Eric Dier was again the sacrificial lamb for Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as he was substituted at half-time against Chelsea.
On the chalkboard
The England international was taken off in the first half earlier this season against Olympiacos as Spurs fell behind early and it was a similar story here.
With the score 2-0 as the half-time whistle blew, he was replaced by Christian Eriksen.
The Denmark international couldn’t institute any change, though, and one has to examine whether boss Jose Mourinho was right in his assertion that Dier should be hooked.
Per WhoScored, Dier had just 17 touches of the ball and registered a pass completion rate of 78%.
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And that’s about it.
Partnered with Moussa Sissoko in midfield, he did not complete a dribble, nor did he have a shot on goal, win an aerial duel or a tackle.
He did make one clearance but he didn’t make an interception either in a performance that was befitting a team that had precious little impact on the game itself.
The right call
Mourinho got a lot wrong on Sunday.
His decision to partner Dier with Sissoko essentially robbed Spurs of a player with the ability to break the press instituted by the Blues.
But the decision to remove the defensive midfielder was the right one.
Eriksen, on paper, could have added some dynamism and actually create some chances.
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That he didn’t – he didn’t register a key pass – isn’t really Mourinho’s fault.
The substitution was sound in principle, with Dier underperforming in the centre of the pitch.
In this scenario, Mourinho isn’t at fault at all.
Meanwhile, one Spurs target could end up at the club due to “fate”.
