Mateus Fernandes’ individual numbers show exactly why the 22-year-old is the perfect number six for Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Due to a combination of injury issues and other factors, De Zerbi has resisted playing Fernandes in his preferred deeper midfield role until the game at Stamford Bridge.

One can argue that the Italian was forced to start the Portuguese star in the middle of the park alongside Sandro Tonali in West London due to Rodrigo Bentancur’s suspension and Lucas Bergvall’s injury.

The former West Ham man delivered a masterclass alongside Tonali, showing exactly why Spurs paid £85m for him in the summer. Speaking after his side’s 2-0 win against the Blues, De Zerbi admitted that Fernandes was the best player on the pitch.

Only one Premier League midfielder is better in passing under pressure than Tottenham’s Mateus Fernandes

What set the 22-year-old apart was his comfort in receiving the ball under pressure from the Tottenham backline and still managing to find the right pass.

That is clearly one of Fernandes’ biggest strengths, and according to Gradient Sports, he is one of the best across the Premier League in that skill. The outlet reveals that the Portuguese star has the second-best pass completion percentage across the division when he is under pressure.

Fernandes completes 92.1 per cent of his passes when under pressure, with the number only bettered by Man City’s Ayoub Bouaddi, who completes 93.3 per cent.

Tottenham have missed this kind of press resistance since the days of Mousa Dembele and Luka Modric – and teams arguably press even higher these days in the Premier League.

The numbers behind Fernandes’ midfield masterclass against Chelsea

The Opta Analyst have revealed that the Tottenham summer signing completed 21 of his passes under pressure at Stamford Bridge, which is the highest any player has had in a single game this term.

Fernandes had 124 touches of the ball, which is more than any player has had away from home this season. The midfielder also led the game for tackles, making five successful ones in West London.

The 22-year-old also played 27 line-breaking passes, which is the 12th most by anyone in a single Premier League game so far this term.