Pape Matar Sarr is making the Conor Gallagher decision even easier

On an afternoon where the Tottenham players finally proved they're willing to leave it all on the line to preserve their Premier League status, Pape Matar Sarr reminded supporters of just how good he can be.

The Senegalese international, who cruelly had his Africa Cup of Nations-winning medal snatched away from him after a successful Moroccan appeal, was seemingly poised for a coming-of-age campaign with Thomas Frank at the helm.

Sarr was the star of Frank's first (and only) pre-season in north London, most notably scoring from the halfway line against Arsenal in Thailand.

The midfielder came to represent exactly what Frank wanted from his No. 10, although the attributes Sarr supplied hardly aligned with the highly romanticised idea of the role. Instead of guile and craft, Frank adored Sarr's running and capacity to win second balls. It was this outlook that contributed to the Dane's demise in north London, or at least ensured he struggled to ever get supporters onside.

Frank did change tack towards the end of 2025 after Sarr dealt with a niggle in the autumn and joined up with the national team for AFCON. He returned to a dumpster fire, and his form suffered mightily before a despairing Lilywhites rocked up at Anfield.

Spurs supporters are continuing to wonder why Gallagher was signed at all

Many questioned the signing of Conor Gallagher (especially to such high wages) in January, given the midfield profiles at our disposal. There was no need to acquire another high-octane runner; a passer should've been prioritised.

Gallagher has so far underwhelmed and appeared lost since Tudor took the reins. He was the 13th confirmed absence for the weekend's trip to Merseyside, which forced the manager to utilise left-back João Souza as a makeshift right midfielder in a 4-4-2 shape.

Flanked by the young Brazilian and the admirable Mathys Tel, Sarr was stationed in the middle of the park alongside Archie Gray, one of the very few players who looks like escaping this campaign with credit still left in the bank.

However, if Sarr is able to produce performances akin to his showing against Liverpool, then plenty will be suggesting that the Senegalese international is a midfielder worth building the engine room around. This was an all-encompassing display that we know Sarr is capable of, but seldom seen in recent weeks. In fact, he was pretty dire in the chastening 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace just 10 days before.

So, to bounce back in such a big way is a testament to the 23-year-old's character. He ended the game with the highest defensive contributions (17, per FotMob) and the most touches recorded among Spurs players (67). Sarr took responsibility with and without possession, and his brave performance was recognised and rewarded thanks to Richarlison's 90th-minute equaliser.

You can't give up on him yet, and Tudor would be foolish to choose Gallagher over Sarr in the middle of the park. If a direct 4-4-2 is the way to go, the Englishman could be utilised in a similar way to how he was deployed by Diego Simeone: shuttling down the right-hand side.

His signing looks more costly with each passing week.