Midfield Creator Has Been Like A New Signing For Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur needed a win to prove its progress under Ange Postecoglou and the North London club got one in the comprehensive 3-0 away victory over Manchester United on Sunday. While most of the post-match focus will be on United and Erik ten Hag, Spurs deserves a lot of credit for the manner of the performance at Old Trafford.

There were standout performers all over the pitch. Dominic Solanke gave Tottenham cutting edge in the attacking third while Micky van de Ven was a colossus in defence, also contributing an incredible solo assist for the first goal of the game. Many, however, would point to Dejan Kulusevski as the best player on the pitch.

Kulusevski has arguably been Tottenham's best and most consistent player this season. While the Swede previously lacked a clear role in Postecoglou's team, he has become a central pillar for Tottenham this term. The 24-year-old demonstrated this in the eye-catching win over Manchester United.

Postecoglou has remoulded his midfield this season with Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison now being used in a central trio alongside Kulusevski. Last season, Kulusevski was largely deployed on the right wing, but his role this season has been a central one with the Swede showcasing plenty of quality on both sides of the ball.

Maddison also looks back to his best with Kulusevski sharing some of the creative burden with the England international who was desperately missed when he was sidelined through injury for a lengthy period of last season. The two midfielders compliment each other well with Bentancur behind them as a pace-setter.

"They are both really good intelligent footballers," Postecoglou said about Kulusevski and Maddison after beating Manchester United. "The way we play suits their characteristics because Maddison does so much damage with the ball and Kulusevski does so much damage with his running. It's a good balance for us in that attacking third."

Spurs is still a work-in-progress, but the performances of Postecoglou's team have been better than the results registered. The Australian coach has made this point several times and now he has the 3-0 win over Manchester United to prove Tottenham is moving forward under his stewardship.

The summer transfer window saw Solanke signed with Tottenham's other business focusing on signing high-potential youngsters. In Kulusevski, though, Spurs has a player that is now being used in a new way. The Swede is finally proving himself as an important figure for the North London outfit.