Former striker backs Mohammed Kudus to take his game to a next level at Tottenham under Thomas Frank
Tottenham Hotspur resume their Premier League campaign after the international break with a trip to London rivals West Ham United on Saturday.
After back-to-back wins over Burnley and Manchester City, Spurs were handed their new season’s first defeat by Bournemouth. Evanilson’s deflected first-half strike was enough to help Bournemouth beat Thomas Frank’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and end their winning run in the third game of the campaign.
As such, the Lilywhites will be raring to get back to winning ways against West Ham. On the final week of the summer transfer window, the Hotspur Way chiefs brought in Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani. Simons has been chiefly signed to shoulder the bulk of team’s creativity in the injury absences of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, while Kolo Muani will compete with Richarlison and Dominic Solanke up top.
Despite Tottenham’s strong attacking unit, one player stands out.
Former striker backs Mohammed Kudus to take his game to a next level at Tottenham under Thomas Frank.
Mohammed Kudus has enjoyed a strong start to life at Tottenham
Former Spurs striker feels Mohammed Kudus can take Thomas Frank’s team to the next level
The game against West Ham will see Mohammed Kudus return to London Stadium for the first time since making the summer switch across the capital.
The 25-year-old joined Spurs in a £55m deal from the Hammers in July and has not taken much time to hit the ground running. He has registered two assists in three Premier League outings in a Tottenham shirt and must be looking forward to face his former employers. However, beyond Saturday’s game, former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe believes that he can go and take the Lilywhites to the “next level”.
“He’s [Kudus] gone from West Ham to Tottenham and the West Ham fans aren’t happy because he’s a top player,” Jermain Defoe told iPaper.
“He’s a match-winner and I still think he can go to the next level as well. I feel like he can do more.”
Former striker backs Mohammed Kudus to take his game to a next level at Tottenham under Thomas Frank.
Mohammed Kudus has made an instant impact at Tottenham Hotspur.
Kudus has the chance to haunt West Ham early in the season
The departure of Kudus to Spurs has left a bitter taste in West Ham fans, and we expect him to get a hostile reception from the London Stadium faithful. There will be pressure on the Ghanaian international to deliver the goods against his former club and the best way to silence the crowd will be by either scoring or assisting a goal.
The Nima-born talent has already started building a strong understanding with Pedro Porro on the right flank, and the duo have the capacity to give the home side’s defence problems. It is going to be a tense derby, with more edge expected due to Kudus’ exit. From Tottenham’s perspective, the onus is on Kudus to show what the West Ham fans are missing.