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Is the current version of Moussa Sissoko secretly a completely different player cloaked in a foolproof disguise, or has Mauricio Pochettino really pulled off a miracle which hasn’t been seen since the resurrection of Jesus Christ himself? It’s a genuine question; the scale of the combative French midfield’s transformation is as mind-blowing as it is unprecedented.
A player who was once ritually slated as one of Tottenham’s worst ever signings started in central midfield on Tuesday night against Manchester City, just over one year on from when Mousa Dembele left supporters in a sensationalist frenzy on social media and beyond with a magnificent performance away at Juventus.
Following such a technically astute performance – one epitomised by the Belgian’s seamless ability to collect the ball in pockets of space, bulldoze through the midfield, caress through balls forward and equally defuse the Old Lady as they meandered forward – it was no surprise to see fans across the world lauding his influence.
A combination of defensive destruction and playmaking poise compelled spectators to hail the influence of a truly unique player. But that fixture represented the pinnacle of 2018 for Dembele and, with just months remaining on his contract, Daniel Levy made the decision to cash in for £11 million in January.
The chairman’s business brain was never going to turn down such a financially appealing deal, but with the club’s top-four ambitions now hanging by a thread it’s one which threatens to leave a feeling of profound regret lingering over a new stadium which was designed for epic Champions League nights.
In Sissoko, however, Spurs have an unlikely miracle-worker in place to ensure the club squeeze into Europe’s elite club competition for the third straight season. Against Manchester City the 29-year-old was typically diligent in his endeavours to recover possession. He set the tone for his performance in the first-half by galloping across to dispossess Raheem Sterling with an exquisitely timed slide tackle, lunging in with the vigour that would have left hearts in mouths in times gone by. But success was never in doubt.
Supporters have become accustomed to his immaculate ability to read the game, clean up infront of the back-four and distribute forward with a technique that arguably makes Dembele look like he’s playing a different sport.
Whatever Sissoko lacks aesthetically he more than makes up for in terms of his all-action productivity. He finished Tuesday night’s encounter with a passing accuracy of 96.7%, while he also made two key passes, three tackles and two interceptions, per Whoscored: a complete display from the midfield lynchpin.
It is fixtures of the magnitude of a Champions League quarter-final which sceptics of his exponential improvement would have identified as those where his weaknesses would be unmasked. Instead, Sissoko bossed the game alongside Harry Winks and suffocated a tepid David Silva in a well-disciplined showing.
Marauding gallops forward were sacrificed to enhance the robustness of his defensive shield and creative responsibility was instead bestowed upon the shoulders of Christian Eriksen, who sent a fresh come and get me plea to Real Madrid after weeks of conspiring to stifle interest from the Spanish capital.
Alongside Harry Winks a partnership is flowering which nobody could have seen coming. Dembele who?
Levy is often depicted as the pantomime villain and questions will undoubtedly resurface if Spurs fail to secure Champions League football this season, but the fact mutters of Dembele’s name were scarcely heard against City prove his decision is close to being vindicated.
Sissoko’s performance against the champions was another huge step towards getting Levy out of jail for his controversial January call.
Another level still needs to be found in Manchester next week.