It has taken quite some time but Tottenham fans got a glimpse of the real Yves Bissouma on Sunday evening. Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer, the Mali international has not had the smoothest of transitions since signing on the dotted line at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Viewed as a player who could give the Lilywhites a midfield upgrade and help take them to the next level, the 26-year-old has mainly had to settle for minutes off the bench following his move. Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's outstanding form has certainly not helped his cause one bit, yet when Bissouma has been given the opportunity by Antonio Conte, he has very rarely taken it.
Wowing at the Amex and a major part of Graham Potter's eye-catching side, the ex-Lille ace has so far looked a shadow of his former self but it was always going to take him time to adapt to life at Tottenham and get used to Conte's demands. Maybe taking longer than many expected given his Premier League experience, the Spurs boss outlined in September that his new man was struggling with the tactical aspect following his switch.
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"The only player that is struggling a bit with the tactical aspect is Bissouma, but also he is improving a lot in every aspect," said the Italian. "I am sure when we start again and play 12 games, for sure he is another player I can count on but I try to take the best decision for the player because I want to protect the player."
He added: "Also the midfielder is a specific role for us, with the ball and without the ball. It's not simple. I ask for some moments, some positions. They have to be a point of reference in every moment of the game.
"The midfielder for sure, to go into our idea of football is maybe the most difficult position, but we are talking about a player that has great skill, good running. With the ball he's really good, defensively he has to pay more attention. More attention because especially we only have two midfielders and then they have to be good with the ball and without the ball, but I'm really happy with his signing."
Hooked on the hour mark in his previous Tottenham start at Bournemouth last Saturday, Bissouma played his part in Marseille three days later after coming on after 29 minutes to get Tottenham over the line. Not only did he add boost their midfield presence and help them take control in the middle, he impressed as the side secured top spot in Group D when at one point it looked like they could crash out of the Champions League altogether.
Named in the Tottenham starting XI for the fourth Premier League game in a row on Sunday, Bissouma took confidence from his performance in Marseille and looked more like his old self against Liverpool. Sloppy at times in his previous starts against Manchester United and Bournemouth, the summer signing was so much more assured on the ball and showed off his talent with some impressive footwork and dribbling.
Battling well in midfield, jumping in for challenges and showing plenty of composure when he was in possession, the confidence in his game, which hasn't been there at times this campaign, was evident and that allowed him to flourish and cause the Reds some real problems as he constantly showed for the ball. Tottenham's approach to proceedings also worked in his favour as in the second half they really had to take the game to Jurgen Klopp's men, who were 2-0 to the good at the interval.
Playing on the front foot and always pushing for that goal, Bissouma found himself higher up the pitch for the majority of the second half and found himself in some really good shooting positions. It was perhaps more like the style he was used to at Brighton rather than what Tottenham have served up in his previous starts, when the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United have taken the game to them.
Withdrawn on 88 minutes as Lucas Moura was introduced, it was by far his best performance in a Tottenham shirt and he has left fans wanting so much more. His display has given Conte a glimpse into the future as well as more game time will come the player's way if he replicates his Liverpool showing and continues to kick on.
The break for the World Cup has probably come at the wrong time for Bissouma as he will no doubt have wanted the games to keep on coming in his bid to try and get back to the top of his game. However, the pause in play could actually work in his favour as he will now be able to have some quality time on the training pitch at Hotspur Way with Conte while the likes of Hojbjerg and Bentancur are off representing their countries.
The jam-packed schedule has limited the quality work the boss and his coaching staff can do with the players on the training pitch in the opening few months of the season, but time is now one thing they are going to have over the next month. After all, having free midweeks towards the end of last campaign worked wonders for the team as they sealed a top-four finish.
Tottenham fans have yet to see Bissouma at the top of his game but his Liverpool performance suggests that he is heading in the right direction after such a tough start to life in the capital. A good month working closely with Conte is a mouthwatering prospect ahead of the second part of the 2022/23 season.
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