Danny Murphy lauds Japhet Tanganga after Tottenham claim win

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Danny Murphy raved about the performance of Tottenham star Japhet Tanganga on Match of the Day 2 (15/08: 10:47pm). The right-back was bang in form as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men kicked off their 2021/22 campaign with a 1-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City.

It was a rip-roaring start by Spurs. Their new stadium was rocking and for Manchester City, it proved a fourth straight defeat since Tottenham left White Hart Lane.

Espirito Santo was chosen as Jose Mourinho’s successor during the summer. He couldn’t have asked for a better start, with Son Heung-min’s goal handing Tottenham a massive three points.

Murphy was quizzed on the performance during last night’s Match of the Day 2. He was delighted with the efforts of Santo’s players; choosing one in particular as the man of the moment.

Murphy said: “It was an amazing performance. They were galvanized. The will and desire to dominate your opponent was crucial to Tottenham’s win.

“Tanganga in the first minute (flew into a challenge), epitomised everything that was good about Tottenham. He didn’t care that it was Sterling and Grealish, he was right after them.”

Murphy is right – Tanganga was star of the Tottenham show

The 22-year-old picked a timely day to arguably turn in his best performance in a Tottenham shirt. He was up against the £100 million Jack Grealish and England’s star of Euro 2020 Raheem Sterling.

Tanganga coped incredibly well with both and although he was substituted in the 83rd minute, he was correctly given Man of the Match by Gary Neville on Sky Sports.

This was a mature performance that highlighted why Spurs fans rate him so highly. The challenge for him now is to convince Espirito Santo that he’s capable of producing the good on a consistent basis for Tottenham.

If he can do that, he could become a mainstay in the right-back position for years to come at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.