Tottenham Hotspur have lost their second successive game after handing Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town their first win of the season after their 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was the name to get on the scoresheet for the home side after another yet impressive individual display by the Uruguayan international, who has really begun to find his form again, despite being in-and-out of Ange Postecoglou's squad rotation this season.
Bentancur Is Spurs’ Unsung Hero
When in the lineup, the midfield looks far more balanced
Bentancur, who earns £100k-a-week, entered the 2024/25 season under fire after an off-pitch incident involving some offensive comments made towards teammate, and captain, Son Heung-Min, in an interview back in June, with the FA subsequently charging him.
But after a difficult 18 months mired by an ACL injury suffered in January 2023, Bentancur's return to action has been a welcome one for Postecoglou and his team.
Despite having featured in 16 games across all competitions this season, the Uruguayan has started just 10 of those outings, though when he has been on the pitch, he looks to have returned back to his very best, and is widely considered as one of the most underrated players in the league this season.
The 27-year-old scored his first goal of the season in Sunday's defeat to Ipswich Town, and according to Sofa Score, he was statistically Spurs' best player on the field, recording a 7.9 rating in 84 minutes, in which he won nine of his 13 ground duels, and three of his five aerial duels on his way to an 84 percent pass completion percentage.
He also recorded three interceptions and seven tackles in a solid defensive display for the holding midfielder, but still, it wasn't enough to help his team get a point out of the contest.
This isn't the first time, either, that Bentancur has been a standout performer, with his introduction to the pitch to begin the second-half of Spurs' defeat to Galatasaray in the Europa League helping give them a chance to get back into the game, though again, it was in vain after they were on the losing side of a 3-2 scoreline.
While he got the start against Ipswich, Postecoglou has been reluctant to use Bentancur from the start in the league this season, rotating him with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr.
But, his defensive qualities alone, where he has recorded 12 tackles, and has a career-high 69.2 tackle percentage so far this season, may well give Postecoglou more to think about - especially with Tottenham's continued struggles at the back.