Tottenham Hotspur's pursuit of Champions League qualification can't quite hit a stable vein of form, with last weekend's 2-1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League allowing Aston Villa to reclaim fourth place.

You'd need to harken back to December, before Christmas, to see fifth-placed Spurs' last run of successive victories, winning at home against Everton after securing a controlled 2-0 win away to Nottingham Forest, so it's clear that greater consistency is required going forward.

Ange Postecoglou has made improvements to the club since his appointment back in the summer but if a purple patch is not hit over the coming weeks then it will be difficult to keep pace with the impressive Aston Villa – Manchester United are also on a roll right now and have cut their deficit in sixth to just three points.

The squad will need to pull together, and while the starting line-up rivals most across the division, Postecoglou will need to whole squad to pull together to qualify for the Champions League and surge toward success.

Dejan Kulusevski's biggest rivals at Spurs

One such player who could do with some increased competition for his spot is Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski, who has started 22 Premier League matches this season, scoring six times.

Brennan Johnson is also a big rival for that starring role on the right flank, but given that Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir has remarked that Kulusevski is the club's 'engine', it's hard to imagine that he would be displaced any time soon.

Weir said: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."

What Tottenham need is something "a little bit different", and given that such words have been spoken in regard to Spurs' academy star Jude Soonsup-Bell by U21 coach Wayne Burnett, Postecoglou might just find that extra dimension to give his side the edge.

Jude Soonsup-Bell's style of play

Soonsup-Bell, aged 20, is a product of Chelsea's esteemed youth system but the relentlessness of that scene ended up stifling his chances of a shot among the seniors.

The fact that Soonsup-Bell failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge might be met with question marks by some but the Blues' chequered history in handling talented youth prospects says all that is needed about the possibilities that the future holds.

After making the cross-London switch just over one year ago, signing in January 2023 after Cobham Academy required some trimming, Soonsup-Bell made a decent start but hardly set the world alight, scoring twice from seven matches in the Premier League 2.

But after finding his feet, he used the pre-season to his advantage and has emerged as a thrilling prospect, prolific and potent across the current campaign.

Soonsup-Bell's older brother is among his biggest, most staunch supporters, waxing lyrical about his qualities back in 2021.

He said: "Chelsea saw that he could score goals but contribute more to mould him quickly into a centre forward.

"He is athletic, as a No.9 should be, and he is quite tall and quick. But, for me, his best attribute is his intelligence both on and off the ball. He has the brain for the sport, with composure on the ball."

This natural game intelligence will be crucial as he pushes closer to the fore at Tottenham, with astute decision-making in key moments often the difference between the good and the great.

Last season, as mentioned, he didn't produce anything that special in north London, but having now come on leaps and bounds, Soonsup-Bell is knocking on the first-team's door.

Jude Soonsup-Bell's season by numbers

Soonsup-Bell has posted ten goals and five assists across 15 fixtures in all competitions this season, having played across both wings as well as a more traditional centre-forward role.

Given that he has struck the back of the net six times from just seven outings on the right, it would seem that he could be the perfect option to succeed Kulusevski, with his clinical edge something Tottenham don't quite offer on that side.

The earlier-mentioned Johnson, signed last summer from Nottingham Forest in a sizeable £47.5m transfer, has impressed this term and has scored three goals and provided four assists from 13 starts in the top-flight, but for all his dynamism, the Wales international is not likely to be a free-scoring winger down the line.

Still, the 23-year-old has been hailed for his “frightening” pace by international teammate Joe Allen in the past and has the makings of a star, but Soonsup-Bell could prove to leapfrog him if his development over the next few years goes to plan.

Stat

#

Minutes played

82'

Goals

2

Assists

0

Touches

33

Pass completion

75%

Key passes

2

Duels won

6/8 (75%)

Tackles won

2

Such a talismanic display against senior opposition speaks of Soonsup-Bell's calibre as a top-class prospect, and while he will be unlikely to make his mark in the Premier League this term – though perhaps he will make his senior debut if he continues to impress – the upcoming summer will be crucial.

A loan move next campaign may well have been discussed, while the Lilywhites' anticipated return to European competition will open up multiple new avenues for youngsters to impress.

But with great versatility and a consistent threat across both direct and creative facets of his game, the one-time Stamford Bridge starlet will surely have attracted Postecoglou's gaze over the past months.

True, Soonsup-Bell has some way to go before he is thriving at the forefront of Postecoglou's senior set-up but the initial signs are certainly promising.

With an eye for goal and a selfless passing game to boot, the 20-year-old star must now be unleashed, he might just surprise a few…