As bad as Bentancur: Ange must boldly axe Spurs ace who lost the ball 21x vs Palace
This £110,000-a-week star had a disappointing individual performance, dropping the ball 21 times.
Rogerlison, Kulusevski, Son-heung-min
Despite their continued difficulties, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Crystal Palace 3-1 on Saturday afternoon to solidify their place in the top four.
Though a terrible run of Premier League results before Christmas has been corrected, and Spurs are currently in fifth position, five points behind Aston Villa but with a game remaining, they are very much in the running for Champions League qualifying. The team’s explosive start under Ange Postecoglou now seems like a distant memory.
Prior to Tottenham’s victory this past weekend, Postecoglou reluctantly acknowledged that Richarlison will miss three to four weeks due to a knee injury. However, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson all played well to highlight Tottenham’s strong offensive lineup, which is also led by the incomparable Heung-min Son.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s game vs Palace in numbers
That being said, there was a lot that might have been done better, and players like Rodrigo Bentancur will need to step up their game if they want to have a positive impact on the story as it moves toward the finish.
After suffering an injury against Leicester City in March 2023 that resulted in a rupture of his left knee’s anterior cruciate ligament and an endless battle to return to full health, Bentancur has not had an easy year.
| Rodrigo Bentancur PL Stats: 22/23 vs 23/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | 22/23 | 23/24 |
| Matches played | 18 | 11 |
| Goals | 5 | 1 |
| Assists | 2 | 0 |
| Pass completion | 85% | 83% |
| Key passes per game | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Dribbles per game | 1.2 (66%) | 0.5 (60%) |
| Tackles per game | 2.5 | 1.0 |
| Interceptions per game | 1.1 | 0.5 |
| Duels won per game | 4.9 (53%) | 2.6 (40%) |
| All stats via Sofascore | ||
The Uruguayan has now started six of Tottenham’s last seven Premier League games, but he has failed to live up to the level that had fans like Statman Dave call him a “monster.” His performance against Crystal Palace last time out did not convince anybody that he should be a regular starter.
With a careless tackle, he gave up the free-kick that found its way to Eze’s goal. Still lacks rhythm and finds it difficult to leave an impact.
Clumbsy is probably an appropriate word to describe the £75k-per-week star, who hooked shortly after the hour mark after failing to make a single crucial pass, losing his one attempted dribble, and winning just three of his nine contested duels, according to Sofascore. He was also lacking in much of the technical quality and crispness that had become a staple of his skill set.
Pape Matar Sarr was brought in late in the second half, and because Postecoglou has a big league match against Aston Villa on the horizon, it could be a good idea to rest Bentancur the next weekend.
Having said that, it makes sense that the 26-year-old has not yet recovered to his pre-injury level of fluency. Although Tottenham did manage to turn the game around, with all three goals coming after Bentancur replaced Johnson, who had a double assist, other players also contributed to the difficult afternoon, with Dejan Kulusevski performing particularly poorly.
Reasons for Dejan Kulusevski’s benching
Kuluseski, who two weeks ago scored Tottenham’s lone goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers at home, was rescued from a terrible performance by the combined efforts of Werner and Johnson.
The Sweden international has shown his worth and his manager’s confidence in him so far this season by scoring six goals and dishing out two assists in 24 Premier League games while starting 23 of them.
However, Tottenham has shown they can compete without him in the starting lineup, and other players are standing out and may feel they should be given a chance. Johnson undoubtedly hopes to start the next game.
Kulusevski had a higher rating from Kilpatrick (6/10) for the match against Crystal Palace, however the reporter did note that Kulusevski was “anonymous in the first half but more involved after the break, and his cross was turned onto the post by Son.”
The 23-year-old was in the thick of things during the entire ninety-minute game against Oliver Glasner’s Eagles, recording 70 touches, winning four of his eight contested duels, and making three tackles. However, he only completed 77% of his passes, lost possession 21 times, and failed to complete his one attempted dribble.
Although Kulusevski was often on the ball, he was surprisingly ‘anonymous’ in providing creative assistance and could not manage to score a single goal. Normally, he is more engaged and effective.
According to FBref, Kulusevski’s tackle and interceptions per 90 minutes over the last year position him in the top 19% of offensive midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues, demonstrating his intensity and significance in the high-energy style.
Despite this, Johnson has scored a goal and provided two assists in his last three Premier League games, all of which came after the half.
Furthermore, Maddison has exceptional inventiveness, which makes using him at number ten crucial for Spurs’ future, particularly while facing a well-rehearsed Aston Villa team. The England international, who won an incredible 10 of his 13 ground duels the previous game, is not beyond helping defensively as well and won’t hinder Tottenham’s movement.
Dejan Kulusevski seemed unhappy
It is important to remember that Kulusevski is a persistent and innovative winger who has been instrumental in the team’s success this season. However, Johnson has made a strong case for a return to the starting lineup with his recent performances, and Werner is expected to start on the left flank this weekend.
Postecoglou may decide to start the team with Kulusveski as their “engine” right now, as Jamie Weir of Sky Sports has called him, but there’s no denying that a quality and diverse group of players has been formed along N17, giving hope for future success under the Australian’s direction.
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