Eriksen is showing Spurs what they lack

Tottenham Hotspur acquired again to profitable methods within the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with Antonio Conte’s facet sealing a dramatic 3-2 comeback over AFC Bournemouth on the Vitality Stadium.

Nevertheless, as has so usually been the case for Spurs this season, the Italian’s facet acquired off to a particularly gradual begin on the south coast, with Tottenham severely missing creativity of their build-up play – failing to create a single large probability regardless of boasting 64% possession within the first half – and finally falling 2-0 behind with 49 minutes gone.

This noticed the 53-year-old withdraw Oliver Skipp and exchange the central midfielder with right-winger Lucas Moura on the break, switching from a 3-5-2 formation to his most popular 3-4-3 set-up – a change that sparked the away facet into life, with objectives from Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur finishing a sensational comeback.

Regardless of the victory, the Italian head coach will undoubtedly be vastly involved by his facet’s lack of ability to create constant clear-cut probabilities all through a match, an undesirable trait of Spurs’ that will seemingly have been solved with the signing of a extra attack-minded midfield choice in the summertime switch window.

And, contemplating the truth that Conte was heavily linked with a transfer to convey Christian Eriksen again to north London this summer season, just for the Denmark worldwide to hitch Manchester United on a free transfer, the Italian’s choice to not push more durable for the 30-year-old is already proving to have been one thing of a mistake.

Certainly, the £15m-rated expertise was at his inventive greatest within the Pink Devils’ 1-0 victory over West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, having fun with 85 touches of the ball, finishing three key passes, discovering his man with two crosses and 4 lengthy balls and creating one large probability for his teammates.

The £150k-per-week playmaker additionally created his facet’s solely objective of the sport, delivering a merely sensational half-volleyed cross for Marcus Rashford to move house within the thirty eighth minute of the match, a contribution that finally sealed all three factors for Erik ten Hag’s outfit.

Talking concerning the Dane’s supply for the objective, ex-Chelsea and West Ham left-back Scott Minto mentioned on talkSPORT:

“Let me inform you, that’s a full-back’s nightmare when the ball is whipped in with such high quality and the man is ready to run and soar on prime of you in the best way that Rashford did.

“There’s a extremely good one-two with Bruno Fernandes who does very well along with his head, however Eriksen takes that contact and there’s not that many individuals in world soccer, or actually within the Premier League, who can whip the ball in when it’s type of bouncing on the half-volley with tempo to the far put up and simply inviting somebody to get on the top of it.”

Nevertheless, it was not solely on Sunday when the 117-cap worldwide has provide you with the inventive items for United this season, with Eriksen having made a complete of three assists and created two large probabilities over his 11 Premier League appearances this time period, along with making a mean of 1.4 key passes and taking 1.5 photographs of his personal per sport.

As compared, no Tottenham midfielder has averaged more key passes or taken more shots within the prime flight this season, whereas solely Ivan Perisic has supplied his teammates with more assists than the United maestro within the present league marketing campaign.

As such, it’s clear to see that lacking out on the “unreal” – within the phrases of Liam Canning – Eriksen this summer season has confirmed one thing of a catastrophe for Conte, because the Italian will undoubtedly be red-faced when watching the 30-year-old pulling the strings for certainly one of Spurs’ largest top-four rivals week in week out.