Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has had quite the year for Tottenham Hotspur. Becoming a key part of the Spurs side ever since Jose Mourinho signed him from Southampton in August 2020, it's fair to say that the club have seen the very best of him over the past 12 months.
Continuing to deliver big performances in the heart of midfield, the Dane has really stepped up in 2022/23 and produced some pivotal moments in Spurs' season to date. Hojbjerg did not actually enjoy the best of starts to the calendar year, however.
Following a strong start to Antonio Conte's Tottenham tenure, the Lilywhites really struggled to find their stride in the first two months of the year and unfortunately couldn't string together back-to-back wins, which in turn raised major doubts over their ability to seal a top-four finish come May. Their 3-2 defeat at home to Southampton was a particular low point having surrendered a 2-1 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
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Hojbjerg did not have a good game at all and was hooked on 60 minutes, with the midfielder an unused substitute four days later as Wolves inflicted even more misery on Tottenham. Conte's decision to substitute Hojbjerg was a significant moment as he had previously played the full 90 minutes in all but one Premier League when he had been available following his transfer to the club.
The huge amount of games looked like it had taken a toll on the player and he appeared to be someone who was in desperate need of a breather. Hojbjerg has not looked back since those two Tottenham games and has gone from strength to strength in the heart of Spurs' midfield.
The January additions of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski helped take Tottenham to the next level, with the former instantly building up such a good understanding with Hojbjerg in midfield. Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane may have been the players who were in the headlines, yet Bentancur and Hojbjerg were the glue behind them making sure the team functioned and were at their best as they went on an incredible charge that resulted in Champions League qualification.
There was even one moment in Conte's post-match press conference after the demolition of Newcastle United in April where the Italian mentioned Hojbjerg and claimed "no one asked me about him". That moment just encapsulated how much the ex-Southampton man goes under the radar at times but he is someone the head coach knows the full value of.
Conte's Viking and a warrior on the pitch for Spurs, Hojbjerg has continued to lead by example and is someone who will be definitely in the running to captain the club one day once Hugo Lloris' time in N17 comes to an end. He may not wear the armband on a matchday for the team but his influence is huge and his impact is one that should not be overlooked.
The attacking side of his game has also improved working under Conte, with the same going for his midfield partner Bentancur. Contributing with three goals and four assists in his 48 appearances last season, the Denmark star has already bettered his goals tally by one this campaign and registered the same amount of assists in 21 outings.
He is going to surpass those numbers by quite some way if his performances from the first part of the season are repeated from Boxing Day onwards once Premier League action returns. Of the four goals he has scored this campaign there is perhaps none more important than his stoppage-time winner away at Marseille.
The goal perfectly summed up Hojbjerg with his never-say-die attitude there for all to see as he went on a driving run at a time when he and his teammates were feeling the toll of a mammoth effort to get the job done in the south of France. The finish was one Kane would have been extremely proud of as well as he powerfully found the net via the post with a rasping drive.
A standout in the Tottenham team this season, it's no surprise to see Hojbjerg as one of the four nominees for the Tottenham Hotspur Fans' Footballer of the Year award for 2022. Pivotal in the heart of midfield, this calendar year has highlighted just how important Hojbjerg is to Conte's Spurs team.
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