Pape Sarr is Tottenham's new undroppable as Dejan Kulusevski partnership blooms | OneFootball

The 22-year-old is fast becoming key to Ange Postecoglou, which is pushing James Maddison out

In the space of five days, Tottenham dumped Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup and thrashed Aston Villa 4-1, with Pape Sarr key to both big results.

The midfielder was at the heart of the hosts' fightback after the break, as Ange Postecoglou's side characteristically recovered from Morgan Rogers' goal to blow their top-four rivals away after the interval, just as they did at Villa Park last season.

Pape Sarr has become one of Spurs’ most reliable performers

Getty Images

But in between Dominic Solanke's well-taken double took the game away from Villa, and Sarr created both goals with his direct running and unselfish passing.

The Sengalese started the slick move for Solanke's first goal with a dart forward and pass between Villa's lines to Johnson, before he intercepted Pau Torres' pass and drove up the pitch for Tottenham's third of the afternoon. Sarr slipped in Richarlison, who squared for Solanke to do the rest.

Sarr won possession in midfield nine times against Aston Villa, the most of any player in a top-flight game this season.

His a different kind of player to Maddison, who is currently his direct competition to play as Postecoglou's left-sided No8. Sarr's game is based on hard running with and without the ball, while Maddison is more of a technician, who is better equipped to break the opposition lines with inventive passes rather than dynamic dribbles.

At half-time on Sunday, trailing to Rogers' goal, Spurs looked like a side missing Maddison's ability to pick a lock, as they struggled to make inroads against a compact Villa, who were doing an excellent job of frustrating their hosts by shutting down the space.

Spurs have lost just once when Sarr starts, the 2-1 reverse at Newcastle when withdrawn at half-time

Spurs needed a moment of precision from Son to get them going but, after the equaliser, it was Sarr's energy and poise which made the difference.

"I rate him so highly; his capacity again to work for the team but also the quality he has in breaking open oppositions with his running with the ball," Postecoglou said of Sarr. "I knew he'd be important because they've got such a hard-working midfield with Onana, Tielemans, McGinn in there, Rogers."

With Sarr next to the in-form Dejan Kulusevski, who is currently thriving as the right-sided No8, Spurs have incredible running power in the middle, two tireless workers who relish getting up and down the pitch and have the quality to make a difference in the final third.

They are both beginning to rack up the goal involvements, and Kulusevski set up Solanke's first goal - a lovely dink over the onrushing Emiliano Martinez.

Spurs' energy in midfield, where Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma did another effective job share at No6, was particularly important against Villa, ensuring the visitors struggled to counter-attack in the first half and were simply overrun after the break.

AP

"[Villa] don't really play with wide players, they work awfully hard in that midfield area and you've got to match that," Postecoglou added. "You're never going to break them open unless you do that. [Sarr] just put in another enormous effort. Along with Rodri and Biss when he came on, and Deki of course."

Maddison works hard off the ball, too, and his free kick was a timely reminder of his technical quality and goal threat. But it is hard to escape the sense that Spurs are currently a more effective team with Sarr and Kulusevski as the midfield two.

The statistics suggest the same, with Sarr starting only one of Spurs' four League defeats this season, the 2-1 reverse at Newcastle in August, when he was withdrawn at the interval.

He has also been impressive in their 100 per cent start in the Europa League, scoring against Qarabag and in the 2-1 win over Ferencvaros.

Amid all the focus on 17-year-old Mikey Moore and Tottenham's other teenage talents, it has been easy to forget that Sarr has only just turned 22.

He is still young, with huge scope to improve, but increasingly Sarr feels like one of the most important players to Postecoglou's developing team.