Matthew Chadder

Mon 20 November 2023 19:00, UK

It has been a poor UEFA European qualifying campaign for Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski and Sweden.

Although it finished with a 2-0 win against Estonia on Sunday 19 November, this has been a qualifying campaign to forget for Sweden and their supporters.

Having finished third in Group F, nine points behind second-placed Austria, Sweden will not be on a plane to Germany next summer and will be forced to watch the 2024 UEFA European Championships from home.

Defeats against group winners Belgium and runners-up Austria eventually proved costly for Kulusevski and his international teammates, who had no chance of qualification heading into the clash with Estonia on Sunday.

As a result, few people would have had much interest in the outcome of the game, although, for the players on the pitch, it was a chance to at least finish what has been a forgettable qualifying campaign on a high.

Overall, the team did that with their 2-0 win, but for Kulusevski himself, it is hard to really pinpoint any impact the 23-year-old made, despite having played the full 90 minutes.

Once again, the forward failed to register an assist or score a goal, a theme which has become all too familiar this season, with Kulusevski yet to set up a goal for Tottenham in the Premier League while only scoring three himself.

While the absence of a goal or an assist is not ideal, it can be forgiven, it is the minimal contributions elsewhere on the pitch which will be of greater concern.

As per Sofascore, Kulusevski did complete 82 per cent of his passes, with one of those being key, but that is more or less where his contributions begin and end for Sweden on Sunday evening.

He had two shots, one of which was off target while the other one was blocked, and failed to complete the one dribble which he attempted. Defensively there was little to write home about, as he won just two of his six ground duels, and he was wasteful with the ball, losing possession 20 times.

However, what is most concerning is that the Tottenham man completed zero per cent of his crosses, with all five of the balls into the box he attempted being unsuccessful. His poor performance saw him awarded a 6.5 match rating, the lowest of any Sweden player on the pitch.

Ultimately, Spurs fans will just be delighted to know that Kulusevski has managed to come through the international break unscathed, as the club can ill-afford to pick up any more injuries to key players.

Although if Kulusevski puts in performances such as the one against Estonia upon his return to north London, his role as a key player could quickly be reduced.

In other Tottenham news, a fellow forward at the club also failed to deliver while on international duty, this time in a much more important clash.