Tottenham Hotspur recorded yet another impressive victory over the weekend, extending their Premier League unbeaten run at the hands of Luton Town.
However, it was a game marred by referee drama again, with the official in question rightly dismissing Yves Bissouma for two foolish yellow card offences in the first half. It will mark a big blow to miss someone who has grown so swiftly into a hugely integral figure for Ange Postecoglou.
How is Yves Bissouma playing this season?
Having been brought in under Antonio Conte, opportunities were limited for the Mali international, despite having starred previously for Brighton and Hove Albion.
However, the clean slate provided by their new boss has already paid dividends, with the £25m man now boasting a 7.27 average rating in the league, making him the Lilywhites' seventh-highest-rated player.
The 27-year-old sits at the base of their midfield and provides the link between defence and attack, willing to accept the ball in tight areas and dictate the play. Such is his return to form, which has seen him maintain a 91% pass accuracy alongside 3.3 tackles per game, pundit Jamie O'Hara sought to laud him:
"For me, when he came in from Brighton, I thought he’s going to be a brilliant signing. And last season, he was terrible. This season, he looks unbelievable. He looks like a £100 million player."
So, with his one-match suspension sure to be a tough one to take, the former Celtic boss must begin devising a plan of how to replace such a monumental figure.
With few midfielders within the squad matching his play style, perhaps an experiment could be in order, to move Pedro Porro into a more central role to truly flex his creative muscles.
What are Pedro Porro's best qualities?
After all, the Spaniard boasts all the attributes needed to thrive in such a position, given he boasts fine anticipation, is strong in the tackle and remains economical in possession.
In fact, when compared to other full-backs across Europe, the former Sporting CP man sits in the top 1% for blocks per 90, the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90, and is averaging a pass accuracy of 83% in the league this term, via FBref.
Although the £85k-per-week dynamo is starring on the right flank for Postecoglou, such a shift would only mark a temporary one, to retain an element of creativity that the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp perhaps lack.
Average Rating
7.46
7.29
Pass Accuracy %
83%
91%
Key Passes
1.6 per game
0.6 per game
Tackles
3.0 per game
3.3 per game
Ball Recoveries
5.1 per game
6.1 per game
Stats courtesy of Sofascore.
Such a suggestion is only reinforced given how Emerson Royal could certainly step in and perform if needed too, as although minutes have been scattered for the Brazilian, he still boasts a 92% pass accuracy and 2.4 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League, via Sofascore.
To further emphasise Porro's ability to shift inside, his heat map, whilst naturally very focused down the right, does actually have patches in the midfield areas anyway.
Then, Postecoglou's praise for the 24-year-old should act as decisive proof, given his delight with the adaptability of the new system:
"Pedro has been super. Obviously, with our full-backs, we’re asking for a different type of role than they’re used to, and both him and Destiny have opened up really well to it.
“They’re trying to learn, trying to understand it. I think it suits Pedro in many respects because he’s such a good footballer, technically, he’s a very good footballer, but he’s also a great athlete."
Whilst it will not be forever, a home clash against Fulham marks as good a time as any to trial an idea that could offer a viable replacement should Bissouma suffer from a long-term absence later in the season.
