0 shots, 0 dribbles, ball lost 18x: Spurs must axe 5/10 flop who gifted City the title
Ever seen a Premier League game this season that was stranger than last night’s match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City?
Ange Postecoglou’s team lost 2-0, but none of the Spurs fans were mad about it. The Australian manager was very angry in comments after the game.
The North Londoners knew that if they beat or even tied the triple winners at home, it would mean that their fierce foes Arsenal were officially champions. Of course, no fan wants their team to lose, but this wasn’t your average game.
Still, most of the players played well enough to earn at least a point on the night. However, there were a few exceptions, most notably Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, whose terrible performance pretty much ended the Gunners’ title hopes.
It was announced earlier this week that Mali international Yves Bissouma would be out for the last two games of the season with an injury. This meant that Højbjerg had to start against City, and even though he has been a good Premier League midfielder in the past, he was terrible last night.
The 28-year-old was so bad at sports.Alasdair Gold, who covers Spurs for the London Evening News, gave him the worst match grade of the whole team that night: 5/10.
The respected reporter wrote that the Dane “sliced a clearance straight to Phil Foden for a big chance in the first half” and then “gifted City with another chance in the second half from a loose pass.” This short explanation perfectly captured the midfielder’s impact on the game.
What a save from Guglielmo Vicario! 💥🧤 pic.twitter.com/oS61RPJvKQ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 14, 2024
Gold may be too kind to the starter, though, based on how he has done in the past.
The Spurs dud played 85 minutes and had 104 touches, but only 86% of his passes were accurate. He also had an expected assist figure of just 0.04, didn’t take a shot, lost five of nine duels, lost the ball 18 times, was dribbled past twice, and made two mistakes that led to City shots.
| Højbjerg’s game vs City | |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 85′ |
| Touches | 104 |
| Accurate Passes | 78/91 (86%) |
| Crosses (Accurate) | 1 (0) |
| Shots on Target | 0 |
| Shots off Target | 0 |
| Dribbles (Successful) | 1 (0) |
| Duels (Won) | 9 (4) |
| Possession Lost | 18 |
| Dribbled Past | 2 |
| Errors Leading to Shots | 2 |
| All Stats via Sofascore | |
The former Southampton star had a terrible game overall. He’s not the worst player at the club, but he still needs to be sold this summer, especially since there are other players on the team who could fill his spot next season.
Who could take Højbjerg’s place?
Next season, several midfielders at the club could start ahead of Hojberg. However, Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr would be the best choices because Hojberg plays most of his games in a defensive midfield role.
Fans are lucky that Postecoglou already seems to like them; the Malian star has played 2083 minutes and the Senegalese star 2036 minutes this season, while the 28-year-old has played 1456 minutes. But how much better are they?
When you look at the three players’ basic statistics, it’s clear that the former Bayern Munich midfielder makes more progressive passes per 90 minutes than his two teammates, but he’s only second or third best in every other important category. The former Metz player is the best in six of them, while the former Brighton & Hove Albion star is the best in the other four.
| Højbjerg vs Sarr vs Bissouma | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stats per 90 | Højbjerg | Sarr | Bissouma |
| Non-Penalty Expected Goals and Assist | 0.12 | 0.26 | 0.08 |
| Progressive Carries | 1.19 | 1.93 | 1.87 |
| Progressive Passes | 9.30 | 6.55 | 7.35 |
| Shots | 1.25 | 1.62 | 1.04 |
| Passing Accuracy | 87.1% | 87.4% | 91.7% |
| Goal-Creating Actions | 0.14 | 0.31 | 0.13 |
| Tackles | 2.17 | 1.52 | 3.48 |
| Tackles Won | 1.19 | 1.08 | 2.26 |
| Interceptions | 1.33 | 1.39 | 1.61 |
| Errors Leading to a Shot | 0.21 | 0.04 | 0.13 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 0.56 | 1.03 | 0.61 |
| All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 Premier League Season | |||
In the end, Postecoglou would have been right to fire Hojberg because of how badly he played against City last night.
He already has two better central midfielders on the team, though: Sarr and Bissouma. This means that he has to get rid of the Dane this summer.
You can support us by Donating to us
[wpedon id=”13152″ align=”left”]
Read Also: Tottenham 0-2 Manchester City: Spurs unable to do Arsenal favor as Gil attempt to comfort Bentancur
Read Also:Spurs sets to announce £50m star, player desperate to joing Spurs
Read Also: Harry Kane says Tottenham have one of the most aggressive players in the world right now