Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski has now completed more progressive carries than any player in the Premier League this season.
That’s a stat provided by FBref which shows Spurs’ Kulusevski in first place.
A progressive carry is defined as a piece of possession that carries the ball towards the opponents goal at least 10 yards.
And Tottenham’s Kulusevski has completed 51 progressive carries according to this list.
He’s joined by some esteemed names near the top, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma is in second place with 47 and Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling in third with 45.
For context, Tottenham’s next highest player is Yves Bissouma with just 25 carries.
And whilst there’s a lot more to Dejan Kulusevski’s game at Tottenham, it’s a good indicator of just how well he’s performing.
The £26m signing also boasted a record for outrunning every player in the Premier League earlier this season – some feat.
And with all the praise that’s being shared around Ange Postecoglou’s side this season, Kulusevski’s role may be a little underrated.
It’s only natural that Son Heung-Min and James Maddison have been receiving a lot of the praise for Spurs’ offensive work this season.
Maddison’s passing has been world-class, and the same can be said for Son’s finishing.
But Tottenham do look a much more balanced team with Dejan Kulusevski on the right.
Whilst he can also provide assists and goals, the Swede is beginning to do a lot of the ‘dirty work’ needed to sustain such a run of form.
Perhaps it would only be a period in which Kulusevski was missing that would truly delineate his worth.
However, given how thin Spurs’ squad is this season, they can ill afford to lose any player.
And although he’s not always the first name mentioned, Kulusevski could prove as crucial as anyone for Tottenham.