The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a cacophony of noise on Saturday evening. As the N17 faithful welcomed a new era to North London, they were treated to a footballing masterclass from Ange Postecoglou and his team. The Australian revolution had arrived, with Spurs seemingly cruising past Manchester United 2-0.
The Latin phrase "audere est facere" translates to "to dare is to do". A phrase synonymous with Tottenham throughout its history, yet in recent years, the Lilywhites had derailed from that motto. Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte were brought in to win trophies; both failed dismally.
But as Postecoglou's revolution took place, with an army of inflatable kangaroos in the stands, a key player for Spurs took centre stage. James Maddison, alongside Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, dominated the midfield battle against an isolated Casemiro. Long are the days when the north London side had no creativity, as the former Leicester City playmaker pulled the strings throughout.
Yet despite the sense of positivity in and around the stadium, the 26-year-old left the ground on crutches, making any involvement on the south coast against Bournemouth unlikely.
In his place, Dejan Kulusevski could revert to the middle of the park, but as the Swede proved effective on the flank against Man Utd, an opportunity for Giovani Lo Celso remains likely.
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An unlikely revival in north London
It would be an understatement to say Lo Celso's spell at Tottenham has been underwhelming. Signed in the summer of 2019, pressure was on his back from the start, after Daniel Levy failed to secure the signatures of Bruno Fernandes and Paulo Dybala.
Despite showing glimpses of promise in his first two seasons, the Argentine never consistently performed under the glistening nights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Two separate moves on loan to Villarreal offered a second lifeline to the 27-year-old, which he took with both hands. Lo Celso was reborn and, despite the expectation he would leave Hotspur Way this summer, he remains on the cards in north London.
Lo Celso impressed Postecoglou and his backroom staff in pre-season, with the Australian saying:
"I’m really happy with Gio. He’s been really good in training. You can see he’s a quality player and I think the way we play suits him. I’ve enjoyed working with him and I think he’s enjoying himself in terms of the football we want to play and yeah it’s going well."
The Argentine possesses the ability to roam within the middle of the park due to his artistic impact with the ball. Whether that is through his intricate passing to unlock defences or through his threat to start quick counter-attacks, Lo Celso possesses the strengths to prove the doubters wrong in the Premier League.
According to FBREF, Lo Celso sits in the top one percent for shot-creating actions (4.94 per 90) and expected assists (0.27 per 90) within the past year. Combined with his progressive passes (7.83 per 90), progressive carries (2.72 per 90), and successful carries (1.87 per 90) all sitting in the top ten percent, it reads positively for the possibility of a Lo Celso renaissance this season.
As the sun dawns on a new era in N17, Maddison ushers in a new wave of excitement for their travelling supporters. But on Saturday, it may well be the old guard of Lo Celso to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
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Fitting Postecoglou's system
Just two games into the season, the former Celtic manager has already implemented his philosophy on Spurs' squad.
Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie have quickly adapted to the role of an inverted full-back, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have become accustomed to becoming fast-paced and aggressive centre-backs, whilst Bissouma and Sarr shone in the middle of the park.
The role of a playmaker perfectly slots into Postecoglou's system, often being provided with the freedom to roam around the pitch. Against Brentford and Man Utd, Maddison consistently picked the ball up and surged forward into the final third, showcasing his attacking prowess regularly.
If he starts, Lo Celso will be tasked with replicating Maddison's threat from deep and set-pieces. The Englishman earnt himself an assist from a powerful, whipped free-kick just 11 minutes in at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Argentine has completed just six assists during his time in N17, but under an attacking manager, that stat could soon change.
Under Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth have lined up with a high-risk, high-reward strategy. Playing a high line, Max Aarons and Milos Kerkez have bombed forward along the flanks, thus presenting space in behind for the opposition. Their 4-2-3-1 formation will all but match Tottenham's, whilst Postecoglou's high press and attacking philosophy will be no stranger to Iraola.
However, Iraola's insistence on playing aggressive football will only help Lo Celso's chances. The Argentine thrives in open space, often possessing the ability to play quick one-twos with his teammates. Combined with the Argentine's desire to surge forward from deep, Spurs may be able to maximise his abilities on the south coast.
Lo Celso's return to the starting eleven against Bournemouth would epitomise Postecoglou's impact at Spurs in a short space of time. A player once exiled by Conte could thrive in a high press and attacking team. The Lilywhites often over-relied on Tanguy Ndombele and Lo Celso for an attacking spark when they started, but now, in a team with Kulusevski, Porro and Udogie all providing a creative outlook, Lo Celso can play with less pressure on his shoulders.
