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Martin Keown claimed last night that Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele is “much improved’ after his performance in the Europa League knockout rounds.

Jose Mourinho’s side recorded a 2-0 home win on Thursday night against Dinamo Zagreb, which gives them a strong aggregate lead from the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie.

Harry Kane was once again the match-winner for Spurs, scoring a goal in each half to continue his remarkable individual season.

Pundit and ex-Arsenal defender Keown gave a special mention though to Ndombele.

The 24-year-old midfielder gave an all-action display in the centre of the park before being substituted off during the second half, perhaps with one eye on this weekend’s North London derby in the Premier League.

He once again showed some dazzling moments with his dribbling in possession, with opponents Dinamo Zagreb resorting to constantly fouling him in the end.

“Ndombele is actually a much improved player in this new-look Spurs team. Really interesting to see that player playing off the front ,” Keown told BT Sport 2 (11:18pm, 11 March).

TBR’s View:

If you look at the Ndombele now compared to the one during the early stages of his Spurs career, it’s almost unrecognisable.

The box-to-box central midfielder is now playing with the kind of consistency needed to be a top player, and it’s remarkable to see his turnaround to become a key individual in Mourinho’s XI.

He’s an eye-catching individual that has become a real fan favourite, playing with the kind of flair and arrogance of a top player.

Ndombele is now in a position where right now he’s got to be one of the first names on the team sheet.