View: Yves Bissouma absence v Fulham will be forgiven by Tottenham fans after early-season form
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma will be unavailable for selection against Fulham but his form so far this season suggests he deserves to be forgiven.
Bissouma was sent off during Spurs’ last Premier League match, a 1-0 win at Luton Town on Saturday 7 October, meaning he is suspended for the visit of Marco Silva’s Fulham on Monday (23 October).
His first yellow card against the Hatters was for a cynical foul and would have seen him suspended anyway due to it being his fifth booking of the season, however, things went from bad to worse when he was booked again and sent off not long after for a quite ridiculous dive.
While the nature of his dismissal would have left Spurs supporters frustrated, it is fair to say that after the Mali international’s splendid start to life under Ange Postecoglou, he is more than deserving of a second chance.
Bissouma has been integral to the Australian’s quick start to life as Tottenham manager, starting all eight league games so far this season. In addition, not only has he been one of the North London side’s standout performers, he has stood out above most of his positional peers in the entirety of England’s top flight.
According to stats provided by fbref, Bissouma boasts some of the most impressive passing numbers in the division this season, raking in the top 10 per cent of midfielders for his pass completion rate (90.8 per cent per 90) and total passing distance (1096.74 yards per 90) throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Even more impressively, he is among the top eight per cent for the number of passes he has attempted (80.81 per 90), completed (73.40 per 90), made into the final third (6.59 per 90) as well as the progressive distance of those passes (355.88 yards per 90).
When in possession of the ball, the 26-year-old ranks even higher among Premier League midfielders for his numbers. Bissouma is in the top one per cent for the number of take-ons he has attempted (3.29 per 90), completed (2.33 per 90), and the number of progressive carries he has made (3.43 per 90), as well as the distance he carries the ball over (377.29 yards per 90).
The former Brighton man is also incredibly influential further up the pitch, sitting in the 92nd percentile of top-flight midfielders for the number of carries he makes into the final third (2.61 per 90) and 97th percentile for the number of times he takes the ball into the penalty area (0.82 per 90).
Not only are these numbers incredibly impressive, but they also mark the precise characteristics of a Postecoglou midfielder. The 58-year-old’s style is all about keeping possession of the ball and progressing up the pitch wherever possible, both things which Bissouma has seemingly been doing single-handedly.
It is therefore fair to suggest that the former Celtic manager wouldn’t have guided Spurs to the top of the Premier League after eight games if it wasn’t for the form of Bissouma in the middle of the park.
However, not only has Bissouma’s quality on the ball been crucial to Tottenham’s success, his defensive numbers have been just as impressive, ranking in the top one per cent of Premier League midfielders for the number of tackles he has won (2.47 per 90).
Furthermore, when adding his number of tackles per 90 to the number of interceptions he makes per 90 (5.35 per 90) he sits comfortably in the 97th percentile and also ranks in the top three per cent for the percentage of times he tackles someone dribbling at him with the ball (78.9 per cent per 90).
Overall, it is clear to see just how vital Bissouma is to Tottenham, and with that in mind, fans will surely be quick to forgive their star man and will be counting down the days until he is available for selection again.
In other Tottenham news, John Wenham has made his prediction ahead of the clash with Fulham.