Tottenham Hotspur had undoubtedly one of the most significant seasons in their history, finishing with a grand total of 86 points – their highest ever points tally in the English top flight. Yet they, unfortunately, finished seven points behind eventual winners Chelsea, although it must be said that they were the closest threat to their London rivals and were one of the best teams in the league.
They finished second, scored the most number of the goals in the league (86), conceded the fewest (26), and had the league’s highest individual scorer in Harry Kane (29). The seven-point gap, in the end, was a cruel way to cap off what was a brilliant season in the Premier League. There were a number of factors that led to their final season at White Hart Lane being so exemplary.
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An Irresistible System
Tottenham have been steadily progressing over the last three years under Mauricio Pochettino, but this season witnessed his tactical prowess in all its might and glory. Switching effortlessly between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-4-2-1, his well-drilled side were the team to beat, and fittingly broke Chelsea’s unbeaten run which propelled them to the summit.
The Argentine manager’s rendition of the 3-4-2-1 brought the very best out of all their players – except maybe Moussa Sissoko - enabling them to sweep teams aside with ease and dominate possession.
Their attack Bamidele Alli, Harry Kane, and Christian Eriksen was one of the most feared trident in the league. The system innovated by Pochettino consisted of ‘2 number 10s’ as he put it himself, finding pockets of space and drifting centrally, with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose (or, more recently, Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies) providing the width.
With Kane keeping the opposition central defenders busy and Dele being a hybrid ‘shadow’ striker, they needed someone to pull the strings for them to deliver – and that is exactly where Christian Eriksen entered the fray.
Coming of age of the catalytic Eriksen
51 minutes into the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, Spurs are trailing 2-1 to Chelsea courtesy of a Willian brace. Christian Eriksen wins the ball in the middle third and somehow, defining all plausible laws of physics, squeezes out a ball on the turn that curves inward towards a predatory Dele, with the ball bamboozling Antonio Conte’s brilliant defence in the process.
Dele (who does not prefer to be referred to by his second name due to personal reasons) had no qualms in stabbing the ball into the goal, crediting Eriksen with his second assist of the game.
Christian Eriksen was part of the squadron of players that Daniel Levy recruited using the money that they received from the world record transfer fee for Gareth Bale, courtesy of Florentino Perez. And it is safe to say that he is the one player that was well worth the money.
The Dane arrived from Ajax for a modest fee of approximately £15 million pounds, and is the one player out of the whole lot who exceeded the expectations that accompanied his price tag like no one else. In the modern transfer market, he is valued easily triple, maybe even quadruple the amount and it isn’t hard to see why.
Initially, he did have problems dealing with the tenacity and intensity of the Premier League. He had a knack of ‘disappearing’ in games, something that Mesut Ozil has been heavily criticised for. After two seasons in the top flight, his third season was nothing short of brilliant – registering eight goals and 15 assists for the London club. But the impressive numbers this season don’t justify the brilliance of the Dane this season.
Marriage of skill and system
Eriksen has been more than just the playmaker for the team – he’s been the catalyst that makes the whole unit tick. He’s the beating heart behind most of the swift, crisp and often mesmerising spells of play that Tottenham tend to put on show. Dele and Kane provide the muscle and tenacity to hold up play, Wanyama and Dembele provide solidity in midfield and Walker, providing the width, acts as a recovery man.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that Eriksen doesn’t do his share of the dirty work. Over the three years he’s been at Spurs, he’s put on a considerable amount of mass and has shown his willingness to press and win the ball back (he averages 0.7 interceptions a game), much to the liking of his Argentine manager.
His free role as a right inside forward has unleashed the best of the former Ajax man, giving him the liberty to weave his way through any dimensions of space that he can find and drive his team forward bursting through the lines. His vision is impeccable, creating a phenomenal 111 chances in the league.
Pochettino said that the Dane is nicknamed ‘Golazo’ at White Hart Lane – due his keen eye for goal and ability to find the back of the net. Along with his 15 assists, he’s managed to score eight times in the league. According to Squawka, five out of the eight goals he’s scored were with his left foot – this is astounding as he is naturally a right-footed player and the stats have displayed his ambidexterity. The true meaning of the term Golazo is fulfilled as well, with three out of his eight goals coming from outside the box.
Looking forward
Spurs are on the brink of entering a new era and have a tough season ahead of them playing at Wembley for a season. They need to be at their very best to prepare for another all-out war for the title. The club is presently the home to some of the finest talents in the country, but Eriksen undoubtedly is the pick of the lot. He’s a true gem who is ice cold on the ball and has the natural ability to turn games around.
He is the architect behind their mind-boggling goalscoring feats. They need to make sure that they fend off the reported interest from Barcelona if they are to do so, who are also on the lookout for an heir to Andres Iniesta.
When Eriksen plays well, the team plays well. At the end of the day, to have a player like that is the most priceless asset for any club in the world.
