It was a work of art: smart pressing, a quick change of pace, a feint in the box to leave an opponent looking like a fool when no one could have expected it, then a cool finish that sent the Camp Nou wild.For once the scorer wasnt Lionel Messi. Ousmane Dembls opener against Tottenham in Barcelona on Tuesday was as fine an individual effort as you will ever see in the Catalan capital. The kind that makes it worth the price of admission, judging by the euphoria with which the home support reacted.4
The curious case of Ousmane Dembele and the stars who could be set for Premier League transfers
4Dembele’s full range of skills were on display against TottenhamThe goal showed off everything that can make Dembl great: dribbling with one foot and finishing with the other, pace, the ability to put the breaks on when most people would feel rushed into a poorer decision, and the confidence to resolve potentially tricky situations at a numerical disadvantage, where others may have been tempted to wait for reinforcements.Yet thereafter he showed everything that can make him so frustrating to watch. A simple pass needlessly given away here, an unnecessary attempt at a sombrero that relinquished possession there, instead of building on his goal the attacker seemed to at best get careless in his decision making at worst, lazy. Team-mates actively looked for him, but the result was often that of a move breaking or slowing down. A neither-shot-nor-cross that was barely in the same postcode as the run of Munir just before the break summed things up well. You can go to sleep now, Catalunya Radio commentator Bernat Soler had joked when Dembl scored the goal early on. He probably didnt think the player would take the advice literally. The credit built up by a truly special goal meant the forward nonetheless went off to warm applause from the Camp Nou when Valverde withdrew him with 15 minutes played, yet there is still an overarching feeling he could have done more. One more contradiction.Thats the story of his season. One of nine goals in all competitions, including against Real Madrid, Atltico Madrid and Espanyol the hat-trick of most valuable domestic opponents for Barcelona as well as a winner in the Spanish Supercup. Yet also, one of disciplinary problems, an inability to stay switched on for 90 minutes, and steps back following steps forward. There is undoubtedly an excellent player for Barcelona in there, waiting to be unlocked, but Dembl remains a puzzle for Valverde to fully solve.
"Tottenham Hotspur, Kieran Trippier's Wikipedia page has already been updated after tonight 😂 pic.twitter KERIAN TRIPPIER JUST SCORED THIS OWN GOAL AGAINST CHELSEA OMG IM
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. - Wikipedia
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