The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder impressed against Newcastle United.
On Twitter, 20-year-old Nabil Bentaleb was voted Tottenham’s best player against Newcastle by fans on Sunday afternoon.
And there is little wonder looking at the stats.
The midfielder has struggled of late to match the standards he previously met this season, when he was one of Spurs’ most consistent performers.
Sunday, though, was a departure from the recent trend and more of a move back to the Bentaleb that has impressed Mauricio Pochettino and fans alike.
| Touches | Accurate Passes | Tackles | Interceptions | Dribbles | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Dier | 97 | 51 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 90 |
| Nabil Bentaleb | 91 | 64 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 90 |
| Paulinho | 84 | 55 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 88 |
| Christian Eriksen | 78 | 48 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| Erik Lamela | 75 | 36 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 90 |
| Harry Kane | 58 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 90 |
Indeed, as Opta stats show, Bentaleb was a dominant force for Tottenham in the middle of the park at Newcastle. He may have only been tested by a John Carver side but the 20-year-old delivered against the Magpies nonetheless.
Only Eric Dier took more touches of the ball and no Spurs star completed more passes than Bentaleb.
The Algerian also won two tackles against Newcastle and four interceptions, as well as displaying some skill by winning two dribbles.
While Bentaleb still receives plenty of criticism from some Tottenham fans, then, he clearly shone at St James’ Park. The introduction of Paulinho – unlike against Burnley – seems to have helped him out considerably…
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
