The comeback victory for Tottenham Hotspur over Olympiakos, Jose Mourinho’s first home game since taking over as manager, could be considered one of the most memorable evenings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so far. A few players shone for Spurs, but Serge Aurier, in particular, had an outstanding evening and could be a vital part of Mourinho becoming a success again in London.
Since arriving from PSG for £23m in 2017, the Ivorian right-back has struggled to hold down a permanent place in the starting eleven.
He has been in direct competition with first Kieran Trippier and now Kyle Walker-Peters on the right-hand side of the defence, despite some commanding performances. The primary issue is that those displays have been few and far between, often surrounded by dismal games with a glaring lack of discipline.
Though with Trippier now an Athletico Madrid player and Walker-Peters still lacking experience, Mourinho has started the Ivorian for both of his opening two fixtures, indicating he has faith in the defender’s abilities.
Aurier repaid that faith against Olympiakos by providing a goal and an assist, dominating the right channel for Tottenham, proving their width. In three Champions League group games, he has now scored and assisted on three occasions, to go with his two assists in eight Premier League games, which is outstanding for a defender.
It is not just going forward where Aurier excels, defensively he has made more than double the number of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s average tackles, in the Premier League, 2.3, and also has a higher number of average interceptions with 1.9.
Those numbers are taken from a smaller sample size, but they signify just how productive the 26-year-old is capable of being when he is motivated.
It has been highlighted how the Ivorian can, at times, lack discipline both mentally and positionally, on and off the pitch, and Mauricio Pochettino even warned the player shortly after signing him.
Mourinho has what could be an incredibly potent asset at his disposal in Aurier, and while a hard-line attitude may be required at times, he would be wise not to use the same methods he used with Luke Shaw on Aurier. Replacing a marauding full-back with an eye for goal and an assist would be more complicated than utilising the one at his disposal.
