There were barely any positives to take from Tuesday’s harrowing FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough. A 1-0 loss that ends any chance of Tottenham winning a trophy. If there was one positive, it was Dejan Kulusevski.
Antonio Conte named an unchanged side to take on Middlesbrough, in front of a sell-out Riverside crowd. Chris Wilder’s side had already beaten Manchester United – and so, Conte decided to go full strength against Boro.
A move that clearly, did not work. Spurs were poor at the back, lacklustre in midfield and when they did get the ball to the likes of Son Heung-min or Harry Kane – they were simply not their normal selves. Son had a stinker.
But if there is one positive to draw from the game, it was the consistency of Sweden international Kulusevski. Already first choice, the winger showed aggression, quality and a combative nature that Conte will like in his side.
Kulusevski stats: Tottenham star a massive positive in bitter defeat
The stats prove as much. WhoScored claim that he was his side’s second-best passer of the ball of the players that started – completing 92% of his passes. That is, only three out of his 38 passes were misplaced.
He won three fouls, he produced three key passes, and two successful dribbles. The January recruit did all this, in only his seventh appearance. He is in a new country, for a new team, at the tender age of just 21.
While the positives were few against Middlesbrough, if anything, Kulusevski was a big plus once again – as he continues to surprise many with his early Spurs form. He is likely to start against Everton on Monday.
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