In our view, Mateo Kovacic played his best football in a Manchester City shirt during his side’s 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
Kovacic’s spell at the Etihad Stadium has largely been positive so far, without him setting the world alight for the most part.
Settling into life under Pep Guardiola combined with his injury woes has meant the Croatian is still finding his feet at City.
Mateo Kovacic put his best-ever performance at Manchester City against Tottenham
But against Tottenham, it looked like Mateo Kovacic had well and truly arrived at Manchester City.
While the former Chelsea midfielder’s qualities have been evident in several games this season, against Spurs, the full package was on display.
Most notably, Manchester City technician Mateo Kovacic exemplified why his ability to drive with the ball is his standout trait against Tottenham.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are known for their tireless high-press and it was on show against the treble-winners.
But Kovacic’s ability to dismantle the press by skinning players with his quick feet and balletic balance meant City were able to find a way past the hosts’ tactic to suffocate the visitors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Manchester City were especially on the front foot in the first half against Tottenham and a fundamental reason behind their dominance was Mateo Kovacic easing past the pressure applied on him in deeper areas to help his side advance up the pitch.
Another way in which the £150,000-a-week (Sport Rac) man managed to help Pep Guardiola’s men exploit the north Londoners was with his long-passing, which proved to be a huge threat up against the opposition’s much-discussed high-line.
Julian Alvarez, in particular, found acres of space to run into and pick up the ball but Spurs defended extremely well while City themselves lacked cutting edge in the final third.
However, if not for Mateo Kovacic beating players for fun and showcasing his enviable passing range and vision against Tottenham, Manchester City may have been on the backfoot more often against one of the most attacking sides in the Premier League.
The ex-Real Madrid number eight bamboozled Ange Postecoglou and Co. by often playing behind Rodri, operating as a deep-lying playmaker and running proceedings, instead of playing as one of his side’s two advanced midfielders.
Mateo Kovacic managed to make the Manchester City anchor’s job much easier against Tottenham as even defensively, he won several of his duels and stopped the opposition in their tracks from successfully executing a counter-attack.
All in all, Kovacic was arguably the best player on the pitch as he put in his standout performance for Guardiola and Co., exhibiting why he was signed for £25 million (Sky Sports) as the club’s first summer signing.
