A quietly impressive display against Zagreb from Tottenham returnee

Amongst all the terrific displays from Tottenham’s offensive players, Tottenham’s Serge Aurier enjoyed a quietly stellar return to the lineup. 

Missing the last two Premier League encounters with a calf strain, it looked like Aurier was shot out of a cannon in Spurs’ 2-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb last night. With positive intent, Aurier marauded forward and made the most of his athletic guile against an overawed Zagreb defence.

Aurier, within the opening 20 minutes, delivered three incredibly teasing crosses, all of which immensely troubled Zagreb’s rearguard. One even caught keeper Dominik Livaković completely off guard, forcing the Croatian to improvise and volley the ball away from danger. That theme continued for Aurier, who was extremely efficient throughout. I can’t remember a single wayward cross from the enigmatic Ivorian.

Aurier was as good defensively as he was going forward, the real feather in his fashionable cap. While we never quite know what to expect from the mercurial right back, Aurier is a force to be reckoned with when he’s on.

Had he not just come back from injury, I’d favour him to start against Arsenal on Sunday. But Jose Mourinho can ill-afford to lose his starting right back for the run-in, especially with so much still on the line for Spurs. The Lilywhites can still win two trophies while qualifying — with two options at their disposal — for next season’s coveted Champions League.

Based on his performance against Zagreb, Aurier has it in him to add a touch of grease to an already well-oiled Tottenham machine. Zagreb didn’t exactly put Aurier under intense pressure, but one only has the capacity to handle their own business, which the Ivorian did with supreme confidence and assuredness.