Gary Lineker has admitted that losing Moussa Sissoko to injury in the first-half was a major blow for Tottenham in their 4-3 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday night.
Sissoko, 29, was forced off in the 41st minute after suffering an injury that left him struggling to walk, and after the break you could tell that Spurs were struggling without his influence in the midfield.
The France international has undergone a huge transformation this season, turning him into a key player despite being on the fringes of the squad last term.
Sissoko’s previous role as a squad player has led to Lineker being shocked at how much Tottenham missed him after the break.
“Words I never thought I’d utter, but losing Sissoko was a massive blow to Spurs,” he said via his personal Twitter account during the game.
Words I never though I’d utter, but losing Sissoko was a massive blow to Spurs.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 17, 2019
OPINION
Why has it taken until the middle of April to realise that Tottenham would miss Sissoko? His brilliant form is nothing new and he is a solid contender to win the North London club’s player of the season. Heung-min Son probably has that in the bag to be fair, but Sissoko has definitely been in the top-three players for Spurs in 2018/19. Hopefully his injury is not that bad and can return to Tottenham as soon as possible because he is so pivotal in that midfield. After he went off injury, Man City dominated the midfield because Spurs have no one who can replace the physical impact of the former Newcastle player. Victor Wanyama is not the player he was and two years ago, you would expect him to be able to play that role. It’s the same with Mousa Dembele, who had so many injuries that he couldn’t cope with that role that Sissoko now plays in and that eventually led to his exit in January.