Lucas Moura and Tottenham Hotspur: A Match Made In Heaven?

Simply put, Lucas Moura has been sublime for Tottenham Hotspur in 2018/19. The Brazil star has notched four goals in 13 competitive appearances for Spurs this season and he was named the Premier League Player of the Month for August after excelling at the beginning of the campaign. Moura’s form has suffered a little from […]
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sambafoot_admin
2018-11-06 14:39:00

Simply put, Lucas Moura has been sublime for Tottenham Hotspur in 2018/19. The Brazil star has notched four goals in 13 competitive appearances for Spurs this season and he was named the Premier League Player of the Month for August after excelling at the beginning of the campaign. Moura’s form has suffered a little from the return of Heung-Min Son after international duty with South Korea but the Brazilian can still play a key role for the north London outfit.

Tottenham are currently fifth in the Premier League table, five points off the pace after their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at the end of October. Mauricio Pochettino’s side are heading in the right direction though and plenty of punters will fancy Spurs to pip their rivals to one of the coveted top four spots. Qualifying for the Champions League is an absolute must for Tottenham these days and Pochettino’s men are the only team to finish inside the Premier League top three in each of the last three years. With that in mind, the omens bode well for Moura and co…

The 27-year-old was given a well-deserved rest in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup win away at West Ham United and Spurs fans could see Moura regain his early season form. Recharging the batteries is important for any player but even more so for an attacking midfielder. The Brazilian will be central to Tottenham’s chances of finishing in the top four this campaign and unnecessarily risking an injury due to fatigue in a League Cup fixture seems pointless, even if a chance at silverware is important for those long-suffering Tottenham supporters.

Once labelled as the new golden boy of Brazilian football, Moura has matured into a skilful and reliable midfielder. Capable of creating chances in tight-knit areas, the former Paris-Saint Germain star has been a regular in Pochettino’s starting line-up in 2018/19 – starting in all 10 of Tottenham’s Premier League fixtures. In fact, Moura has notched 857 minutes of top-flight football this campaign; four times as many minutes as he managed after joining the north London outfit midway through last season.

Moura’s speed and energy have helped him hold down a spot under Pochettino and the Spurs boss has heaped plenty of praise on the Brazilian in recent weeks. Tottenham are blessed with a wealth of creative midfielders but Moura offers something different to the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and even Son. His enthusiasm and stamina, as well as his commitment to the cause, are two of his greatest traits and Spurs fans are also grateful for Moura’s tracking back.

As of November 2nd, Tottenham have the fourth best defensive unit in the Premier League in terms of goals conceded (8) and Moura’s work rate is a key reason for that. With either Harry Winks or Eric Dier marshalling in front of the back four, the Brazilian has made a conscious effort to get back and help his teammates out – and that has not gone unnoticed on the terraces. Moura is just as influential in the middle third as he is the final third; the 27-year-old is a wizard between the 18-yard boxes.

Spurs fans responded to the Manchester City defeat in the perfect manner with that victory over West Ham United and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Spurs climb into the top four in the coming weeks. Oddschecker punters backed Tottenham in that clash and bettors will fancy the north London outfit to go on and finish in the Champions League spots. 10/11 is a solid price for Pochettino’s men to book their place in Europe’s elite club competition for yet another season.

Moura’s performance at Old Trafford will live long in the memory of Spurs fans; he was almost unplayable at times. That was the Brazilian at his very best and we could see Moura emulate that individual effort in the not-so-distant future. Consistency is one of his main strengths on the football pitch but Spurs fans will be hoping that he can take a match by the scruff of the neck on a more regular basis. That is perhaps where he is lacking compared to some of his peers.

Daniel Levy knows a bargain when he sees one and, at £25 million, Lucas Moura could turn out to be one of his best buys. Tied down for another five years, Spurs fans will be excited to see Moura shine at White Hart Lane – he will be pivotal to their chances of success in the coming years. Brazilian footballers quite often fail in the Premier League but Moura ticks all of the boxes to succeed in England’s top flight. Pochettino will quite often turn to Moura in the biggest fixtures, and that is a testament to both his skill and reliability.

Lucas Moura is a special talent and neutrals should sit back, relax and watch him light up the Premier League. The likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son are all gifted players in their own right but Moura might just be Tottenham’s most talented attacking midfielder. With that Brazilian spark, charisma and energy, Moura can continue to hold down his spot in Tottenham’s starting line-up and the north London side will benefit from his creativity. Watch this space, Moura still has plenty to give in 2018/19.

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