A number of Tottenham Hotspur stars are currently representing their respective nations in the World Cup qualifiers, but Lucas Bergvall in particular will hope to forget his last performance quickly
Lucas Bergvall fluffed a golden opportunity during Sweden's clash with Switzerland on Friday evening. The Tottenham Hotspur star has been turning heads in the Premier League this term under Thomas Frank, securing a goal and an assist from six appearances.
Consequently, the 19-year-old was summoned to don his national colours by Jon Dahl Tomasson, as Sweden aim to secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup. After a 2-2 draw against Slovenia in their first qualifiers match last month, followed by a 2-0 defeat to 10-man Kosovo, the heat was on for Sweden to pull out all the stops.
Up against Murat Yakin's Swiss squad at the Friends Arena on Friday evening, however, Blagult fell short of expectations. They suffered a 2-0 defeat, and Sweden's chances of making it to next summer's tournament are now dwindling.
Granit Xhaka broke the deadlock for his country 65 minutes into the game, coolly slotting home a penalty after Djibril Sow was taken down by Alexander Bernhardsson.
Johan Manzambi then added to Switzerland's tally four minutes into injury time, his close-range shot ricocheting off Isak Hien's foot and past a helpless Viktor Johansson, reports Football London.
However, Bergvall could have altered the course of the match just before the interval. With the score still at 0-0, Viktor Gyokeres set up Alexander Isak for a one-on-one at the half-way line, with the Liverpool forward making a beeline for the goal after expertly evading Manuel Akanji.
With two defenders hot on his heels, Isak expertly passed the ball to an unmarked Bergvall, who had the simple task of tapping it into an open goal on the edge of the six-yard box. However, the ball got stuck under the feet of the centre-midfielder, causing him to trip and leave the ball behind before Ricardo Rodriguez managed to clear it.
It comes as Sweden find themselves at the bottom of Group B in the World Cup qualifiers with a single draw and two defeats to their name. The team will face Kosovo again on Monday, 13 October, before Bergvall returns to Premier League action with Spurs.
Since joining the Lilywhites from Djurgarden last February for £8.5million, Bergvall has made quite an impression. So far, the young player has scored two goals and provided seven assists in 55 appearances across all competitions in north London.
He will be keen to put the mishap against Switzerland behind him ahead of his country's match with Kosovo, before returning to club football with Spurs to take on a struggling Aston Villa on Sunday, 19 October.
Despite finishing 17th in the Premier League last season under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham have had a much more successful term under Frank, with four victories, two draws and just one loss from their first seven matches.
As a result, Spurs are currently third in the league table and will be hoping to maintain their momentum when they host 13th-place Villa next week.