Tanguy Ndombele has undoubtedly been one of Tottenham’s best players so far this season and is starting to display the kind of raw talent that saw the North Londoners splash a club-record £54m to sign him from Lyon in 2019.
While Spurs fans are well aware of how high Ndombele’s ceiling is, it feels like others are slowly starting to realise that Tottenham have a gem on their hands, due to the moments of magic that the midfielder is now producing
The Frenchman scored with an audacious lob against Sheffield United in the last Premier League outing that displayed the raw ability he possesses and has followed that up with a well-taken brace against Wycombe on Monday night after coming on as a substitute just past the hour mark.
Rio Ferdinand could not stop raving about the 23-year-old during BT Sport’s post-match coverage of the FA Cup fourth-round tie.
The difference between the Ndombele we saw last season and the one we are seeing now is night and day.
Sky Sports have now revealed the stats behind the France international’s turnaround and two numbers stand out in particular.
One of the biggest complaints about Ndombele last season was his lack of work-rate but according to the report the midfielder has completed 124 sprints so far this season which is almost four times the amount of sprints he completed through the whole of last season (32).
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The report also reveals that Ndombele has completed 2.93 dribbles per game so far this season, which is more than twice of any other Tottenham player, with Harry Kane at 1.45 per game and Son Heung-min at 1 per game being the next highest.
That certainly demonstrates how crucial the former Lyon man is to the Tottenham set up as he is one of the few players in the side that is willing to take players on and make something happen in possession.
Spurs Web Opinion
Ndombele’s sprint numbers show that his fitness has improved substantially and I believe we will see him complete 90 minutes more often in the second half of the season. His ability to receive the ball in tight spaces and dribble out of trouble makes him such a crucial asset to the current Spurs side, particularly when we come up against teams who defend in a low block.
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