Tottenham Hotspur have reignited a small spark of hope in the Premier League, giving Igor Tudor a hard-earned point against Liverpool on Sunday and giving him a platform to build on in the final months of the season.
It has been a disastrous year for Spurs’ persuasion, but remnants of the Champions League can be seen in the return leg of the last-16 clash with Atletico Madrid days ago.
Even the most established Tottenham supporters will be surprised to see their team overturn a three-goal deficit to reach the quarter-finals and must now focus on surviving the Premier League storm and avoiding relegation.
However, a number of injuries have occurred on the N17, the central part of the park where alarm bells are ringing.
Spurs midfield injury crisis
Tottenham have absentees in every department, but are enduring pressure from Liverpool without Mickey van de Ven and Cristian Romero, and both of the club’s star defenders should be back in contention for the crucial Premier League game against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.
But the crisis is worse in the middle of the park, with neither Dejan Kulusevski nor James Madison expected to return from injuries sustained last year before the end of the season.
Yves Bissouma and Conor Gallagher were forced to miss the weekend, but Papu Matar Sarr and Archie Gray both performed well in the absence of senior players.
But Tudor needs more depth if he is to survive the upcoming aerial challenge, and the answer to his woes could be found in a youngster who has recently become well known to Lilywhites supporters.
Spurs academy talent could be a hero
Tottenham don’t have many options available. In fact, against Liverpool, Tudor had to face a situation where 13 first-team players were injured.
Something had to be done, but Tudor released 19-year-old Callum Orcesi in the final stages for just a senior appearance, with the youngster coming on for the final 14 minutes and six minutes of stoppage time.
Olsage played in the senior squad in last season’s Europa League and appeared as a substitute in all of this year’s Londoners Champions League matches, but has been given a more prominent role this time around.
Against Liverpool, the dynamic midfielder completed all eight of his pass attempts, making two recoveries and completing three carries. These statistics say little about Orsage’s composure and presence on the ball, but he certainly looked assured as his team chased down the equalizer and scored the equalizer in the 11th hour.
His versatility could be his secret weapon during the final months of the season. He can play in advanced positions, has plenty of offensive flair, and can also dig deeper and utilize his physicality and ball-playing edge.
Callum Orcesi career statistics by position | ||
|---|---|---|
position | app | Goal + Assist |
central midfield | 37 | 13+6 |
defensive midfield | 19 | 4+0 |
attacking midfield | 8 | 3+1 |
center forward | 2 | 0+0 |
right wing | 1 | 0+0 |
The former Chelsea midfielder has struggled since joining from Atletico Madrid for £35m in January, and Olsage could be forced to get rid of Gallagher before the summer break.
Hailed by scout Jacek Kulig as part of a “special generation” of young talent from north London, Olsage could give Tottenham a much-needed boost for a few months into the season, and perhaps rekindle a sense of identity and connection with the fan base that has been missing in recent months.
Last season, Olsage helped the club win the Europa League and made his name known around the world.
Now, he’s going from strength to strength at the perfect time, getting more minutes and potentially becoming a difference-maker, alleviating the need for a Gallagher-like signing who has so far failed to perform and work with the wider Spurs system.
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Tottenham took the point at Anfield and maintained their lead (by a narrow margin) in the relegation battle.
