“He’s the reason”, Tottenham Hotspur fans once sang about Rodrigo Bentancur. In the 2021/22 season, particularly once Antonio Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo, the Uruguayan was instrumental in the middle of the park.
He forged a fine partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and looked a world beater in north London. There was even an argument to be made that he was their most important player. Spurs wouldn’t have secured a Champions League finish without Bentancur in the side.
Disaster, though, struck in February 2023. Bentancur suffered an ACL injury at Leicester City. In the years since, Bentancur wasn’t the same player. A succession of spells on the sidelines owing to knee, ankle and hamstring issues hardly helped the Uruguay international.
Too safe
Nor did the Thomas Frank Reign of Pain. At one stage last season, the Dane’s favoured midfield pairing was Bentancur and Joao Palhinha at the base in the 4-2-3-1 formation. The axis of evil was resoundingly criticised, particularly at home when the north London side were accused of being too safe.
So, when Spurs spent £185m to bring Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Newcastle United and West Ham United, respectively, many felt Bentancur would be deemed surplus to requirements. At that point, the idea was that both Tonali and Fernandes would forge the deep-lying pairing in Roberto De Zerbi’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup.
Yet, three games into the new Premier League season, Bentancur has started twice. He replaced Lucas Bergvall at the break in last month’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford, the Swede having struggled in the opening 45 minutes. He ranks fifth for total league minutes (225) at Spurs.
Admittedly, results haven’t gone in the club’s favour. They have collected just one point from meetings with the Bees, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and are one of three teams yet to score a league goal in England’s top tier this season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Forest, though, was a step in the right direction. Spurs looked more threatening going forward, and could have gone ahead in the first half had Omar Marmoush hit the target when one-on-one with Matz Sels.
What caught the eye, however, was Bentancur’s standout performance. The former Juventus midfielder was arguably Spurs’ best player at the City Ground, putting in the necessary nitty-gritty display that helped Spurs claim a first point of the season. They were far tougher to break down than they were in back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Newcastle.
Indeed, Bentancur made nine clearances, two interceptions and one tackle in the Midlands. He managed five ball recoveries, won six duels and four aerial duels. While Spurs splashed the cash to improve the squad in the off-season following their relegation scrap, it’s the 2022 £18m addition that continues to shine in a key area.
Conte identified Bentancur as a vital player when he took charge back in 2021, and De Zerbi has done similar following his appointment back in April. In time, De Zerbi may plump for a pairing of Tonali and Fernandes to help take Spurs forward. For the foreseeable future, however, Bentancur needs to be a starter at the base of the midfield.
Forget the £185m pairing, it’s Bentancur who De Zerbi should be building his midfield around. There’s a reason, after all, that Spurs were happy to – briefly – entertain bids for Lucas Bergvall and willing to sanction Pape Sarr’s Juventus switch. When it came to Bentancur, however, there was no chance he’d be shown the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium exit.
And with the welcome of a battling Everton side looming, De Zerbi needs to continue with Bentancur in a key position. The Toffees thrive in midfield duels and winning second balls, meaning Spurs have a battle on their hands against David Moyes’ men this weekend.
Saturday’s Forest stalemate proved that Bentancur is more than up for the challenge. It also showed just why De Zerbi will look to the experienced figurehead in the middle of the park in his first full campaign in the capital. Spurs are a far more cohesive unit when Bentancur starts. Despite the shiney new toys, he’ll start in midfield, and deservedly so.