Gary Neville praised the intelligence behind Rodrigo Bentancur’s actions for Tottenham Hotspur’s opener vs Everton
Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a 3-0 win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.
Spurs made history by becoming the first team to beat Everton at their brand-new stadium. Thomas Frank got his tactics spot on, as the north Londoners climbed to third with the victory. Two of their three goals came from set-pieces; one was from a corner, while another involved that long throw which disrupted the home side’s backline.
Star defender Micky van de Ven got at the end of both. The Dutchman positioned himself very well in the box to score two headers past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, as Thomas Frank’s set-piece strategy paid rich dividends. The Danish tactician also spoke about the importance of focusing on set-pieces after the game, trying to replicate the success he had at Brentford.
Rodrigo Bentancur made a clever assist for Micky van de Ven’s opener
Rodrigo Bentancur was heavily involved in Tottenham’s opener against Everton. From a corner delivered by Mohammed Kudus, the central midfielder leapt well and flicked the ball smartly into Van de Ven’s path, and the Spurs skipper on the night had the easiest of tasks to nod the ball into the back of the net from close range.
On that action, ex-Manchester United skipper Gary Neville, while commentating on the game, praised the intelligence behind the Uruguayan’s play.
“That’s a really good delivery from Mohammed Kudus, takes out the goalkeeper. Jordan Pickford by all the players around him,” Gary Neville said on Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport).
“If he means that Bentancur with his shoulder, well, it’s incredible.”
Rodrigo Bentancur had a solid outing in the middle of the park. His partnership with Joao Palhinha worked, allowing Tottenham’s front four the license to interchange and cause Everton problems. The Uruguayan international, who penned a new contract earlier this month, has been a regular fixture in Frank’s side this season. He has performed consistently and has started becoming productive for Spurs.
The 28-year-old’s assist for Van de Ven’s opener against Everton demonstrates once again how valuable he can be when he is aggressive in the box. While creativity is certainly not his strongest trait, one thing Bentancur is good at is crashing late in the box and either scoring a goal or making an assist. Frank must take notice of this going forward and encourage the South American to get in the box during set-plays more often.
