Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali’s underlying numbers show just how hard it will be to dislodge the pair from the Tottenham starting XI as they continue to impress under Roberto De Zerbi.

Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes once again started in the double pivot for Tottenham Hotspur in their clash against Crystal Palace.

The pair had impressed against Chelsea last time out, with Fernandes earning praise from Roberto De Zerbi for his maturity and display in possession.

The Tottenham boss said: “Mateus Fernandes maybe was one of the best players on the pitch like Mathys Tel. Archie Gray is younger, but he is older as a mentality. I am very, very happy.”

Fernandes’ numbers against the Blues backed up the manager’s claims, with the midfielder producing 16 impressive statistics that highlighted his talent both in and out of possession.

Tonali, meanwhile, has been impressing since Spurs’ outing against Coventry City and even earned praise from De Zerbi following the Palace encounter, with the Tottenham boss believing the midfielder counts as two players.

He said: “I’m very happy for the performance, because we showed to be a mature team, with clear ideas. We didn’t concede a counter-attack, maybe just one in the second half. We created many, many chances.

“If we want to follow perfection, we have to be more nasty, no? That is an individual thing, because if I’m number nine, number 10, I want to score. But I can’t say nothing.

“We are improving the physical condition. Tonali today was unbelievable, incredible. We played with two players more. Tonali was the double today. But we are improving with Archie Gray, with Robertson, the two central backs very well, to take the command of the game.

“Mateus Fernandes, another very good performance. Marmoush, Solanke, very well, especially when we lost the ball. So it’s a clear signal that they were inside of the game. Kudus, Mathys Tel, very well. So I think they are improving and the team are improving. The team is improving.”

Spurs Web has now decided to take a look at the underlying numbers following their outing against Palace to see just how well they performed as a pivot.

Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes shine in Tottenham midfield

Once again, both players were outstanding in the middle of the park and earned impressive match ratings from FotMob.

The statistics-based platform rated Fernandes at 8.3, while Tonali was given an 8.0. Those are impressive scores, with the Portuguese midfielder the second-highest-rated player in the game, level with Micky van de Ven and behind only Jan Paul van Hecke.

It is hard to argue with that rating as Fernandes once again showed exactly what he is about as he helped Spurs dominate the midfield.

One standout statistic was his chance creation. Despite playing in the deeper role, Fernandes created the most chances in the entire game with four, one of which was a big chance.

However, it was not just about his work in possession. Fernandes was equally impressive out of possession, contributing heavily from a defensive perspective.

His 10 defensive contributions were the most of any Tottenham player in the match. On top of that, he also recorded:

He was also dominant in the air, winning all four of his aerial duels, while winning four of his seven ground duels. Fernandes also showed a willingness to get on the scoresheet as he got several shots off, two of which were blocked.

Tonali complements Fernandes in Spurs midfield

As for his midfield partner, Tonali was also impressive and complemented Fernandes well. The Italian’s standout metric was the distance he covered, with no player covering more ground than the former Newcastle United midfielder.

Interestingly, the second-highest distance covered belonged to his midfield partner, Fernandes. What stands out, though, is the areas Tonali covered.

Looking at his heat map, the midfielder clearly focused on applying pressure high up the pitch, while Fernandes’ map was more balanced, offering pressing from advanced areas while also maintaining his defensive responsibilities.

In terms of passing, Tonali was the tidier of the two in possession, recording a 93% pass accuracy. His top speed, an often-overlooked quality, was also notable, with only three players on the pitch registering a faster sprint speed than the Italian.

In addition, the midfielder also recorded:

While Fernandes did not win all of his ground duels, Tonali recorded a 75% success rate, winning three of his four ground duels.

From the looks of things, the two players seem to be forming a very strong partnership at the base of midfield, one that is getting better with each passing game.

If they continue to produce performances like these, it will be hard to dislodge them from the starting XI.