THERE are times at which the Wembley pitch appears a green expanse larger than any other. Maybe it’s the vast stands that surround the playing surface that give this impression, or maybe the runoff areas that exist between the players and the fans, but whatever it is, Wembley seemingly allows for more expansive play.
Of course, it’s all an illusion. The Wembley pitch is the same size as that of Old Trafford’s, the Etihad Stadium’s and even Turf Moor’s. In fact, it is the same size as every other pitch in the Premier League this season, with the exception of three – Anfield, Goodison Park and Selhurst Park. On Sunday, Manchester United made the most of the space at the national stadium. They made the pitch seem big.
Had it not been for the heroics of David De Gea in the second half, Spurs would have claimed a comfortable win. They were the dominant side after the break and should have put at least three past the United goalkeeper, who was fortunate not to face a fully firing Spurs frontline, but also pulled off a handful of truly exceptional stops.
Most saves by goalkeepers in the top 6
De Gea – 75
Lloris – 55
Alisson – 48Saviour#TOTMUN #DaveSaves pic.twitter.com/6FmuJXtTfX
— Unibet (@unibet) January 13, 2019
Before that point, though, Man Utd’s game plan to control the centre of the pitch and stretch Spurs on the rapid counter worked to perfection. Ultimately, it was the first half that proved to be the decisive period of the game, with Marcus Rashford scoring what proved to be the winning. However, it was in midfield where battles were won and lost. Spurs ended up second best.
Not so long ago, Mauricio Pochettino would have expected his side to win a midfield tussle against Man Utd. On Sunday, however, they looked weak. Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba got the better of Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks and Christian Eriksen, overrunning, outfighting, outthinking and outplaying their North London counterparts.
All the while Mousa Dembele, presumably, watched from home. The Belgian was left out of the Spurs squad ahead of an impending move to China, which was a shame. His team, the one that still, at this moment, holds his contract, really could have used him against Man Utd in what could pan out to be a season-defining match.
Dembele, at his best, is the complete Premier League midfield player. Adept with the ball at his feet, but also strong in his running and dictation of play through the centre, the 31-year-old has been a key part of Spurs’ development in recent seasons.
Absolutely unbelievable player to watch during his time at Spurs. I am genuinely so delighted to have seen Moussa Dembele play in person.
I will always rate him up there as one of my favourites. #COYS #THFC pic.twitter.com/YLj8u3oYUy
— Football Ultra (@aaronpatel97) January 14, 2019
It can be difficult to classify Dembele – he is not really a box-to-box midfielder, nor is he an anchor or a number 10 – but he came to embody Spurs’ dynamic approach under Pochettino. The performance against Man Utd at the weekend illustrated just how badly Spurs are going to miss him.
It’s true that Dembele has faded as a force of late. He isn’t the player he was even a season ago. But if Spurs don’t have a replacement for him lined up then is it really worth letting him go, especially for such a modest fee? Sunday showed there is still a role for him at the club, and at this stage of the season allowing him to depart seems like an unnecessary risk.
Are Spurs going to bid for Ruben Neves this month? That’s the sort of player they should be targeting to fill the void left by Dembele, but with Wolves slapping a £100 million price tag on the Portuguese a Spurs move seems highly unlikely. Even Abdoulaye Doucoure might be out of their reach.
Something seems off about Dembele’s reported move to China. Despite solid speculation, validated by Pochettino’s decision to omit the Belgian for his squad on Sunday, no official offer has been lodged. What’s more, nobody’s really sure which Chinese club, in particular, is interested in Dembele. Originally it was Beijing Guoan reported to be close to a deal, but now with the player either in, or on his way, to the country, it’s Guangzhou Evergrande he might be signing with.
But something seems even stranger about Spurs’ decision to let him leave in the first place. Given what we know about Daniel Levy’s current position, it seems unlikely that the North London outfit will spend big in January to find a replacement for Dembele. All the while, they miss his influence.
