A "quietly effective" Tottenham star has been praised for "flying under the radar" this season, as Ange Postecoglou's side also take a gigantic stride towards potential Champions League qualification.
Tottenham thrash Aston Villa 4-0
On Sunday, the Lilywhites sealed a major boost in their quest to seal a top four finish, putting European rivals Aston Villa to the sword in their own backyard.
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Postecoglou's men were forced to battle hard in the first half, with neither side really dominating proceedings as Spurs went into the second period with it all to play for.
However, it was the north London travellers who eventually seized that game by the scruff of its neck. Two quick-fire goals right after the restart from James Maddison and Brennan Johnson, both from swift counter-attacks handed Tottenham total control of the contest.
Son Heung-min
9.4
Brennan Johnson
8.2
Cristian Romero
7.9
Destiny Udogie
7.8
Guglielmo Vicario
7.6
It was easy work for Spurs from that point onwards, especially after Villa captain John McGinn was sent off midway through the half. Son Heung-min and Timo Werner rounded off a memorable afternoon in added time, with this 4-0 win potentially proving a season-defining one.
"That was the message at half-time — just persevere, stay calm, play our football, maintain our intensity," said Postecoglou after Tottenham's win over Villa.
"And we did, we got off to a flier and then the quality of our football was excellent to see out the game. I said before the game that I still think there's a significant part of the season to go. There's still 11 games for us anyway. There's so many challenging games and every game will have meaning between now and the end of the year. Not just for us, for every team.
"If we had lost today, I don't think that would have discounted us from whatever other people put on as targets for us. I've been consistently saying what's important for me is our growth as a team and I thought we saw that today. It was another positive step forward."
Spurs now prepare for a crucial fixture list ahead, but defender Ryan Sessegnon will be out for rest of the season and unable to contribute. Certain members of Postecoglou's squad will be far more important in the run-in, though, like winger Dejan Kulusevski.
Kulusevski praised for "flying under the radar" at Tottenham
Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit John Wenham has heaped praise on Kulusevski for "flying under the radar" this season.
“Kulusevski is flying under the radar a bit, but he is having a quietly effective season. His goal against Wolves was his sixth in the Premier League this year, which is already triple the total of two he got across the entire 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
“He’s really improved his output. He’s normally the player who gets the assist for the assist, but he is scoring more now, which is good to see.”
The Sweden international has been a mainstay for Postecoglou, scoring six goals and bagging three assists in 25 league appearances. His good form lately will be a boost for Spurs, as their popular head coach looks to round off an excellent debut campaign with European qualification.
