Celebrating a 0-0 draw is never normally a particularly positive thing, but Tottenham fans are beginning to see the good in it with Jose Mourinho now firmly heading back to his best and taking them with him.
The stalemate at Stamford Bridge felt like three points for Spurs, sending them to the top of the Premier League table after ten games. What was frankly a bit mad, though, was Mourinho's decision to hand a full Premier League debut to defender Joe Rodon. Against Chelsea. The same Chelsea that bought just about every top attacker in Europe last summer.
Rodon enjoyed a confident performance against the Blues, and while some errors crept in, it's expected when you're being tested by the likes of Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham and Hakim Ziyech. It's another example of an excitng player being plucked from the Championship and given a chance to run with the bulls. It's easy to overhype players like this, but if anyone can ensure they live up to the hype and get the best out of a defender, it's Mourinho.
The 23-year-old signed from Swansea in October and made his debut that month as a late substitute against Burnley, but this was his first real taste of Premier League action. In his 57 touches of the ball, the Wales international racked up an 85% pass accuracy and attempted five dribbles, but also managed to make two interceptions and four recoveries to contribute to the clean sheet and earn the point.
It was by no means a clean-cut game for Rodon, whose inexperience at the top level showed at times with positional errors that were expertly masked by Moussa Sissoko. Rodon was caught out on the halfway line which led to a disallowed Chelsea goal, and caught under the ball which led to an awkward bounce that Olivier Giroud almost capitalised on. There are no doubt weaknesses to his game, and while he was quick to acknowledge his mistakes post-match, there's no time for dwelling in the top flight.
The willingness to push forward and take those risks, however, combined with a mostly concentrated defensive performance can only suggest positive signs for Rodon. In a game where Tottenham were happy to surrender possession and enjoy frustrating Chelsea, Rodon's typical attacking attributes weren't allowed to flourish, but instead his defensive game and anticipation was tested, which he mostly answered.
If anyone knows how to make good defensive players into great defensive players, it's Mourinho. He's recognised Eric Dier's defensive attributes and turned him into a much more capable centre-back than he ever looked in midfield, and he's managed to make Sissoko finally look worth the £30m Tottenham paid for his services in 2016. That's just a summary of what he's done in north London, and doesn't even consider the wonders he's worked across Europe with Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
Many will point towards the likes of Sissoko, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the continued brilliance of Harry Kane for their success in a rejuvenated Spurs side that has responded to Mourinho's tactical influence, but watching the development of Joe Rodon during the next few years will be incredibly exciting. The season has already proven tough with the fixture congestion, meaning Mourinho will no doubt call upon the 23-year-old more and more frequently.
It's now up to Rodon to continue improving key aspects of his game and refining the areas that got him here in the first place, in order to make good on a promising start to life as a Tottenham player and prove his worth when called upon. Spending every day on the training ground with the Portuguese mastermind can only be a positive, and it will be intriguing to see exactly how much Rodon can progress by the end of the campaign.
Source: 90min
