Tottenham Player Review: Christian Eriksen

There’s a serious case to be made that Christian Eriksen was not only the most underrated player at Tottenham, but perhaps in the whole Premier League.

It’s easy to see how Eriksen might have slipped through the cracks a bit. Tottenham are not short of star power, and the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli have a way of stealing the spotlight.

Eriksen managed 17 assists across all competitions — 15 in the Premier League alone, the second highest after Keven de Bruyne — and scored 12 goals besides.

This was Eriksen’s first season of double digit figures in assists and goals since his inaugural season with the club.

The Dane’s influence was more than just assists and goals however. He was the needle that stitched together Tottenham’s attack, and regularly stood out even when he wasn’t directly involved in goals.

While his vision and passing range have always benefited the side, Eriksen was also shouldered with an additional burden. With Érik Lamela down injured before the autumn was even out, Pochettino relied heavily on Eriksen to make up for the Argentine’s absence in addition to his other duties.

More from Tottenham News

• Storybook ending after difficult period for Tottenahm’s Richarlison
• Tottenham comeback showcased invaluable intangible Ange has cultivated
• Tottenham player ratings in 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United
• Tottenham projected starting 11 for Sheffield United
• Tottenham’s Richarlison says he’s going to seek psychological help

Lamela never racked up the goals and assists Eriksen does, but he performed a vital role all the same. He was the connecting point between the midfield’s build up and recycling play and the attack’s efforts within the opposition third. That liminal role between the two phases of play suited Lamela well, though he often went unpraised for it.

Without Lamela, Tottenham were in danger of becoming disjointed. Enter Eriksen. He’d been asked before to fill a similar role previously. Pochettino even sometimes dropped him into central midfield, where his range drew comparisons to Luka Modric.

This season, though, Eriksen was tasked with contributing to the attack — his 3.7 shots per game are equalled only by Kane himself — while also dropping deep and helping move the ball forward.

The 3-4-2-1 formation introduced in December allowed Eriksen to fulfill this role perfectly. It positioned him right in between the opposition’s lines, and with Dele alongside him performing in a more overtly direct role Eriksen had plenty of space to work with.

By the end of the season, Eriksen’s evident confidence and ability allowed Pochettino to take his two-way play to the next level. With Mousa Dembélé suffering a leg injury, Eriksen began the match in the center of the park alongside Victor Wanyama. From there, depending on the phase of play, he could drop deep to provide an outlet for defenders passing out of the back and also surge forward with the three attackers in front of him.

With Eric Dier broadly doing the same from defense, Spurs effectively played in two different tactical systems at once.

Next: Tottenham Player Review: Harry Winks

That kind of flexibility is hard to come by in football, and there’s no denying that Eriksen is the keystone that makes so many things possible at Spurs.

So let Kane win the Golden Boots and Dele steal all the plaudits. Eriksen will diligently do the dirty work of the side and quietly continue to be one of the best players in Europe.