99 passes, 9 tackles: Tottenham star produced incredible display at Newcastle

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Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was exceptional as Tottenham Hotspur beat Newcastle United 3-2 at St James’ Park on Sunday.

One of Nuno Espirito Santo’s biggest problems in the opening couple of months of the season has been finding the right combination and system to get the best out of Tottenham’s midfield.

Oliver Skipp has been a revelation throughout the campaign. And Hojbjerg has shone at times. And yet, it seemed that something was not quite right for Spurs.

But Tottenham may have now found the right formula, with Hojbjerg and Skipp’s presence leaving Tanguy Ndombele with the licence to make an impact further forward.

Ndombele scored a fantastic goal. And Skipp was lauded by a raft of supporters for his display on Tyneside.

But the statistics suggest that Hojbjerg’s contribution was just as crucial.

As shown by Whoscored, the Dane completed 99 passes. That is 25 more than the next most prolific passer: Skipp. Hojbjerg also only misplaced four passes during the entire game.

Meanwhile, he also managed a staggering nine successful tackles. Cristian Romero, Skipp and Ndombele managed four each. Emerson Royal meanwhile, was on five.

And of course, it was Hojbjerg’s delicious pass that allowed Harry Kane to end his wait for a Premier League goal this season.

Tottenham still have plenty to work on. They had an opportunity to storm to a comfortable win after going 3-1 up before the break.

But that trio of Hojbjerg, Skipp and Ndombele in the middle of the park could be hugely important to their fortunes moving forward.