In-depth evaluation of Tottenham newbie’s performance at Villa
By Gary Pearson
Arguably Tottenham’s man of the match, newbie Steven Bergwijn was a force to be reckoned with and enjoyed a domineering afternoon in the midlands.
He received an 8.5/10 overall rating, which would have most certainly turned into a 10 had he scored. Bergwijn looks an incredibly astute bit of business for Spurs, who landed the Dutchman after a desperate spell of sourcing possible Harry Kane replacements.
The 22-year-old has no chinks in a well-rounded armour, dispersing the ball to teammates just as proficiently as taking it on himself. He played a few marvellously weighted through balls, one of which threaded the needle for an on-rushing Serge Aurier. The other found Dele Alli, who was unable to find the finishing touch.
More impressively is the youngster’s pace when he reaches full speed. Like a steamroller, Bergwijn blew effortlessly by Villa’s defence on multiple occasions. He is fitted with exquisite power, pace, ability, and has adapted miraculously to the rigours of the Premier League. He looked like a seasoned pro, a remarkably hard feat to pull off considering it was his first away top flight outing.
The Dutchman hits the ball pure and with venom. Very rarely do you seem him lose control. And, maybe most crucially for a manager with Jose Mourinho’s values, he works tirelessly for his teammates, tracking back and never quitting on the play. Had it not been for Son Heung-Min’s last-minute heroics, Bergwijn would have taken man of the match plaudits.
The demonstrative forward had four attempts on goal, one of which was cleared off the line by a debatable hand ball, one shot on target, three key passes and drew the penalty which put Spurs up on the stroke of halftime.
With an 86 percent passing success rate, Bergwijn distributed the ball smartly, picking out the right pass almost unerringly. He also successfully made three tackles, an impressive haul for an advanced winger.
The question remains as to whether his most proficient position is as the lone front man or, as we saw today, in an advanced role on the left wing.
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Regardless, Bergwijn is a player Spurs supporters can officially get excited about, as he has all the attributes to becoming one of the world’s best.