This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Giovani Lo Celso enjoyed an excellent full debut for Tottenham Hotspur as they ran out comfortable 4-0 winners over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday evening.
On the chalkboard
The Argentina international started the game in Serbia and turned in a tidy, assiduous performance in an initially raucous atmosphere.
Signed from Real Betis on an initial loan deal in the summer, Lo Celso opened the scoring with a clever volleyed finish and did not stop working throughout the encounter prior to his substitution.
Per WhoScored, Lo Celso had 102 touches of the ball, more than any other player on the pitch, and registered a 90% pass completion rate from 79 passes. Of the players to start the game for Spurs, only Moussa Sissoko, Juan Foyth and Dele Alli’s numbers were higher.
Lo Celso also laid on two key passes, had three shots on goal and won five of the five tackles he attempted from his position on the right of midfield. His tackle count was higher than any other player on the pitch, including both sets of defenders.
In addition to that, he also won the one aerial duel he contested and was never once dispossessed.
Keep him in the team
Lo Celso adds so much to this Spurs team.
Not only is he a creator who can play his team-mates into remarkably dangerous positions, he is also a grafter, a player who will sprint up and down the pitch again and again.
That he made more challenges than any player on the pitch is a testament to that and underlines the fact that he can influence the game at both ends of the pitch.
It is a far cry, too, from Christian Eriksen’s displays. The other attacking midfielder, who was initially benched against Red Star before coming on to score his side’s fourth goal, did not make a single tackle against either Everton or Liverpool while registering just one key pass in each game.
Lo Celso’s performance was a breath of fresh air, as he continually looked to make a serious impression for his new club.
If he keeps this up, Eriksen may well end up with splinters from sitting on that bench too long.