"He could be the difference" - Tottenham star backed to help Antonio Conte's side finish in the Top 4
Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has hailed forward Dejan Kulusevski's impact at Tottenham Hotspur.
The Sweden international joined the north London side on loan from Juventus in January 2022. He registered five goals and eight assists in 18 Premier League matches last season, helping Spurs finish fourth in the table.
Kulusevski, 22, missed six league games earlier this season due to injury and Tottenham struggled in his absence. While they have had mixed results, Spurs' attack hasn't looked fluid in the Swedish winger's absence.
He returned to action in their 2-1 home defeat against Liverpool on November 6. He made an immediate impact off the bench in the second half, assisting Harry Kane just a few seconds after his arrival.
Agbonlahor believes Kulusevski could help Spurs get into the Premier League's top four this season as well, as he told Football Insider:
"I think when he came on he was sharp, he wanted to get into go into tight spaces, get forward, put crosses in. Kulusevski being back is major for Spurs.
"He could be the difference in them getting into that top four again. But for me I think for those top two places, they’re still missing a few players."
It took Dejan Kulusevski just 1 minute and 21 seconds to provide an assist after coming on against Liverpool.
Welcome back. 🤝 https://t.co/As5zuMqTku
If Tottenham reach the UEFA Champions League places with Kulusevski making 20 or more appearances, they will be obligated to buy the winger for €35 million. The Swede has registered one goal and four assists in 11 matches this season.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are currently fourth in the league table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski on his plans for FIFA World Cup break
Kulusevski will not be going to the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar as Sweden failed to qualify for the tournament. When asked by the Evening Standard about his plans for the break, he said (via Spurs Web):
“We footballers never have time to work on our game, but now we have one month in two weeks, so I’m looking forward to it, doing a good programme and coming back very much better.”
He added:
“I hate not to be there. I’m a football geek, so I’ll probably watch some games but try to enjoy outside life with family and train a lot.”
Tottenham will hope to have Kulusevski up and running after the Qatar tournament as they compete in multiple competitions.
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Only two players have provided 10+ assists in the Premier League in 2022:
◎ 16 - Kevin De Bruyne
◉ 12 - Dejan Kulusevski
Spurs fans will be glad to have him back. 👨🦰🇸🇪 https://t.co/ReW2DPHlCu
Spurs will host Leeds United on Saturday, November 12 in their final Premier League game before the World Cup break.