Abba Voyage isn’t the only Swedish attraction lighting up London at present. While fans of the legendary band flock to witness the event in east London, a little further north, Tottenham supporters are witnessing another Swede go about his business.
Dejan Kulusevski has gone from somewhat dispensable to undroppable under Ange Postecoglou. Indeed, Kulusevski is the midfielder that makes Spurs tick, shining both on and off the ball to help them not only dominate possession but are quick to win it back when it’s lost.
Last season, Kulusevski was battling with Brennan Johnson for the right-wing spot. While the former was considered additional cover for James Maddison in the No 10 role, the perception was that the Swede was best used out wide. This season, though, Postecoglou has deployed both in the middle of the park and Spurs are all the better for it: Kulusevski’s speed of thought now able to compensate for the lack of pace previously exposed in Postecoglou’s favoured 4-3-3 setup.
One of the 24-year-old’s weaknesses is his lack of speed, and this was highlighted in Postecoglou’s favoured 4-3-3 setup. While Kulusevski has the quick train of thought, he was often let down by this physical shortcomings, minimising the former Juventus man’s impact from out wide. Fast forward to the present, and Kulusevski is absolutely vital to the way this Spurs side play in a central role.
Though he has just one Premier League assist to his name this season, that says more about his teammates’ profligacy than Kulusevski’s provision. A total of 23 key passes ranks him fifth in England’s top tier and of those, 18 have been from open play, the third-most in the division. “Finally, I have that freedom, my teammates trust me, the coach trusts me because when I play like this, this is my position, all instincts and I can hurt defenders in every kind of way,” he said after Saturday’s 4-1 win over West Ham.
The move inside means Kulusevski is able to maximise his vision to pry apart opposition defences, which he is doing to an extremely high standard. However, what stands out about the decision to move him infield is not only the ability to create for teammates but the desire to press and help force turnovers in the final third. So far this season, Spurs have the second highest possession average (61.7%) in the Premier League, but when they do lose the ball, they relentlessly pressure opponents to win the ball back as quickly as possible.
This was one of the main reasons why Postecoglou sought to sign Dominic Solanke this summer, the England international one of the most hardworking forwards in the division. Moving Kulusevski infield means Solanke has the support required to continually press, which is one reason Spurs, rank top for possession won in the attacking third (60), the individual metric led by Kulusevski (13).
While Spurs haven’t necessarily kicked into gear – they are seventh after eight games and the collapse at Brighton proves that there is still plenty of work to be done by Postecoglou – the performances by Kulusevski haven’t just been a bright spot, they’ve been a shining light.
In the past, he would drift in and out of games. Now, though, Kulusevski is arguably Spurs’ most consistent player. He wreaks havoc in the final third once he does win the ball and isn’t one to shirk a defensive battle to help disrupt the rhythm of his opponent – he has also committed more fouls (13) in the league than any other Spurs player.
It’s no secret that Postecoglou often delivers silverware in his second season at a club, and it could prove that the decision to use Kulusevski through the middle is the best chance for Spurs to end their run without a trophy.