Page 2 - Premier League 2019/20: Tottenham 2-1 Southampton

Premier League 2019/20: Tottenham 2-1 Southampton - 5 Talking Points

Modified Oct 01, 2019 04:59 GMT

Tottenham came away with all three points today after defeating Southampton 2-1

#2 Ndombele is beginning to show why Spurs paid big money for him

Tanguy Ndombele scored Tottenham's opener and was outstanding in the first half

Mauricio Pochettino might’ve suggested back in August that Spurs’ record signing Tanguy Ndombele needs more time to acclimatise himself to the Premier League, but after his performance today it appears that the French midfielder is getting up to speed pretty quickly – and that can only be good news for Tottenham.

Not only did Ndombele open the scoring with a left-footed drive from just inside the box – even if the shot took a slight deflection off a Southampton defender to confuse goalkeeper Angus Gunn – but he was also arguably Tottenham’s best player in the game, particularly during the first half.

He showed an excellent range of passing and was highly accurate, with an 82% success rate, and also completed 4 successful tackles for a 100% record in that area as well. Admittedly, his influence faded in the second half – but Tottenham’s midfield were always going to struggle once Serge Aurier was dismissed and Moussa Sissoko was forced to fill in at right-back.

Pochettino bought Ndombele with the belief that he could be the successor for the departed Moussa Dembele, and on this performance he’s definitely capable of doing so. Given a few more games to really embed himself, he could prove to be something special.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Kingshuk Kusari