Andoni Iraola names three Tottenham players who amazed him this season

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Andoni Iraola has named the three Tottenham Hotspur players who amazed him during their win over Bournemouth earlier in the season.

Goals from James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski earned Spurs the three points at the Vitality Stadium back in August. It was Maddison’s first competitive goal for the club following his move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer.

Bournemouth are a very different side now. The Cherries took some time to get going under Andoni Iraola; not winning a game in the Premier League until late on in October. But since then, they have been in stunning form, winning six and drawing one of their last seven.

Andoni Iraola praises Tottenham trio after win back in August

Certainly, Ange Postecoglou and his side will not be taking them lightly today when they meet in North London.

Of course, Maddison remains sidelined. And Yves Bissouma is suspended. And Iraola might see that as a big boost having praised what the pair, along with Destiny Udogie, did in the previous meeting.

“I remember the game against Spurs [a 2-0 home defeat in August]. For me, we played really well and got them in difficult situations, but they had Maddison, Bissouma, Udogie, making amazing plays from very disadvantaged positions. And you say, ‘Woah, we’re doing what we want to do, we’re getting them into the places we want, and even then they’re finding ways to get out and counter’,” he told The Times.

“It was the moment I said, ‘Oof, we have to be really clinical if we want to compete in this league’. But also, ‘This is why I am here’. Because you want to face the best coaches in the world, the best players in the world.”

Spurs face massive task trying to secure a repeat result

Iraola’s comments do help sum up what Tottenham’s season has been like so far. They were flying at the start of the campaign, with Maddison scoring three goals and providing five assists.

Meanwhile, Bissouma looked to be back to his best after a difficult first year with the club.

But Tottenham have suffered several injuries to so many key men over the last couple of months. And that has meant that results have been so much harder to come by.

They have won three of their last four. But given Bournemouth’s form right now, few Spurs fans will be as optimistic as they probably would have been when the sides previously met.