If Harry Kane is Tottenham’s star player, Dele Alli is often seen as the instrumental support act. Even though the England international isn’t enjoying top form this season, the vast majority view him as Spurs’ second-biggest asset; the exponential progress of his career thus far suggests Alli will be one of Europe’s leading stars at some point in the coming years.
And yet, that’s unquestionably doing Christian Eriksen – who Transfermarkt value at £63million – a considerable disservice. The Danish playmaker has often been accused of lacking consistency during his time in the Premier League, but he’s been in fantastic form this season and perhaps because he’s the most senior member of Tottenham’s attack at the age of 26, celebrating his birthday today, there’s been an increased sense of maturity to his game.
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That’s precisely what was required last night as Spurs found themselves 2-0 down away to Juventus inside nine minutes, when they could have capitulated. But it was Eriksen’s ability to keep a cool head despite the pejorative scoreline that got Tottenham back into the match – and then saw them equalise with 19 minutes left on the clock.
Of course, Eriksen’s equaliser will be remembered as his most significant contribution. His free kick sneaked under Juventus’ wall and beyond the reach of Gianluigi Buffon, curling into the Italian’s inside netting.
However, his influence on the game was in actuality far, far greater; Eriksen finished up with the most shots at goal and the most created chances to his name of any Tottenham player, and the consistency in which he created problems in the final third was vital to shifting the pressure back on Juventus.
There was a real mixture of composure and ruthlessness about Tottenham’s performance in Turin, but no player encapsulated it better than Eriksen who was at the heart of everything going forward. The midfielder’s talents have been evident for some time now, but upon turning 26 there’s a crucial sense of maturity to his game as well.
The frightening thing is, by the conventional laws of development, Tottenham’s chief playmaker is only on the cusp of his peak.
