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Tottenham: With Son out, why Saturday Bryan Gil’s chance to shine?

By Aaron Coe

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Bryan Gil of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Bryan Gil of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Bryan Gil of Tottenham vs Paços de Ferreira
PACOS DE FERREIRA, PORTUGAL – AUGUST 19: Bryan Gil of Tottenham Hotspur in action during the UEFA Conference League Play-Off Leg One match between FC Pacos De Ferreira and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadio da Mata Real on August 19, 2021, in Pacos de Ferreira, Portugal. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /

Bryan is a willing defender with a real motor

One thing should be obvious to anyone who watches Bryan play for even five minutes; the young attacker has a real engine that pushes him up and down the pitch. A very willing defender, Bryan averaged nearly 1.5 tackles per 90 minutes last season and recovers the ball well.

With more than 2 tackles plus interceptions per 90 minutes, Bryan will get the ball back. What’s more, Gil often wins the ball back in the attacking third, with the majority of his 4.5 pressures per 90 minutes coming in the attacking 1/3 of the pitch, according to fbref.com. This is one trait that Bryan really shares with Christian Eriksen who was very good at timing tackles in the attacking third, which can often lead to goal-scoring opportunities.

Maybe more important than his motor driving Bryan as a willing defender is how his motor drives his willingness to attack players on the dribble. A willingness to take players head-on and more importantly beat them on occasion is something the Spurs definitely need and that is one area of his game where Bryan really works, attacking with the dribble.

Bryan’s ability to attack defenders should also mean he is going to get fouled, and likely a lot.

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