MAN OF THE WEEK CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN

THERE was no sign of Tottenham’s pursuit of league leaders Leicester faltering at Stoke on Monday and, once again, Harry Kane and Dele Alli were outstanding. You could not overlook the contribution, though, of Christian Eriksen (right) and two assists in the 4-0 win at the Britannia Stadium took his tally for the campaign to 12. Only Mesut Ozil (18) has created more goals this season. This might be Eriksen’s quietest campaign in terms of scoring since he arrived from Ajax in 2013 — he only has six so far, compared to 10 last year and seven in 2013-14). But that shouldn’t detract from how influential he has become for Mauricio Pochettino. We have been quick to praise Alli, who might win the PFA Young Player of the Year award tomorrow, 12 months after Kane took it, and I have also highlighted how good Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have been. They are the best central defensive partnership in the division. Erik Lamela’s improvement has also caught the eye, but Eriksen’s worth to Tottenham is huge. He isn’t someone who commands headlines like some of his team-mates but they would be the first to appreciate what he does, as was the case at Stoke.