Tottenham Hotspur are riding a three game winning streak after dismantling London rivals Chelsea and Crystal Palace to follow up their first win of the campaign against Coventry on Monday Night Football, and they will face the toughest defense out of the four this weekend against a Leeds United side that has allowed fewer goals than games played thus far.
There have been quite a few standout performers for Tottenham during this winning streak, but easliy the most important player and the biggest foundational piece to what manager Roberto De Zerbi has been trying to achieve tactically is Italian defensive midfielder Sandro Tonali.
That would be expected given his 100 million pound price tag, but Tonali is playing so well right now that many Spurs fans feel he would be worth an additional 100 milion pounds. Hyperbole aside, Tonali had been playing well before the October international break after getting over some fitness issues and adjustment period to a new team, but he has been playing out of his skin since the brilliant point saving assist at Old Trafford vs. Manchester United.
Sandro Tonali is untouchable
Tonali is in line for another vintage display against Leeds United this weekend. During this winning streak, Tonali has been making everyone around him better by simply playing the game on another level mentally. His defending on and off the ball has been elite, even moreso than before, and he has been both accurate and intelligent with his passing, focusing more on what he can do to help the team rather than what the team can do to help him.
The numbers and the dominance in possession of Tottenham Hotspur are a reflection of the hard work Tonali is doing, and with Anton Stach out of form, the Leeds midfield is vulnerable. They have scrappy, decent players who work hard, but they do not have the technical quality to touch Sandro Tonali or take this game over.
Where Leeds will try to win is on the counter, but Tonali has been so good at covering spaces and blocking passing lanes with his marking that no team has been able to threaten Spurs there either. If Tonali plays exactly like he has these past three weeks, Tottenham are going to dominate Leeds the same way they did Crystal Palace, and the streak of his performances as a perfect midfield general for Spurs will thus only continue this weekend at Elland Road.
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