Tottenham Hotspur’s Serge Aurier has impressed in Kieran Trippier’s absence.
Much has been made of Moussa Sissoko’s upturn in form for Tottenham, and deservedly so; few pundits or Spurs fans could have seen that coming.
However, the French midfielder isn’t the only player proving his doubters wrong right now, as a player Sissoko knows very well is thriving as well.
Right back Serge Aurier – who played with Sissoko at Toulouse – has recently been called upon to play in place of the injured Kieran Trippier, and the England man may have some trouble getting back into the side.
Aurier has been superb of late, completely nullifying Eden Hazard in the 3-1 victory against Chelsea before shutting down Ivan Perisic in the 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night.
A key challenge on Borja Valero ensured Spurs didn’t go behind on the stroke of half time last night, and whilst he remains a threat going forward, Aurier also appears to have cut out some of the mental mistakes that plagued him last season.
Trippier has been Tottenham’s undoubted first-choice right back since Kyle Walker’s exit, and Aurier has started just seven times in all competitions this term, compared to 13 starts for Trippier; and that number would certainly have been higher had he not picked up an injury against Crystal Palace.
Now though, Aurier – a £23million signing from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 – has stepped up to the plate in Trippier’s absence, and his outstanding displays mean that he should now be Tottenham’s first-choice right back moving forward.
It would be a bold call from Pochettino to drop Trippier, who starred for England at the World Cup and has become integral to Spurs with his crossing ability, but Aurier is more dynamic, and has made himself impossible to ignore with his recent form.
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