Dejan Kulusevski is showing shades of Gazza and Chris Waddle… no wonder he has become Ange Postecoglou's undroppable man at Tottenham, writes MATT BARLOW

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The headlines were about Manchester City hitting a wall, the goal hero was James Maddison on his birthday and Dejan Kulusevski was the best player on the pitch, which will come as no surprise to anyone who has been watching Tottenham closely.

Kulusevski has been a revelation whether out on the right wing where he did the damage at City or deeper and more central in midfield, where Ange Postecoglou has often taken to using him in his second season.

He is strong and seemingly indefatigable with the nerve to get hold of the ball in tight spaces, neat feet belying his towering stature and a magical left foot.

The data geeks were very excited by the numbers on Saturday night, showing him top of the Premier League charts for chances created and possession won in the attacking third.

Although pure data overlooks his aesthetic contribution evident in Tottenham’s third, when he evaded three tackles in midfield, popped a one-two off Heung-min Son, powered forward with the ball and almost served up a chance for Dominic Solanke, who chased and retrieved the pass and rolled in Pedro Porro to score.

There was a hint of vintage Gazza about the way he bounced through those challenges and emerged with the ball just as there are often flickers of Chris Waddle when he chops the ball inside and teases in crosses from the right as he did for Maddison’s first.

Few players have been more influential to Tottenham this campaign than Dejan Kulusevski

The 24-year-old (left) played a crucial role in Spurs' 4-0 dismantling of Man City on Saturday

The 24-year-old (left) played a crucial role in Spurs’ 4-0 dismantling of Man City on Saturday

Kulusevski played with shades of Tottenham legend Paul Gascoigne (centre) against Man City

Kulusevski played with shades of Tottenham legend Paul Gascoigne (centre) against Man City

‘Kulusevski, ooof what a player,’ as Pep Guardiola put it in one of those casual post-match asides that make you suddenly wonder what City might be plotting, like that time he hailed Matheus Nunes as one of the best players in the world and then, a couple of years later went and paid £52million to sign him from Wolves.

For the record, Kulusevski’s deal still has three-and-a-half years run but, if Spurs have any sense, they will be busy making plans to tie down the Sweden international who joined, initially on loan, from Juventus in January 2022.

Early sparkle under Antonio Conte was hindered by muscle injuries and he did not have the same influence in Postecoglou’s first season he does at present.

Join Mail+ to read MATT BARLOW's unmissable column every Monday

Join Mail+ to read MATT BARLOW’s unmissable column every Monday

‘I believe you get more robust as you move along the journey,’ said Postecoglou pre-City, when discussing the fitness and physical durability of those players now into their second campaign under him.

‘We’ve seen that with some players really thriving, getting better performances and better physical outputs from a lot of the players in this second year with us and that gets inbuilt as you go along but there’s some attrition.

‘The nature of the way we train and play is always going to be on the edge, so it’s kind of by design.’

Spurs suffered a lot of muscle injuries last season and launched a review of their medical department in the summer with Geoff Scott, head of medicine and sports science, leaving after 20 years.

Not everything has gone perfectly to plan. Key defender Micky van de Ven is one of three out with hamstring injuries, and they remain as wildly unpredictable as ever. If two results were to sum them up it is winning by four at the Etihad after losing at home to Ipswich.

The in-form Swede is almost indefatigable with the nerve to get hold of the ball in tight spaces

The in-form Swede is almost indefatigable with the nerve to get hold of the ball in tight spaces

Pep Guardiola, whose side have suffered five defeats on the spin, heaped praise on Kulusevski

Pep Guardiola, whose side have suffered five defeats on the spin, heaped praise on Kulusevski

Tottenham would be wise to tie Kulusevski down on a long-term contract as quickly as possible

Still, Kulusevski’s development is beyond doubt. At 24, he is blooming and quite clearly learning from Postecoglou.

When Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson made him captain this year and encouraged him to make a speech to the group, Kulusevski decided the best thing he could do was to trawl through the oratorial back catalogue of his Spurs boss.

Last week, he was caught addressing Sweden’s team huddle with the words, ‘I’m hungry, let’s eat’.

Although he hasn’t attributed that one to Postecoglou. He delivered it in English not Swedish so it might have been designed for the cameras and an online audience. 

Either way, fans were quick to adopt the catchphrase when he followed it with two goals and an assist in a 6-0 win against Azerbaijan.

Kulusevski roams freeish behind Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres for the Swedes, a front three to promise better times ahead for a nation which has failed to qualify for three of the last four World Cup tournaments.

For Spurs, his versatility enables Postecoglou to subtly tweak the shape and balance of the team, and the plan worked a treat at City.

He wanted to start Maddison because he was fresh, having not been on international duty, but Maddison and Kulusevski together in midfield has not always worked well. They lack a bit of defensive bite and Maddison can end up playing too deep.

There are often flickers of Chris Waddle (above) when Kulusevski chops the ball inside

There are often flickers of Chris Waddle (above) when Kulusevski chops the ball inside

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. Walker’s podcast may need a new title

Kyle Walker’s BBC podcast is uncomfortable listening for Tottenham. First incorrect claims, later deleted, that they charge the away team for shower gel then Danny Rose’s accusations that nobody told him about secret cameras in Jose Mourinho’s office. 

Walker’s presence in Manchester City’s defence caused fewer problems for his former club however, and Timo Werner reinforced a theory that the England stalwart is not the speed merchant he used to be and might have to consider changing the title of the show, ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’. 

2. More tough tackling will come for Palmer

Cole Palmer is great fun to watch but if he is going to continue borderline mickey-taking on the ball he is going to be on the painful end of more treatment like the borderline red card tackle from Wilfried Ndidi at Leicester. 

Omer Riza has done a superb job as Cardiff's interim manager

Omer Riza has done a superb job as Cardiff’s interim manager

3. Cardiff must reward Riza

Omer Riza has transformed Cardiff’s season by collecting 15 points from 10 Championship games as interim boss with a team that looked doomed for relegation. 

They have done it playing attractive and enjoyable football, which will not go unnoticed in the world of football. If owner Vincent Tan doesn’t give him the permanent job soon, he will find someone swoops in and takes him away. 

4. Wycombe on the charge 

Wycombe are soaring in League One with a club record seven straight wins, goals scored in 20 consecutive games and 13 different scorers led by nine-goal Richard Kone, plucked on a free from Athletic Newham the Essex Senior League. 

In midfield, Cameron Humphreys, on loan from Ipswich, has not lost a league game since December 2022 – against Wycombe.

5. Sandro’s retirement U-turn

Sandro was talked out of retirement while working the corporate boxes at Tottenham where he bumped into Harborough Town boss Mitch Austin, an avid Spurs fan who was there with mates to see the Europa League tie against AZ Alkmaar. 

The Brazilian, still only 35, agreed to sign up for Austin’s Southern League side, play for free and will return to the FA Cup on Sunday at Reading, where he made his last appearance in the competition back in February 2016 as part of a West Brom team on the wrong end of an upset. They do happen.

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The ball-winning bite and defensive work of Pape Matar Sarr offers a better balance against opponents who will have plenty of possession, so Kulusevski was moved back onto the right wing and Maddison was back among the goals in a more advanced role.

It meant no place for top scorer Brennan Johnson, who came on to score the fourth, but the one man who cannot be omitted in current form is Kulusevski.

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