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Ange Postecoglou has discovered dream Tottenham partnership but may have to change it already

Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison are excelling in Tottenham's midfield at present
-Credit: (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)


Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team were a joy to watch on Sunday as everything clicked into place against Manchester United. Leaving Old Trafford with all three points following an emphatic 3-0 victory, Spurs could have left with more goals to their name after creating chance after chance in an extremely dominant display.

Opening the scoring through Brennan Johnson on three minutes, further goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke in the second half put the game out of reach for the hosts. Every single Tottenham player more than played their part on the day, with Kulusevski the pick of the bunch for many after delivering a midfield masterclass at the Theatre of Dreams.

The Swede was everywhere over the course of the 90 minutes as he ran United ragged in what was a tireless display. Kulusevski has thrived since moving from his right-wing berth to Tottenham's midfield three and his change of position is bringing out the best in the 24-year-old and also the team.

The ex-Juventus man was on it from the very first whistle, causing the hosts constant issues with his movement and eye for a pass which saw Tottenham take up some very promising positions in the final third. In total, Kulusevski created an incredible nine chances for Spurs at Old Trafford, thus highlighting his huge influence on proceedings as Tottenham cut United open at will.

"This is my position," Kulusevski declared after the game, "and I grew a lot because now I can defend. Before maybe I didn't defend as much, and that was why I didn't play in the midfield.

"But now I'm growing as a player and then I can play to my strengths. I'm best in the middle, I can score goals, I can find good passes, then I play with [James] Maddison who's unbelievable with the ball.

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"We have [Rodrigo] Bentancur who when he plays like this is an unbelievable player, so it looks offensive on the paper but right now it's working really good."

Kulusevski's performance in Manchester was a sight to behold and there can't be many players better than him in the Premier League at present on current form. It wasn't just the Swede who thrived against United, though, as Maddison and Bentancur also delivered colossal displays.

Amid a mixed start to the campaign, Maddison really caught the eye in the 3-1 win over Brentford and he followed up that display with another sparkling showing. Now having more responsibility deeper when it comes to building the play for Spurs due to Kulusevski's move into midfield, the England international stood out with his link-up play when the visitors were attacking and Postecoglou admitted in his post-match press conference that both players are giving Tottenham "some real edge in that front third".

Maddison was very impressive against Manchester United and he no doubt will have caught the eye of England interim boss Lee Carsley, who was watching on at Old Trafford. Carsley will name his England squad on Thursday for October's Nations League games against Greece and Finland, and there is a possibility Maddison could come back into his thinking after an upturn in form in recent weeks.

Postecoglou was asked about Maddison and Kulusevski's midfield connection in his press conference and he went on wax lyrical about the duo.

"Because I think they're both really good intelligent footballers," stated the 59-year-old. "The way we play suits their characteristics because Madders does so much damage with the ball and Deki does so much damage with his running, that it's a good balance for us in that attacking third and they also had to show good discipline today.

"Because we knew that the main threat Manchester United have is in the transition. You know, they're pretty lethal with the front guys they've got so we really wanted to make sure we locked them in today and that was the full-backs and for Madders and Deki to be really disciplined in their football. They're both going really well and working really hard and improving."

One player who has been instrumental to Tottenham's past two Premier League performances is Bentancur. Spurs fans have waited so long for the Uruguayan to recapture his previous heights and he does appear to be now nearing the incredible levels he was displaying on a weekly basis prior to the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered at Leicester City in February 2023.

The 2023/24 campaign was going to be a key one for the players in terms of just getting back on the pitch, with the following season always the one where he would hopefully hit his stride again. Last term was tough for the player with an ankle issue so soon after his return from his ACL injury, and Postecoglou's constant chopping and changing in midfield from November onwards didn't exactly help his cause either.

Bentancur is now benefitting from a regular run in the team and it's no surprise to see him shining. He set the tempo and dictated the play at Old Trafford on Sunday in what was a midfield tutorial.

Coming up against fellow Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte, who was making his first Premier League start for the Red Devils, Bentancur displayed to his international teammate how to run the midfield in England's top flight. So calm on the ball and an outlet for his defence as he got play moving, the 27-year-old only misplaced three of his attempted 82 passes and he registered a 96% pass completion rate.

Bentancur deservedly takes his place in the Tottenham team on current form and that means Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr unfortunately have to contend with a spot on the bench at present. Both Bissouma and Sarr along with Maddison were Postecoglou's first-choice midfield trio this time last season with Tottenham making a real statement in the head coach's first 10 games in charge of the club.

A combination of injury, suspension and international commitments meant that trio couldn't sustain their partnership in the second half of the season, and Postecoglou tried numerous combinations in his quest to turn a negative back into Tottenham's main strength. The Australian does appear to have found his dream midfield once again in the shape of Kulusevski, Bentancur and Maddison, though.

On paper it may look a rather offensive but, as Kulusevski said, "it's working really good". Unfortunately for Postecoglou and Tottenham it does appear that he may have to change things up in the weeks ahead with that FA charge hanging over Bentancur's head and the possibility of the player receiving a ban of up to 12 games.

If that is the case then Bissouma will almost certainly be the player to benefit and take his place at the base of Spurs' midfield once again. Tottenham's midfield is well and truly firing at present and Postecoglou needs to keep it that way.

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