Mousa Dembélé the unsung Tottenham hero at the heart of Pochettino’s plans | David Hytner


The manager calls him a genius, Vincent Janssen the best player he has ever faced and the Belgian was again key for Tottenham in the 1-1 draw at Arsenal

It is a question that is often put to Tottenham Hotspur’s players in those slightly quirky interviews. Who is the best player at the club? They give the same answer every time: Mousa Dembélé. When Vincent Janssen was asked it recently, he went for Dembélé and the summer signing added that it was also because he was the best player he had ever faced. It is worth noting that Janssen has come up against Dembélé only in training.

Dembélé is not the highest-profile Tottenham player – perhaps because he is laid back to the point of being horizontal – and there was a brighter spotlight at the Emirates Stadium on Harry Kane, who returned after seven weeks out with ankle ligament damage. Kane, inevitably, commandeered attention after his equaliser from the penalty spot, because scoring against Arsenal is part of what has defined his White Hart Lane legend.

Related: Harry Kane spot-on to claim draw for Tottenham at Arsenal on return

Related: Victor Wanyama was lucky not to be sent off, says Arsène Wenger

Continue reading...