Sandro Tonali has been cooking these last several weeks, and after a poor performance against his old club Newcastle United, the blockbuster 100 million pound Tottenham Hotspur transfer has been steadily improving his performances to the point where he has really come into his own as the midfield general for Roberto De Zerbi.
After a game winning assist against Manchester United and a strong all around display in Spurs first win of the season over Coventry, Tonali totally bossed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with another metronomic passing display and another elite, composed defensive performance at the base of the Tottenham midfield.
And yet he was not even the Man of the Match or the best midfielder for the Lilywhites. Young defensive midfielder Mateus Fernandes, signed for only 15 million pounds less than Tonali's even 100, finally got to start in his preferred position. And while he was more 8 than 6, he actually led Spurs in pass attempts, one shy of 100, completing 92 percent of them. Far from passing sideways, Fernandes was decisive with two key passes, two accurate crosses, and four accurate long balls out of seven for the victorious road side.
Sandro Tonali can now rest, too
Fernandes playing this well in his first start in the defensive midfield is such a relief for Sandro Tonali, who is going to be a workhorse this season but also needs some rest. And to see the way Fernandes has been passing the ball around this season and what he did at the base of the midfield against mighty Chelsea, Moises Caicedo, and Jordan Henderson is a reminder that he can play as the holding man at the base, ticking the team over as a leader, too.
That means Tottenham Hotspur do not have to push so much on Tonali either. They can rest him against, say, Crystal Palace with Fernandes as the 6 and either Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, or even Archie Gray as the shuttling half 6/8 like Fernandes was for Tonali.
The Mateus Fernandes dominance against Chelsea is an even bigger storyline for the Lilywhites than it is being sold by the Premier League punditry teams, because it means Tottenham's 185 million pound investment is already paying dividends. And that gives Spurs not only dominance when both play, but it also gives Spurs the flexibility to rest one player or the other, which, in turn, is a boost for the young stars of the future like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.
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