da dobrowin： After arriving in the summer of 2014 for a fee in the region of just £4m, Eric Dier has enjoyed a roller-coaster of a ride at Tottenham. The England international became a cornerstone of the north Londoners’ side in his first couple of seasons at the club, but has seen his influence and playing time dwindle in recent times.
da betobet： Even as recently as the 2017/2018 campaign saw the 25-year-old register 47 appearances across all competitions, but last year that number dropped to a measly 28. However, with Jose Mourinho now in charge, Dier appears to be enjoying somewhat of a renaissance, with the holding midfielder featuring in every Premier League game under the new Spurs manager except against Manchester United – the only game in fact that the Lilywhites have lost under the Portuguese man.
On the chalkboard
And on Sunday afternoon, Dier will need to be at his absolute best to preserve his own personal unbeaten record under Mourinho when he comes up against Mason Mount and Chelsea. The Blues midfielder has been in fine fettle under Frank Lampard this season, and is no doubt one of the poster boys of the Stamford Bridge side’s academy revolution. The 20-year-old has struck five times and provided a further two assists, and will surely be deployed from the attacking midfield position that he has occupied the most this campaign (14 games).
Watch Spurs vs Brighton Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day
Against Wolves last weekend, Dier had Moussa Sissoko alongside him, and the Frenchman was given the licence to break forward. If that is to be the case again this time against Chelsea, then the former Sporting CP man will have to be even more alert from a defensive perspective. Mount has been incredibly involved in the attacking phases of play for the Blues, registering 2.7 shots and 1.5 key passes per game in the Premier League this year.
Dier’s interception numbers at 0.9 per game in the top-flight is the lowest it’s ever been in his Spurs career, whilst his 1.3 fouls committed is only just better than the 1.4 he managed in the 2014/2015 season. Essentially, his discipline has gotten worse, and his reading of the game hasn’t been up to scratch, and Mourinho will be hoping that is down to lack of match practice and rustiness. If the midfielder puts up his Premier League averages for the season against the Blues on Sunday, then Mount will relish his chances of leading his side to victory.
Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?
Dier has been one of the main beneficiaries of Mourinho’s arrival as manager. But if he doesn’t considerably up his game to what he has produced before, then both him and his new boss will be in for a rude awakening.
Meanwhile, this Tottenham ace delivered a composed midfield display against Wolves.