MY ACCOUNT
Rodrigo Bentancur’s second-half showing against Leicester was overshadowed by Heung-Min Son’s hat-trick — but the midfielder’s display was equally impressive.
The Uruguayan has rarely grabbed the headlines since joining Tottenham from Juventus in January and was once again at his understated best when pulling the strings in Spurs’ 6-2 mauling of the Foxes.
Ahead of the North London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates, we take a look at how Antonio Conte’s midfield maestro is excelling under the radar.
Ball-winner
Among Bentancur’s most prominent qualities is his capacity to win the ball back for his side.
In the Premier League this season, he ranks first among Tottenham players for possessions won in the middle third (24) and second for possessions won in the attacking (three) and defensive thirds (20) respectively.
He also brings variety to the art of reclaiming possession, ranking second in the Spurs squad for both tackles (15) and interceptions (nine).
Under Conte’s tutelage, Spurs often willingly concede possession and territory, so having a player as skilled at winning the ball back as Bentancur is imperative.
Ben-ding the rules
Bentancur’s ball-winning tendencies do come with a price, however.
The 25-year-old often finds himself on the wrong side of the referee, committing eight fouls in the Premier League so far this term with no Tottenham player making more.
He has picked up two yellow cards in six league outings — though the fact that it is not more suggests Bentancur is skilled in the craft of disrupting his opponent while ensuring his challenges do not get him into the book.
Helping hand
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Eric Dier are the two Tottenham players most involved in build-up during the first phase of possession.
While Bentancur does not see as much of the ball as that pair, he still plays an active and important role when Spurs start off their attacks.
His 312 passes attempted and 275 completed in the Premier League both rank third in the Spurs squad, while he sits fourth for total touches (390).
The 3-4-3 formation deployed by Conte utilises just two central midfielders, meaning Bentancur is required to share a heavy load with his midfield partner.
High praise
While he may play fewer passes and take fewer touches than Hojbjerg or Dier, the latter of that duo has hailed Bentancur’s quality with the ball.
Speaking after the Leicester win, Dier said: “Rodri is amazing. What a fantastic player. I think we play well when he plays well. I think that’s the biggest compliment that I can give to him.
“When he plays like he did in the second-half, we’re such a good team with him because he offers so much defensively.
“Then with the ball, he’s got so much quality and a lot of personality as well to play in tight spaces.
“I’m really happy for him. Rodri was fantastic today.”
Offensive contributions
Bentancur’s performance against Leicester has certainly attracted attention, though the midfielder may have caught the eye for doing things outside his usual remit.
The 25-year-old registered a goal and an assist in that triumph — but those were his first direct contributions to goals in the Premier League this season.
He does not generally look to threaten the opposition goal. In fact, he has taken just three shots so far this term and has an expected goals tally of 0.41.
Similarly, while Bentancur is a quality passer, he does not regularly make the final pass in the build-up to a goal, as evidenced by his 0.11 expected assists.
Spurs’ number 30 is unlikely to turn into a goalscoring machine any time soon but his contributions could still prove key to a memorable campaign.
