Life particularly miserable at Tottenham without long-term absentee
By Gary Pearson
While the cause of Tottenham’s malaise is not solely due to Rodrigo Bentancur’s absence, the loss of the Uruguayan has indisputably contributed to the side’s current misery.
In English circles, Bentancur was a relatively unknown commodity when he joined Spurs from Juventus in January 2022.
He made an immediate impact in north London, pushing the tempo and adding much-needed dynamism to Spurs’ midfield. The momentum he gained during the second half of last season extended through to the early goings of the current campaign.
Then the injury bug struck, first via an abductor issue that took Bentancur out of the lineup for four Premier League matches.
After returning to the first team for a four-match run, Bentancur was struck down when he ruptured his cruciate ligament, one of the more severe injuries a footballer can sustain.
His loss at the heart of midfield has severely impacted Tottenham in various irreparable ways.
Concurrently losing Yves Bissouma made matters worse, forcing Tottenham to go with Pierre Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp, the latter of whom was returning from an extended period on the treatment table.
While Hojbjerg has done his utmost to fill the void left by Bentancur’s absence, the dogged Dane doesn’t possess the same enterprising skill set as his injured colleague.
The intangibles Bentancur brings often fly under the radar, but the analytics are impossible to ignore, and they showcase just how dearly Tottenham has missed the 25-year-old.