Rodrigo Bentancur ‘incredible’ reaction leaves fans stunned in Tottenham v Manchester City
Paul Robinson was stunned by Rodrigo Bentancur’s “incredible” reaction after being substituted during a 2-0 Tottenham defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday (14 May).
The Uruguayan midfielder was replaced by Dejan Kulusevski moments after Erling Haaland scored the opener, seemingly not taking the decision well as footage showed him kicking his seat on the bench multiple times. [Sky Sports]
Bentancur, who joined from Juventus in January of 2022, had a chance early to score in the match but fired directly at Ederson, who was able to tip the effort over the crossbar.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Robinson said: “They’re going to have one less spot on the substitutes bench, aren’t they? It was an incredible reaction from him; I didn’t see it coming at all. He was clearly disappointed, and frustrated, but we’ve not heard from the player yet.
“We don’t know what the issue was but he clearly wasn’t happy. But we’ve seen Ange do that before, taking defensive midfielders off. He brought Bentancur off and put Dejan Kulusevski on – it’s not an unusual substitution.
“Bentancur’s reaction shows passion, heart, and how much players care. It’s a strange one because it’s a reaction that you try to keep inside, but at the same time, we saw Ederson come off and he was really upset.
“You can see what it means to them. Players are financially rewarded and are often criticised for not caring and for their attitude. But when you see their reactions, you can see what it means. You often find that players are guarded and you don’t get to see their personalities, but we did with those two.”
Tottenham tempers flair as Manchester City claim vital victory
While Man City were fighting to claim their fourth consecutive Premier League title, Spurs were still chasing Aston Villa for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
The lead-up to the match all week has been about Tottenham and Arsenal’s intense rivalry, and whether Ange Postecoglou’s side should roll over to stop their North London rivals from lifting the trophy.
However, it was evident how much securing all three points against the current Premier League champions was to them, and it nearly happened as Son Heung-Min was denied late on to salvage a point.
Spurs will now have to settle for a fifth-place finish in the Premier League. But, considering it is Postecoglou’s first season in charge, there is still plenty of time for changes and developments to be made.
In other Tottenham news, Spurs have been told that they “have to sell” a midfield trio when the transfer window opens
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