Senegalese midfielder Pape Matar Sarr gave Ange Postecoglou plenty to think about when he helped Tottenham Hotspur secure a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the EFL Cup fourth round last week.
The 22-year-old was the difference between both sides at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, rifling home a 25-yard effort that sent Spurs into the EFL Cup quarter-final.
Sarr’s effort came after the misfiring Timo Werner ended his 17-game goal drought stretching back to last season’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa in Birmingham.
Matheus Nunes pulled one back for the Cityzens on the stroke of half time, but Tottenham held on to boost their hopes of ending their 16-year trophy drought.
Sarr’s performance against Man City was enough to retain his spot in the XI ahead of James Maddison in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Villa, and he delivered another rousing display.
Tottenham fell behind in the first half courtesy of a Morgan Rogers header, but a sensational second-half performance saw the north Londoners turn the game on its head.
Brennan Johnson drew Spurs level before Dominic Solanke bagged a brace. Maddison came off the bench to round up the four-goal rout with a sublime free kick.
Sarr was superb in the middle of the park for the second game in a row. He may not have gotten his name on the score sheet, but he was heavily involved on both sides of the ball.
The Senegal international had 79 touches and managed 59 accurate passes out of 64 attempted, boasting an impressive 92% passing accuracy.
He won 50% of his aerial duels and made one key pass. He also recorded two interceptions, including one that led to Solanke’s second goal and Tottenham’s third.
Tottenham travel to Turkey looking to maintain their perfect start to the Europa League campaign when they take on Galatasaray before hosting Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
With his recent performances, Sarr has undoubtedly staked a claim for a first-team spot. He may be handed a breather against Gala, but he has to start the Premier League game against Ipswich.
Stats from Sofascore.com
