Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp very much demonstrated on Tuesday evening against AC Milan that they can have a big impact for Tottenham in the present as well as the future. Down to the bare bones in midfield ahead of the Champions League Round of 16 tie with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg suspended and Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma out injured, Antonio Conte had no choice but to start his young midfield duo in such an important game.
Both Sarr and Skipp were excellent in the middle of the park with performances that belied their tender years. The former, who was handed a shock start against Arsenal last month, was perhaps the standout player of the two, although the latter went from strength to strength as the game wore on and appeared to be hitting the form he showcased regularly in the first half of last season.
"About the two midfielders, I think that I'm really happy about the performance from Skippy and Pape Sarr. Honestly to play in this way in the Champions League and to play in the San Siro in this atmosphere, I think that normally it's tough for important players," outlined Conte in his post-match press conference.
