitch that gave his squad a massive lift. It didn’t directly lead to a goal or even a solid scoring chance, but it did allow Spurs to kill off valuable time remaining in the match.

It’s very obvious that Sissoko’s ascendancy played a large part in Tottenham’s willingness to let Dembele move to China in January. The Belgian veteran was once a key member of Pochettino’s squad, but the deadly combination of injuries and advancing age had robbed him of the ability to play quality football for significant stretches of time. The pace in China should allow Dembele to extend his career.

Sissoko isn’t the most skillful player in Europe, but his ability to run all day has endeared him to the Tottenham coaching staff and lately, to Spurs supporters. He doesn’t play the game like Dembele, but he now achieves the same results. That’s been a crucial development for Tottenham given the rash of injuries they’ve been forced to deal with in the middle of the park.

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Fans will always look back on Dembele’s tenure with Tottenham with a healthy bit of nostalgia. His ability to glide forward with the ball at his feet was spellbinding at times. The truth is that he was rarely as effective as Sissoko is at the moment. The physical Frenchman will never show the grace that defined Dembele’s game, but he’s as just as important to Spurs as the Belgian ever was.

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