3 things Mauricio Pochettino has learned about Tottenham this season
Tottenham have only played two Premier League matches to date, but Mauricio Pochettino has already learned three valuable lessons this season.
Mauricio Pochettino understands the Premier League season is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s still imperative for Tottenham to learn important lessons every time they take the pitch. To that end, here are five important lessons Pochettino and company have already learned in the early going.
3. Christian Eriksen is enigmatic
In fairness, the idea that the talented Dane can be inconsistent really isn’t a revelation for Pochettino and his coaching staff. That’s what prevents him from really becoming a world-class midfielder.
The difference in his substitute performance against Aston Villa and his start at Manchester City perfectly illustrate the dual nature of his play. Versus the Villains he turned the match on its head and lifted Spurs to an important victory. At City he was largely invisible as Tottenham were overrun in the midfield.
He could easily leave North London in the next two weeks, but even if he doesn’t he may continue to be a wild card for Pochettino all season long.
2. Kyle Walker-Peters is growing up
Tottenham’s decision to sell Kieran Trippier to Atletico Madrid handed Walker-Peters a huge chance to claim the right back position as his own. He hasn’t been great through two games, but he’s avoided the sort of catastrophic defensive error that have plagued him in the past.
His work against Raheem Sterling last week was particularly encouraging for Spurs. He lost the talented City star for the opening goal of the match, but overall he battled well against Guardiola’s star-studded attack. Juan Foyth will play some at right back once he returns from injury, but Walker-Peters is the unquestioned starter at the moment.
1. Tanguy Ndombele is a star
Ndombele cost Spurs a club-record fee this summer, but he looks like he’s worth every penny. He’s arguably been Totenham’s best player overall during the first two matches of the season. Whoscored.com rates him just behind Erik Lamela from a statistical perspective.
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Looking at the numbers hasn’t been required to understand the Frenchman’s greatness. He scored a thunderous goal on his debut to wake Tottenham up from their coma against Villa. His contributions at City were much more subtle, but he was devastatingly efficient in the middle of the pitch. Ndombele has been compared to N’Golo Kante for a reason. He could end up impacting Tottenham just as much as his countryman has Chelsea.