James Maddison earned himself the Man of the Match award with two first-half goals in Tottenham’s resounding win at the Etihad. He offered insight into how these Spurs goals were scored in his post-match interview.
Having managed to score 27 goals so far, Tottenham Hotspur are currently the Premier League’s highest-scoring team. 9 different Spurs players have contributed to this tally, showing the benefit of having able goalscorers across the team.
After scoring two against Manchester City, James Maddison has now reached 5 goals so far this season. He has already improved on his total from last year and is currently Tottenham’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League, alongside Brennan Johnson.
Both of the goals scored during the first half at the Etihad were close-range finishes but came from completely different approaches. After his stunning freekick against Aston Villa, as well as strikes against Brighton and Brentford, Maddison is getting goals through a variety of attacking versatility and talent.
In his post-match interview with SkySports, Maddison said (Main Event 23/11/24 at 20:15): “I’ve made a few runs like the one which led to the first goal, but not scored. There have been times when I made those left half-space runs with a midfielder picking me up, but when I burst, it’s like they’re not sure who is picking me up.
“The quality Kulusevski has on that left foot – I said pre-game, ‘when you cut in, look for that in-swinging cross.’ You look at the replay, I barely have to break stride. It was just about getting a good contact.
“(For the second goal) we got it back high on the press. Fullbacks are petrified of Sonny so they don’t always get tight… So I thought instead of making the inside run I’ll pass it and go round him because I saw Walker was just a little bit high and then it was just about staying calm and staying cool.
“I scored one (a chipped finish) against Brentford so I know it’s one I’ve got in my locker – just to have a little dink over the keeper because when you are so close they always like to rush out. They don’t always come off, sometimes you stub your toe on the floor. I’ve done a few of those in training, but it come off today.”
James Maddison’s interviews are always revealing. On this occasion, he has shown how well he has grown to understand his teammates and their strengths. For both goals, he put himself in a position where he knew he would cause the most trouble for opposition defenders and be easy to find for Kulusevski and Son.
Maddison brings a level of intelligence and technique to this Spurs team which is challenging to replicate. Both on the pitch and off of it, he has demonstrated exactly why he is a player Postecoglou cannot do without.
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