What is the importance of Spurs’ Christian Eriksen to the club? The Danish international is a player of true creativity and class, who provides stellar supply to strikers, is deadly during set pieces and can make a pass that no other player would even consider. How important is Eriksen to Spurs’ success?
One player that really benefits from the guile of Eriksen is Harry Kane; it’s no coincidence that Kane wasn’t scoring when Eriksen was injured earlier in the season. It almost seems like the form of the two players are interlinked. If Eriksen is on top form, chances are Kane is putting the ball in the back of the net, too. That’s why Eriksen is so important to Spurs – Kane thrives on supply. Sure, he isn’t completely dependent on others to set him up for goal; Kane can try and forge his own chances, but Eriksen provides invaluable support. It’s easy to man-mark one player, but to mark two is a different story entirely.
Since Eriksen’s debut in September 2013, he has scored more direct free-kicks than any other player in the Premier League. This statistic is almost as impressive as the set-pieces themselves! Eriksen is easily Spurs’ best set-piece magician; whether it’s just outside the box, or from a corner, Eriksen can be relied upon to conjure up a good delivery. Punishing the opposing team from set-pieces is absolutely vital. Every single time Kane, Nacer Chadli or Clinton N’Jie run towards goal, defenders know that even fouling them outside the box is like giving a penalty away. Sometimes a free-kick can save a game. Take the 2-2 draw at Swansea, for example; Eriksen bagged two dead-ball goals, the first perhaps through poor goalkeeping, but the second was an undeniably quality free-kick.
Individually, Eriksen is a wonderful player to watch. His passing is delightful, his dribbling sublime and his last-gasp winning goals exhilarating. Spurs as a whole always seem to struggle when Eriksen isn’t quite on form. This is because there isn’t another player of his creativity or influence on the team. Hard work may eventually crush a defence, but a sleight of ‘foot’ can easily unlock a defensive structure much sooner. All the best teams in the world have players that magically summon a goal; Spurs are far from the best team in the world, but Eriksen is one more step towards a successful Tottenham side.
Many fans talk about Hugo Lloris being one the most important players or even Harry Kane. But, without Eriksen, Spurs would lose creativity, and to lose creativity is to lose attacking style and purpose – two attributes of which Spurs have always been renowned for. Whether he is deployed in a central role, or on the left wing, Eriksen is the catalyst that turns an attack into a goal-scoring opportunity, turning a free-kick into a winner.
How important is Christian Eriksen to Spurs? Very important. If there is one player that Spurs must not let go, it’s Christian Eriksen. Spurs always seem to let their creative players go; take Luka Modrić, Rafael van der Vaart, or, to a lesser extent, Gareth Bale, for instance. Bale is more of a striker nowadays, but he is still creative in his goal-scoring. If Spurs do want to succeed, then they have to continue to build around Eriksen.
