The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder scored twice for Schalke on Sunday.
Tottenham Hotspur have gone 180 minutes since finding the net across Premier League and Champions League action.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have drawn their last two games 0-0 – away at Bayer Leverkusen and away to Bournemouth – and it seems like the international break has stifled the Lilywhites’ momentum just a little.
But one Tottenham man is scoring for fun – even if he is not at the North London club at the moment.
Nabil Bentaleb, who joined Schalke on a season-long loan in the summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by Pochettino, netted his first goal for the club in last week’s 1-1 draw with Augsburg.
And the Algeria midfielder followed that up with two more in Sunday evening’s 3-0 demolition of Mainz in Gelsenkirchen.
The 21-year-old completed a slick team move with a crisp volley from outside the box on 23 minutes, before adding a third just after the hour mark.
Bentaleb is very much a divisive figure among Tottenham fans, and that was evident again this evening as Spurs supporters offered contrasting sentiments on the big midfielder.
His form in Germany does absolutely not mean Pochettino was wrong to let him go, because Tottenham still have better midfield options than him, but he is, at least, giving the Argentine manager food for thought in regards to his long-term plan for him.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
