Mohammed Kudus has had a hair-raising start to his Tottenham career, with fans convinced that he’s already back to his best.
Tottenham signed Kudus from West Ham over the summer transfer window for a reported fee of £55million.
Already it looks like money worth spent and there is an argument to be made that Kudus is already Spurs’ best player.
The right winger glides throughout the pitch for the Lilywhites with such ease that it almost seems unnatural, with Kudus already showing levels of consistency at Tottenham not seen during his final season with the Hammers.
The perfect combination of speed, technical skill and precision, but there is reason to suspect that Kudus has been handed more than he’d bargained for when he first put pen to paper at Hotspur Way.
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Mohammed Kudus tops Tottenham in creative metric
The versatile winger has carved out an undisputed spot in Thomas Frank’s fluid starting lineup due to his unparalleled creative genius and seamless ability to glide the ball down the right channel.
His creative potential at Tottenham was first realised when he provided two faultless assists to set up a Richarlison double against Burnley in Spurs’ first Premier League game of the season.
The Spurs superstar launched in 10 crosses and five long balls into the area for the hungry Brazilian to gobble up, which is no wonder that, according to Sofascore, the former West Ham man recorded five key passes during the confrontation.
His heroics more than convinced Tottenham fans that he would be their main creative outlet moving forward, but it is safe to say that fans were not aware of just how much the Lilywhites would go on to rely on the Ghanaian international.
Currently at the peak of his powers, Kudus either tops or is second in almost every creative metric for the Lilywhites.
His approach of taking on his man on the right wing, cutting inside and sending a decisive pass into the box has yielded positive results, assisting thrice in the Premier League because of his quick mind and feet.
In all competitions for Tottenham this season, he has created two big chances and has recorded 3.89 dribbles per 90, more than any player in a Spurs shirt thus far.
For reference, Brennan Johnson, who was moved onto the left wing because of Kudus’ arrival, has failed to create a single big chance for Spurs in any competition.
Alarm bells should be sounding when Spurs’ most featured left winger has failed to create a single big chance all season.
Kudus’s tantalising performances from the right wing have not only secured the Lilywhites victory on numerous occasions, but morphed into an unhealthy co-dependency.
Mohammed Kudus is well and truly back
The spectacular winger made shockwaves in the Premier League during his first season with the Hammers, where he netted eight goals and provided nine assists.
His second season was a complete 180-degree turn, where he managed to score just five goals and provide three assists in 32 appearances in the league.
While he has not yet netted for the Lilywhites, Kudus is firing on all cylinders creative wise and has already equalled or surpassed his worst season for West Ham on several fronts.
The reasons behind this change could range from environmental to individual changes, but the biggest has to be the cover behind him.
In a short space of time, Kudus and Pedro Porro have formed a lethal partnership down the right-hand side.
The constant need for the right winger to drive into space complements Porro well, who likes to launch his partners beyond opposition lines.
But more importantly, the Spaniard is also a master of dictating plays from the back and creates for his attackers on a regular basis.
Having a fullback behind him who can find him in favourable positions, but also is competent in defence, means that Kudus is afforded full freedom in attack, knowing that he is covered from the back.
As this partnership continues to build, there is no doubt that what Tottenham fans are seeing right now is only a little taste.
What’s the cost of Mohammed Kudus being back to his best?
Kudus being back to his best makes for a more enjoyable team, but also a more predictable one.
With Xavi Simons most likely reminiscing about his days as a 10 at Leipzig, Johnson, who most would agree should trade his wide boots for some striker ones, and Wilson Odobert, who is young and inexperienced, Spurs are devoid of left-wing options who hold a candle to Kudus’s elite levels of creative output.
This creates a lob-sided attack which can be easily read by defenders. In fact, given Spurs’ problems going forward, it can be argued that the effects of their over-reliance on their star winger are already beginning to show.
Therefore, Kudus carries the weight of Tottenham’s expectations on his shoulders, and harder times await if Frank doesn’t figure out a way to shift it.