Tottenham Hotspur produced one of their best performances of the season to come from behind and beat fellow top-four rivals Aston Villa 4-1 on Sunday (November 3). Dominic Solanke grabbed a brace, and he'll get all the plaudits, but Pape Matar Sarr was also superb in the middle of the park.
Sarr, 22, formed a midfield trio alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski and was sometimes the deepest of the three. He excelled against one of the Premier League's most formidable midfield units, with one key pass and impressive defensive nous to keep the visitors at bay.
The Senegalese midfielder's brilliance didn't go unnoticed by Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold. He waxed lyrical on football.london and gave him a rating of nine along with Solanke. He also highlighted the important role Sarr played in the Lilywhites' win defensively and in attack:
Got better and better as the game wore on and was crucial for Spurs' third goal as he won the ball back and slipped in Richarlison to set up Solanke. An all action performance.
Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 32nd minute with a neat finish after a pinball-like scenario in the Tottenham box. Ange Postecoglou's men bounced back in the second half and found an equaliser in the 49th minute through the in-form Brennan Johnson.
Solanke came to the fore with a delightful five-minute double with 15 minutes left. It took the English striker's tally to four goals in eight league games, and he was excellent at leading the line against Villa.
James Maddison put the icing on the cake for the hosts in the 90+6th minute with a slick free kick. It was a vital win for Postecoglou's men and boosted their top-four hopes after a disappointing loss to Crystal Palace last weekend.
Sarr has been a mainstay in Postecoglou's side since the Australian coach's appointment in July 2023. The young midfielder has broken into the senior team and continuously impressed with performances that sometimes go under the radar. Today was no different as he and Solanke's resilience helped the Lilywhites get back to winning ways.