When Tottenham Hotspur defeated Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium Of Light in September, Mousa Dembele was watching on from the stands.
In the return fixture Saturday, he ran the show from midfield and demonstrated why he has become such an influential figure in Tottenham’s top-four push as the London side triumphed 4-1.
Dembele’s three and a half years at White Hart Lane have been heavily disrupted by injuries, with a foot problem ruling him out of that win at Sunderland four months ago.
He has appeared in over 30 Premier League games a season for Tottenham on only one occasion – his debut campaign in 2012/13 – and started just 58 times in the top flight for his current club before this term.
Read more: Greg Lea on Dimitri Payet instilling belief at West Ham United
A groin issue had kept him out of Mauricio Pochettino’s starting line-up in Tottenham’s last three encounters in all competitions, but Dembele marked his return to the side with an excellent display in the engine room.
The Belgian was heavily involved from the start. Sitting alongside anchorman Eric Dier, who always holds a disciplined position in front of the back four, Dembele was tasked with picking up the ball in the centre of the park and making things happen for the hosts.
Sunderland’s game plan was clear from the first minute, with Sam Allardyce instructing his side to sit deep and spoil.
The approach looked to be paying off as Tottenham huffed and puffed but struggled to break down a compact defensive unit.
Pochettino’s men responded well to the setback of Patrick van Aanholt’s opening goal, however, with Dembele at the heart of much that was positive about their performance.
His dribbling ability and willingness to drive forward in possession helped to disrupt Sunderland’s shape and take opposing players out of the game.
He provided the spark and thrust from midfield that is often vital when it comes to unlocking the door against teams who pack 10 men behind the ball.
One of the major criticisms of Dembele in the past has been his poor goalscoring record, but even that weakness is slowly being overcome.
He has found the back of the net just once in each of his last three full Premier League seasons, with a return of eight strikes in 147 appearances in that time a disappointing one for a player of such attacking talent.
Dembele now has three to his name in 2015/16, though, equalling his best ever tally in a single league campaign in England.
A tidy left-footed finish after an hour today gave his side a lead they would not relinquish.
“It is too early to speak about the title,” Pochettino said in his post-match press conference. “We need to improve a lot and learn a lot; we are the youngest squad and in football the situation can turn quickly.”
At 28, Dembele is one of the oldest members of the Argentine’s group.
It is his quality as much as his experience that will be key to Tottenham achieving their objectives this term.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
