On Sunday afternoon, Tottenham retained their lead at the top of the Premier League with a disciplined 2-0 north London derby win against Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The match produced a typical Jose Mourinho-type performance in a big game. The home side defended stoutly and hit the visitors on the counter-attack.
The usual suspects Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane scored the vital goals in the first half before an understandably more cautious second period and a defensive masterclass.
Kane and Son will be seen as Tottenham’s most important players due to their consistency in attack. However, one player that proves just as crucial for Spurs in recent games is summer signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
On Sunday the former Southampton midfielder was everywhere, playing a crucial role in breaking up the visitors attacking play. He is the sort of player that Spurs have been missing. He is a midfield destroyer, but when in possession he distributes the ball superbly.
In fact, no Tottenham player on the pitch against the Gunners had a better pass percentage rate of the midfielder’s 79.5 per cent.
In short, he seems like a player that has everything in his game to be a top defensive midfielder. He also keeps it simple when he needs to and will sacrifice to let Tottenham’s more attacking players do their jobs.
Spurs have in the past been slightly soft. They have been outfought, which has arguably cost them the chance to win big trophies. While one player cannot win a team a trophy, the right addition can prove pivotal in helping a team to success.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was not the most glamorous signing of the summer, but the Danish international is proving ever more important with every game he plays for the team from north London.