Tottenham vs Arsenal is our live game on Newstalk Sport today from 4pm with commentary from Dave McIntyre and West Brom and ex-Ireland midfielder Steven Reid.
In a way, you could see Gareth Bale’s exquisite winner coming at West Ham given the form he has been in recently.
However the suggestions that he can be put in a similar category to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both premature and wide of the mark.
The El Clasico duo’s status in the world game is down to the consistency they have shown over a number of seasons, rather than months.
Bale is certainly on the right track however, having scored 15 league goals this season (only Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez have scored more times) and putting in a number of virtuoso performances for Tottenham.
But there are aspects of the 23-year-old’s game that can be ironed out.
Passing
While his shooting, dead ball ability, pace and power is excellent, his passing leaves a lot to be desired. It must be acknowledged that intricate passing is not part of his style and is comparatively low for players in advanced positions, but a pass completion rate of 61 per cent in the opposition half can only be described as average at best.
In addition, the Tottenham star has only provided one assist this season despite being involved in the creation of 56 chances – a rate of almost 2.5 chances per game.
But he seems to have the mentality to add new elements to his game. Back in November 2010 after he dazzled in the Champions League, ripping ex-Inter Milan right back Maicon to shreds, there were suggestions that Bale would be stopped in future by defenders doubling up on and restricting access to space on the flank.
However since then he has become more than just a traditional winger and has increasingly learnt to come inside to great effect aided by the free role he has been afforded by Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas.
This summer will be crucial for his development. If Tottenham do achieve Champions League qualification he would be best served by honing his weaknesses at White Hart Lane rather than the glaring floodlights of Barcelona or Real Madrid where world class performances would be expected immediately and consistently.
