Tanguy Ndombele appears ready to play regularly for Tottenham Hotspur.
On the chalkboard
The Frenchman enjoyed an important cameo performance against Manchester City at the weekend as Spurs recorded a vital 2-0 victory over Pep Guardiola’s side.
He was introduced off the bench in the 70th minute as part of a double Jose Mourinho substitution that also saw Erik Lamela come on for Dele Alli and Steven Bergwijn.
Ndombele was superb in his 20-minute run on the pitch, providing the assist for Son Heung-Min’s second goal, skipping away from Rodri and surgically bypassing the City defence with a superb pass that led to the South Korea international firing past goalkeeper Ederson.
Per WhoScored, the club’s record signing from Lyon had 16 touches of the ball, completed one dribble and also won one aerial duel, while registering that key pass that led to Son’s goal.
Ndombele has made 16 appearances this season but has completed the 90 minutes just three times; two of those came against Aston Villa and City at the Etihad, in the first two games of the campaign, while his most recent full outing was against Norwich City in December.
His last two appearances, against Southampton and City, have totalled just 45 minutes.
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Ready to take the next step
Ndombele is clearly a fragile player.
His outing versus Southampton, in which he started, led to an injury and it’s right that manager Jose Mourinho is taking baby steps when it comes to reintegrating the Frenchman.
His cameo performance against City is evidence that he is ready to take the next step and play regularly.
Judging by his most recent performance, he could be a key player for this Spurs team provided he can stay fit.
From just 11 passes, Ndombele managed to provide the assist for Son’s goal and beat Rodri twice in quick succession, utilising his step-overs and body feints to great effect in midfield.
While his fitness remains a question mark, this was a preview of good things to come.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have reacted to one Jose Mourinho moment against City!