What has Tottenham Hotspur supporters so excited

New signing, Rodrigo Bentancur, enjoyed an impressive 14 minutes in his first Tottenham appearance after signing from Juventus.

Bentancur was an irrepressible force off the bench for Spurs. He made an immediate impact on proceedings, showcasing exactly what he add to Antonio Conte’s side. The 24-year-old did a bit of everything in his brief cameo, including earning a yellow card within 10 minutes of replacing Harry Winks.

Being booked so quickly can of course be interpreted as a negative. However, in this case his booking showed his desire, an encouraging commitment to get straight into the thick of things. Getting booked almost immediately is a common occurrence for individuals with something to prove, those whose adrenaline levels are inordinately high. After hearing the raucous reception from Tottenham supporters upon his introduction, you can hardly blame him for being slightly overzealous.

Bentancur showed excellent instinct and an impressive ability to read the play. He was also sublime on the ball, especially in tight quarters, executing a pull-back near his own box that creative playmakers would have been proud of. But the Uruguayan wasn’t done there, showcasing his ability to distribute precise, thread-the-needle passes, one of which to Harry Kane that was particularly noteworthy.

Not to dampen the jubilant mood, but there’s value in remembering Tanguy Ndombele and Steven Bergwijn’s debuts, both of whom scored in their first Tottenham matches. It was, however, an outstanding 14 minutes from the Uruguayan, a perfect way to set the tone at his new club.

Bentancur’s impressive statistical contribution

You can’t really ask for more from Rodrigo in his first 14 minutes at Spurs. His statistical impact was astonishingly good. His 16 touches, over a touch a minute, shows just how impactful he was in the centre of the park.

Though keeping that per-minute touch rate up over the course of a full match is an improbable notion, it was an outstanding contribution given the abbreviated timespan. Pierre Hojbjerg, who had the most touches of any Tottenham player with 64, touched the ball .71 times per minute.

Harry Winks, with 58 touches in 76 minutes, had a per-minute rate of .76.

Bentancur was not done there. He contributed two tackles, an interception — with the outside of his boot in the deftest, most controlled and calm fashion — and a clearance. Those four tangible, quantifiable moments were more than Pierre’s two (one tackle, one clearance) in 90 minutes and Winks’ three (two clearances, one tackle) in 76 minutes.

He also had the same number of dribbles, one, as both starting central midfielders.

Expecting him to sustain those prolific numbers is as unfair as it is absurd, but at least his first 14 minutes at Tottenham provided detailed insight of what the lively, aggressive Uruguayan is capable of.