Hargreaves says ‘impossible’ for Tottenham to work their magic without defensive duo

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Owen Hargreaves has stated that it’s ‘impossible’ for Tottenham to work their magic without Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.

The former England midfielder claimed that the Spurs’ defensive duo are ‘reliable’ and the ones who ‘do all the work’ for the rest of their teammates to thrive. 

Last season, Hojbjerg was one of Tottenham’s unsung heroes in the middle of the park and he didn’t start this current campaign like he would have wanted to.

But, the more comfortable Antonio Conte has become in the hot seat, along with the arrival of Bentancur from Juventus in January, the duo have started to build a pretty strong partnership. 

It’s one that could be playing Champions League football next season, as Hargreaves praised the duo on Premier League Productions. 

“These guys do all the work for themselves because of the way Conte sets up with the back three and the wing-backs,” said Hargreaves. 

“They are reliable. They look across and know what they are going to get from each other. They are good in every phase, not brilliant players. But Conte doesn’t want that.

“He wants functional players that work hard and are there for the balance of the team Bentancur and Hojbjerg do that brilliantly for this side because all eyes are on the wing-backs, on Kane and Son. 

Without Bentancur and Hojbjerg Spurs couldn’t work their magic? “Impossible,” responded Hargreaves.

“They have got the back three and the two in front. It’s like Tuchel. That’s how Conte sees it.”

HOJBJERG AND BENTANCUR ARE UNDERRATED FIGURES IN TOTTENHAM’S TEAM

It’s understandable that whenever Tottenham are playing, it’s their attacking threats of Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane that steal the limelight.

But they are able to thrive because of the defensive quality behind them, as Hojbjerg and Bentancur are underrated figures in this Tottenham team.

It will be interesting to see what Tottenham do in the summer because they are only one more point away against Norwich and they will be securing Champions League football. 

Getting that all-important fourth spot will allow them to compete with the elite, and boost their squad even further because it’s going to be needed next term.