DEJAN KULUSEVSKI is proving to be a superhero for Spurs – and the Swedish international now claims a special Zorro mask is giving him special powers.
The Tottenham midfielder delivered another fine performance in Friday’s 2–0 win at Nottingham Forest and created Richarlison’s opener before grabbing the second.
Tottenham ace Dejan Kulusevski has drastically improved under Ange PostecoglouPA
Kulusevski revealed his protective mask as the secret behind his newfound successAP
Kulusevski, 23, claimed he felt inspired by wearing the protective item for only the second time after breaking his nose in the last minute of the 2-1 home loss to West Ham on December 7.
The mask got its first outing in the 4-1 win over Newcastle 72 hours later and Kulusevski will be keeping it for Saturday’s home game with Everton.
He said: “It feels good – it gives me a little more power. I like it. I push the secret button on the mask and off we go.
“I’ve not worn it before. I’ve just broken my nose and this is what I have to do to protect it. The doctor says to keep it for one month – we will see.”
Kulusevski continues to be at the heart of all of Tottenham’s creativity.
Since initially arriving on loan from Juventus on January 31 2022, he has delivered 17 Premier League assists.
Only four players, Mohamed Salah (23), Kevin De Bruyne (22), Bukayo Saka (20) and James Maddison (19) have a higher number.
After being urged to add goals to his game by new Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, Kulusevski has started to become more of a threat up front and the strike at Forest was his fifth of the season.
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Tottenham defender Ben Davies, impressed with Kulusevski, said: “He’s actually been very, very good for us this year. It’s not just about how good he is on the ball. He holds it up, secures it but off the ball as well.
“I’m pretty sure he runs the most in our team as well. He runs miles every single game. We’re very lucky to have him.
“He’s such a good player. Obviously, we see it day in, day out, but we want him to be more aggressive. The message has been: ‘Stop looking for your team-mates and actually back yourself a bit more’.
“And now you’re seeing it. He’s direct, he’s putting in crosses that are on the money nine times out of 10. He’s got much more confidence in his shooting now as well and he’s getting the rewards for that.”
Kulusevski is happy that Spurs delivered a second successive win against Forest after a dodgy run of five matches without a victory.
He said: “We were very disappointed with what happened. We played well but we still lost games and now we’re winning and still doing well. We can’t control what’s gone on in the past, we just look forward.
“We conceded some silly goals, we could have controlled things much better. We have to grow, we’re still a young team. The football is there. The football has been there in every single game but we can grow as individuals.”