Ndombele could be pivotal for Spurs in midfield battle against Man City

Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele could prove pivotal against Manchester City this weekend. We delve into the stats to explain why...

Ndombele was reportedly on Manchester City's list of transfer targets this summer, but Spurs secured his signature for £63m in early July - two days before City signed Rodri from Atletico Madrid.

The France international made an instant impact on his Premier League debut against Aston Villa, scoring a vital equaliser from range - before Harry Kane netted a late, match-winning double to secure the 3-1 victory.

A raft of signings could make debuts this Saturday, with Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso in contention for Spurs, while Joao Cancelo was an unused substitute for City in their 5-0 win at West Ham - but Ndombele was the most expensive recruit by either club this summer.

Tottenham eliminated Pep Guardiola's men en route to the Champions League final last term - but can Ndombele help Spurs claim their first victory over City in the Premier League for nearly three years?

Why Ndombele could be key

Ndombele shone against Pep Guardiola's men in the Champions League last season, when Lyon produced a shock 2-1 win at the Etihad and held them to a 2-2 stalemate in France during the group stages.

The heatmaps below epitomise his versatility when playing a central role in a 4-4-1-1 at the Etihad in September, fulfilling defensive duties within a 3-4-3 during the reverse fixture and covering attacking-third territory against Villa last week.

This versatility derives from a unique breadth of skills: blistering pace, considerable physical presence and prolific tackling, along with dribbling ability and close control reminiscent of former Spurs favourite Mousa Dembele,

Against Villa, Ndombele started on the right of a three-man midfield, in a 4-3-1-2 system, and primarily looked to exchange passes with right-back Kyle Walker-Peters and Harry Winks in central areas.

The Frenchman looked to retain possession and penetrate midfield, linking with Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane in advanced areas of the pitch - although Villa's deep defensive line limited his through-ball attempts to one.

Spurs face a challenge getting upfield against a City side renowned for dominating possession and stifling opposition, but one of Ndomeble's primary strengths is driving forwards and successfully passing upfield, as the graphic above shows.