Ashley Williams told Match of the Day 2 (15/8, 22:46) that Lucas Moura was ‘sensational’ as Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City on Sunday.
Spurs beat the Premier League champions to begin the new term and Nuno Espirito Santo’s first season at the helm through a Heung-Min Son goal early in the second-half. Moura began the move that led to Tottenham scoring, too, with a clever touch to Steven Bergwijn.
Moura was a lively presence all game to cause Manchester City a myriad of issues. His direct runs proving particularly irksome for Pep Guardiola’s backline as they failed to keep a lid on the 29-year-old.
Williams lauded Moura for his efforts against Manchester City and stepping up in the absence of Tottenham talisman Harry Kane. Nuno left the England star out of his matchday squad amid ongoing links to the Etihad Stadium side this summer.
“As we’ve said before, everyone was talking about Harry Kane,” Williams said. “This is a guy who today showed his manager that today, maybe, it’s not that important, because he was superb. Sensational, he’s [got] quick feet and again we speak about the desire to drive. [Moura] drove the team forward; he was very clever in his performance.
“He was always in positions like this [in space between the City lines]. Hoping and trusting his defenders and midfielders to win the ball, he was in a good position to turn straight at the City defence. Waits for Son to make a move and that’s a good ball and he carries on the run. He was another one of those who epitomised the whole of the game for Spurs.”
Murphy expects breakout year for Moura at Tottenham after Manchester City show
Danny Murphy followed Williams in praising Moura, adding that he feels this year could be a breakthrough season at Tottenham. The former Fulham midfielder particularly praised the Brazilian for always giving his all and wanting to positively influence games.
He said: “I think he’s been underused since being at Tottenham – I’ve always been a big fan. Even when his end product is not there, he never leaves anything out there, he always gets you through defensively. And he’s always trying to be positive, I think when players are trying to be positive and make things happen, you don’t mind them not playing so well.
“At least they’re trying to take a risk and he did it today. Sometimes he gave the ball away, other times he got caught in possession. His energy, his effort, his commitment, I think he could be a big player for Spurs this season. It could be his year for them.”
Moura certainly made an impact on Tottenham’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday. The £80,000-per-week winger, who Il Messaggero linked with a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Roma, was relentless on the ball.
No player for either Tottenham or Manchester City completed more dribbles than Moura with six, per WhoScored. The 29-year-old also attempted a game-high 10, four more than anyone else and took three shots. Only Son (5) struck more efforts, while only Citizens full-back Joao Cancelo offered as many key passes with three. Showing Moura’s stellar impact.
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