Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has now outlined his plans for Mateus Fernandes following the midfielder’s standout displays in the Premier League as a number ten.
Tottenham Hotspur are yet to find their feet in the Premier League this season, with the Lilywhites having lost their opening two matches.
In both defeats, Tottenham have looked easy to play against and have yet to find a cutting edge in attack, having not scored a single goal in the Premier League.
Against Brentford, Tottenham struggled with the physicality in the middle of the park but did find some rhythm after the introduction of Mateus Fernandes.
The midfielder came on and managed to create two chances, including one big one, while also covering so much ground.
| Statistic | |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 28.7 km/h |
| Distance covered | 6.0 km |
| Accurate passes | 34/37 (92%) |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Attack | |
| Touches | 44 |
| Touches in opposition box | 1 |
| Successful dribbles | 1/1 (100%) |
| Line-breaking passes | 2 |
| Accurate long balls | 2/2 (100%) |
| Top speed | 28.7 km/h |
| Distance covered | 6.0 km |
| Running | 1.3 km (22%) |
| Sprinting | 118 m (2%) |
| Number of sprints | 6 |
Roberto De Zerbi opens up on his plans for Mateus Fernandes at Tottenham
Fernandes was again involved in the match against Newcastle United, this time starting from the off, and his creative ability was laid bare, with the midfielder creating the joint-most chances in the match.
However, Fernandes is versatile enough to fill in as a six, eight and even ten, and De Zerbi has now opened up on where he thinks the midfielder is best suited.
Speaking to Tottenham’s official channels, he said: “Mateus Fernandes played a good game. He can play better. I think he can play different positions, for example in this moment Rodrigo Bentancur is very important for this team because he gives balance and order on the pitch with his experience.
“So we try to play with Mateus in the number 10 where he started his career and then he was one of two midfielders. He is very young. His understanding of a new club, new coach, new environment we have to give time. Like Bergvall, Archie Gray and Savio – they are the future of this club.”
Fernandes could be set for another Spurs start in the Premier League
De Zerbi’s recent comments do hint at the midfield the Spurs boss could name this weekend when Tottenham take on Nottingham Forest.
Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur could well form the base of the midfield given the experience and control they offer from deep.
In the number ten position, Fernandes could be set to feature there once more following his standout displays in his last two league outings.
However, De Zerbi has a wide array of players at his disposal, with James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Omar Marmoush all capable of filling in behind the striker.