What crisis? Tottenham Hotspur‘s continual ability to rewrite their narrative, for better and for worse, succeeds in mystifying the sharpest of Premier League analysts.
At their worst under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs are easy to play through and bereft of synergy in defence. When operating to their max, though, they are a force to be reckoned with – something that Manchester City felt keenly as they were trounced 4-0 in their own backyard on a gloomy Saturday evening.
It bears testament to Postecoglou’s nous that he is taking his side home from Manchester with a massive win in the bag for the second time this season, though the chequered results elsewhere serve as a reminder that there is plenty of work still to do.
Even so, this was an incredible evening, perhaps the best yet under Postecoglou’s wing. James Maddison was the architect of the success, utterly mesmerising for the Lilywhites.
James Maddion’s birthday bonanza
Birthday boy Maddison enjoyed the most wonderful of presents when putting his side two nil up after just 20 minutes, setting the tone for Tottenham’s almighty victory.
Writing in his post-match player ratings, correspondent Alasdair Gold could only hand the 28-year-old a 9/10 rating, praising his goals but also noting that from that point ‘his confidence was flowing from then on and he showed exactly what he can do.’
As you can see from the stats portrayed below, Maddison was not only incisive with his shooting but indispensable with his combativeness and progression, completing both of his dribbles and winning a whopping nine ground duels.
James Maddison – Stats vs Man City (23/11/24) | |
|---|---|
Match Stats | # |
Minutes played | 89′ |
Goals | 2 |
Touches | 64 |
Shots (on target) | 2 (2) |
Pass completion | 40/45 (89%) |
Key passes | 0 |
Dribbles (completed) | 2 (2) |
Tackles | 2 |
Ground duels (won) | 12 (9) |
Stats via Sofascore | |
It was a fine performance, and he was joined by forward partners such as Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and the like.
But let’s take a moment to hail the brilliant defensive performance of Radu Dragusin. He came up trumps.
Radu Dragusin’s best Spurs performance
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, a formidable and dynamic defensive partnership. Sadly, injuries meant that both titans sat on the sidelines for this one.
No matter. Alongside the experienced Ben Davies, Dragusin was a stone-walled bulwark for his side, winning 100% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore, and silencing the beleaguered Erling Haaland, who mustered five shots to no avail.
The performance was so mighty that football.london had to match Maddison’s remarkable 9/10 score when assessing the Romania international’s showing, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even saying “Dragusin is simply a monster” after the spectacle.
The former Genoa man has come in for criticism for his form of late – having been particularly abject in the defeat to Ipswich Town last time out – yet up against the division’s fiercest marksman, Haaland, the Romanian stood firm, and then some, putting in arguably his fine display for the club to date, considering the nature of the opposition.
Remarkable stuff. If only Tottenham could play Guardiola’s lads every week.
Take a glance back at the Londoners’ results and you will be reminded that there is plenty of work to do. But come on, that’s an exceptional result, and hopefully an overture for the riches to come from this exciting crop.
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