Tottenham earned a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.
While Tottenham Hotspur have got the better of Borussia Dortmund on a 2-0 scoreline, there is a bigger story brewing among it all when you peek behind the curtains. It’s not the scoreline when Glenn Nyberg blew the final whistle, but it was the performance that Djed Spence put in…
In what has been a season of injuries and inconsistencies at Hotspur Way, the Lilywhites’ supporters have been crying out for someone to bring that sense of inspiration. And the former Middlesbrough full-back did exactly that yesterday.
Thomas Frank barely had a first-team eleven to put out, adding to the pressure already on his head. The Dane head coach was forced into using the 25-year-old in the makeshift advanced left wing role. And boy did that pay off…
Spence betters Mbappe in attacking stat
According to StatMuse, Djed Spence completed nine successful take-ons in the Lilywhites’ Champions League Matchweek 7 win over Dortmund. That number stood higher than any other player in the matchweek. To put things into perspective, Kylian Mbappe only managed four. While both Arsenal and PSG had three among them between their entire team. Bayer Leverkusen managed only one.
Each time he got the ball, Spence was looking to make a run at Dortmund’s defence. It was this nonstop running which ended up giving the Lilywhite supporters possibly the best 45 minutes of the season.
Author Opinion
If we look at this from a bit of a tactical perspective as well, this also unlocks doors for the North Londoners and Thomas Frank. The Dane head coach can start looking at him not only as a full-back or wing-back but also as a wide attacker in games.
Something that stood out was Spence was playing with a sense of freedom. And for a head coach who is under massive pressure, you need players like this. Players who create solutions. And with the injury problems that he has been facing, Frank does need solutions, and it looks like he has stumbled upon one hiding in plain sight.
Now Spence is not going to beat nine opponents every week. However, he does not have to. If he can continue to just give that sense of threat, then Tottenham may have just unlocked a side of Spence that they didn’t even know they had.
What do you make of Djed Spence’s performance against Dortmund from the left flank? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
