Danny Wright

Wed 11 October 2023 21:24, UK

Tottenham have gone into the international top of the Premier League table after eight matches.

Not many foresaw Manchester City losing two on the bounce to let slip of top spot in the standings but Tottenham’s performances and results this season have more than merited their current situation.

Spurs may not be top of the pile when they go into their next match against Fulham, which takes place on a Monday night (23 October) due to Arsenal, City and Liverpool all playing beforehand. Also going into that game against the Cottagers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Ange Postecoglou will know he’ll be without Yves Bissouma.

Bissouma, 27, was needlessly sent off in the 1-0 win over Luton Town on Saturday (7 October) with the Mali international finding himself receiving yellow cards in the 38th minute and the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time at Luton Town.

What made the midfielder’s sending-off even more inexcusable was that his second yellow was for a pointless dive outside of the Luton penalty area.

It’s frustrating because Bissouma has been instrumental for Tottenham this season.

The former Brighton star has made more passes per 90 minutes (66.72) than any other Spurs player in the Premier League this term, according to Wyscout. He’s also played more passes into the final third than any of his teammates (62) and only James Maddison (19) and Dejan Kulusevksi (7) have completed more smart passes (6), which are defined as a “creative and penetrative pass that attempts to break the opposition’s defensive lines to gain a significant advantage in attack”.

One example of Bissouma’s ability to play penetrative passes came before he was red-carded at Luton when he picked up possession in his own half and completed a superb pass to James Maddison to launch a Spurs attack.

Here, Bissouma can be seen getting ready to win a knock-down header by Richarlison with the Mali international eyeing up space ahead of him.

After brushing off a challenge from Luton’s Elijah Adebayo, Bissouma continues to look up as he dribbles forward with the ball.

In the above image, you can already see Spurs’ midfield pass master eyeing up a space where he can thread the ball to break Luton’s line of defence. Off the picture, Maddison is making a run down the left wing.

Bissouma’s defence-splitting pass is then in motion and finds playmaker-in-chief Maddison on the left wing.

Bissouma’s pass is so good that Maddison has a chance to look up and survey the home side’s penalty area before he’s even touched the ball and when he does gain possession, he’s in a prime position to send a cross in.

Players like Maddison rely on Bissouma’s ability to get the ball out of the defensive or middle third of the pitch and into the positions where they can make a difference.

Tottenham were as much hurt by going down to 10 men against Luton as they were hurt by losing Bissouma’s under-rated cutting-edge play.

It’s not only Bissouma’s ball-playing ability that Tottenham will miss when Fulham make their way to North London when domestic football returns because the midfielder’s heatmap for this season shows that he covers just about every blade of grass in the middle of the park.

Wyscout’s stats also show that the former Lille man has averaged 4.92 interceptions, 7.8 recoveries and 1.92 clearances per 90 minutes of league action this season. He’s also won 65.4 per cent of his defensive duels, 54.5 per cent of loose-ball duels and only committed 1.32 fouls per 90 minutes.

Off the ball, he’s an industrious midfielder who’ll stick his foot in when it matters.

On it, he’s a magician.

Tottenham are a worse team without Bissouma right now, as proven after his sending-off in Bedfordshire last week.

Postecoglou cannot underestimate that when it comes to deciding his team against Fulham with the midfielder suspended for the game.

In other Tottenham news, Paul Robinson would like for Spurs to sign ex-Celtic attacker Jota amid issues at his club in Saudi Arabia.