Tottenham Hotspur lost the north London derby to Arsenal yesterday, taking their abysmal tally to five league games without a win.
Since Spurs’ 4-0 win over Manchester City, they’ve only picked up five points out of a possible 27.
Despite taking the lead early on through Son Heung-Min, Spurs would concede twice in a matter of moments as the tie turned on its head.
First, Antonin Kinsky missed the flight of an Arsenal corner, and the ball fell to Gabriel Magalhaes, whose effort deflected off Dominic Solanke and into the back of the net.
Leandro Trossard then ruthlessly finished a chance five minutes later to compound Tottenham’s misery. The opportunity came off a Yves Bissouma giveaway in the middle of the park.
The Malian midfielder had enough time and space to shift the ball off to Djed Spence but tried a needless turn that allowed Thomas Partey to pinch the ball off him.
Besides giving the ball away, Bissouma had an atrocious game in the engine room. The 28-year-old won only one out of four ground duels and failed with his two dribble attempts.
Express had a scathing review for the former Brighton & Hove Albion star, saying, “A disastrous display at the heart of Postecoglou’s team. Unsurprisingly hooked for James Maddison at half-time (3).”
Beyond the errors, Bissouma has given away two penalties this season, adding to his list of egregious mistakes in a Spurs jersey.
The time has come for Spurs to cut ties with the midfielder. He has to be the first name on the transfer list next summer, and a new midfield anchor must be prioritised.
Bissouma does not offer control and is not particularly impressive in his duels, winning only a meagre 51% in the Premier League. His tendency for giveaways in such a delicate position is unacceptable at this level.
With Rodrigo Bentancur still injured, it might not be the wisest move to shift Bissouma off this winter, but he should be one of the first names on the chopping block next summer after an uninspiring spell in north London.