Mathys Tel repaid Ange Postecoglou's faith in him with a big performance in Tottenham's vital 1-0 win away at Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening. Always facing a huge call over selecting Son Heung-min's replacement in the captain's absence through injury, it was the Frenchman who was given the nod to operate from the left.
Tel was the choice of many, especially as he had contributed two goals in his previous three games to boost his confidence. His experience of coming up against a Bundesliga club was also a big plus point as he returned to Germany for the first time since departing Bayern Munich on loan at the beginning of February.
Tel's time at Tottenham hasn't been smooth sailing due to finding himself in and out of Postecoglou's team, but his display in Frankfurt has left many looking forward to what he can contribute between now and the end of May. On a night where players such as Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke grabbed the headlines, Tottenham's No.11 perhaps went under the radar slightly in comparison to some of his teammates.
He was rather unlucky with an effort 25 minutes in that forced Frankfurt stopper Kaua Santos into action. Tel's curling attempt after taking two touches looked destined to find the net but the Brazilian was on hand to tip his powerful shot wide of the target.
Tel was a threat to the Bundesliga club throughout his time on the pitch as his energy and powerful running really tested them at times. He also linked up extremely well with Udogie down the left flank and provided plenty of defensive cover to ensure the Italian wasn't troubled too much.
Amid Son's recent struggles in the team, Tel more than made his case to start over the South Korean as he offered something different in what was a really positive display. Tottenham have eight games remaining in the 2024/25 campaign and there will hopefully be another fixture to come providing that they get the better of Bodo/Glimt to reach the Europa League final.
That gives Tel ample opportunity to really make his case for a permanent Tottenham move. The club do have the option to sign the French youngster for £45.8million in the summer as part of the loan agreement they struck with Bayern at the beginning of February.
The teenager certainly looks better for playing on the left-wing and a few more repeats of his Frankfurt performance in the remaining games could perhaps sway Tottenham's decision. Tel very much looks committed to Tottenham, with his passionate celebration after Solanke's penalty saying everything.
What has also been noticeable during his short time in N17 is his willingness to stand up and take accountability in difficult times, most notably his decision to speak with fans after the Fulham defeat and his post-match interview following the recent loss at Wolves. This, after all, is a loan player who may not have a Tottenham future come the end of May and someone who could be forgiven for not taking on those responsibilities.
However, Postecoglou, speaking shortly after the star's move to N17, did indicate that Tel would be a Spurs player for the long-term future as he "didn't bring him here for six months". Talking in his press conference ahead of last Sunday's game at Wolves, the Australian was again pressed on Tel's future but he didn't give a definitive answer.
"Yeah, I mean don’t believe everything that comes out of German press. Any press really these days. I shouldn’t say press but just information in general. The days of it being double-checked, triple-checked, triple-sourced are long gone," said the Australian when asked about reports in Germany regarding the player possibly returning to Bayern Munich.
"No, Mathys is important for us. When he came in, people forget, he hadn’t played hardly at all at Bayern and we threw him in. He was playing game after game after game and it was always going to be a big ask for him, but that’s the challenge he had.
"Now we’re working with him at training, we really believe he can make an impact and physically he’s much better now. He’s in a much better place and he’s getting to understand our game a lot better, so we’ll keep working with him. I still think he’s an exciting talent and happy to have him."
Tel looks to be in a good position to make an impact for Tottenham in the run-in and his contribution could potentially prove decisive. Do that then Son's place in the team may no longer be guaranteed.
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