“Never known a footballer to transform a team quite so quietly”, “What a player” – Tottenham fans claim 25-year-old star is ‘irreplaceable’ after incredible display in 6-2 win over Leicester
Tottenham Hotspur fans were full of praise for Rodrigo Bentancur following his excellent display in their 6-2 win over Leicester City in the Premier League today (September 7).
Spurs fell behind early when Youri Tielemans buried a penalty for the visitors before Harry Kane equalized from a set piece shortly after. Eric Dier put Spurs ahead when he headed home from a corner before James Maddison's excellent strike put the sides level at half-time.
Together 👊 https://t.co/F91enNMD1G
Within five minutes of the second-half beginning, Bentancur dispossessed Wilfred Ndidi before burying the ball into the far corner to score his first goal for the club.
Son Heung-min's spectacular hat-trick secured the win for the hosts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Antonio Conte's side went level on points with leaders Manchester City, with the latter ahead on goal difference.
Following the game, Tottenham fans were full of praise for Bentancur's performance, who they feel is now an automatic starter. While the Uruguayan may not be the most exciting or creative player, supporters are beginning to recognize the importance of the defensive midfielder.
He scored one goal and made one assist against Leicester. He also made four interceptions and three tackles and won four duels.
Bentancur has been incredibly reliable for Conte's side since his January move from Juventus.
Tottenham supporters took to Twitter after full-time to sing the midfielder's praises:
Rodrigo Bentancur appreciation tweet. 🇺🇾
Superb again today.
#THFC | #COYS | #TTID https://t.co/CKYeswJDFG
Bentancur was class….again!
What a player he is #COYS https://t.co/3sa5D13Qqp
Praise will go Son's way today, and deservedly so, but credit where it's due - what a shift from Bentancur. https://t.co/X0Cs31Khyz
Bentancur was incredible again today. The 3 man midfield should be the way forward. We could possibly see Kulusevski as the RWB
I've never known a footballer to transform a team quite so quietly as Bentancur. The guy has just come in and become one of our most important players and no one seems to have noticed
Bentancur when freed from defensive duties is a monster. twitter.com/THFCdylz/statu…
Son was class but how good was Bentancur! What a signing! #COYS #THFC #PremierLeague
And THAT is why Bentancur is irreplaceable in this team.
Son Heung-min delighted with Tottenham hat-trick after being dropped from starting lineup
Son Heung-min was still searching for his first goal of the season before the clash against Leicester and started the game on the Tottenham bench.
After his stunning hat-trick, the South Korean told Sky Sports (as per BBC Sport):
"It was a top performance and I was really frustrated as well. The way I play I can do much better than I have been. I have been disappointed, the team has been doing really, really good but I was disappointed with my performance."
He added:
"It was a tough game at 3-2 and you never know in the Premier League. I wanted to do my best for the team. I will always try to do that when I play. I tried to help the team on the bench. I'm glad we won the game before the international break."
Son admitted that he was poor at times this season and unlucky at others but credited his teammates, staff and fans for the consistent support. He said:
"My finishing has been poor this season. I've also been a little bit unlucky with an own goal, two offside goals and hitting the crossbar. I knew goals were coming and I wasn't worried. I've always had great supporters, team-mates and coaches behind me."
He added:
"I like to shoot from outside the box - I've practiced that since I was a kid. Even now after training, if I have time, I try to practice from that position and hitting the top corner. I'm really glad the ball finally went in!"
13 minutes 21 seconds. https://t.co/Q7dvNjUWRx