Ranking Christian Eriksen's Top 10 Moments of the 2014/15 Season so Far
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen began this season seemingly out of favour with new manager Mauricio Pochettino, playing the full 90 minutes just five times before the November international break.
Eriksen fought his way back into Pochettino's first team, however, and has emerged as a key player for Tottenham once again.
He is Spurs' second-highest goalscorer this season, just as he was in his debut campaign in England. With the frustration surrounding Spurs' results of late, it is easy to forget that Eriksen has enjoyed another brilliant year.
He's had plenty of highlights in this up-and-down Tottenham season, but let's dive into the top 10.
A Vicious Equaliser Against Man City
1 of 10
Eriksen came under criticism from Denmark manager Morten Olsen in October for failing to develop after a year in English football, blaming him directly for a European Championship qualifying defeat to Portugal.
In Eriksen's first game back from international duty, he gave an excellent performance in Spurs' credible 4-1 defeat to Manchester City.
The scoreline looked like another thrashing at the hands of a big club, but the performance, led by one of Eriksen's most impressive outings, was most encouraging.
The Dane lashed in a fierce leveller in the first half and showed he could mix it with City's aggressive midfield.
The timing and sense of anticipation of his goal summed up the impact Eriksen can have when he is at his best.
It was neither his first goal nor his most important, but it was a great moment in his season.
Decisive Intervention on Derby Day
2 of 10
Spurs were struggling in September.
A 3-0 thrashing by Liverpool on August 31 ended their unbeaten start to the season. That was followed by a frustrating draw with Sunderland before an abject loss at home to West Bromwich Albion.
The prospect of a north London derby was daunting, but Spurs went to the Emirates Stadium and fought out an excellent 1-1 draw.
Nacer Chadli scored the goal but Christian Eriksen won the ball high up the pitch in the buildup, creating the opportunity for the Belgian to give Spurs the lead.
Eriksen's intervention was far more aggressive than Spurs fans were used to seeing, and it represented him beginning to accept and understand Pochettino's pressing game.
The new manager had been unsatisfied with his performances and withdrawn him early several times in the young season.
This game was a turning point in the relationship.
Eriksen was taken off after an hour of the derby, but it was a tactical switch rather than a reflection of his performance.
Eriksen Stops Southampton's Great Run
3 of 10
Southampton made an excellent start to the season and won four games in a row before their September trip to north London.
Mauricio Pochettino, having left Saints for Spurs in the summer, was looking up the table at his former club.
Pre-season talk of Southampton's demise had, it seemed, been greatly exaggerated.
They arrived at White Hart Lane as favourites, but Christian Eriksen left a permanent impression with an excellent winning goal.
In a tight game of few chances, Southampton were surprisingly defensive. Eriksen eventually found a way through late in the first half with a low, rifled shot.
Having made the goal against Arsenal the previous week, Eriksen was beginning to impose himself on Spurs with regularity.
Few favoured Spurs to get the win that day, but Eriksen's contribution ensured the three points were Spurs' at White Hart Lane.
The First Great, Late Winner
4 of 10
Christian Eriksen secured a comeback victory for Spurs against Hull City in November in the first of what would become trademark late wins for Pochettino's team.
A reflection of their superior fitness, team spirit and the fact that Hull played almost an hour with 10 men, Spurs got a vital winner from the boot of their sensational Dane.
Having begun the match out wide, Eriksen was something of a passenger, but he drifted inside as the game wore on and eventually found the winner with drilled shot from distance.
Hull's hearts were broken and Spurs could feel a little fortunate but, yet again, Eriksen determined the outcome of a match.
2 Goals in 7 Days
5 of 10
Just a week after his late winner against Hull, Eriksen grabbed another vital goal in a tight 2-1 win.
This time, it wasn't the winner but an equaliser after Everton took an early lead at White Hart Lane through a Kevin Mirallas wonder strike.
Spurs were shell-shocked by the Belgian's blinding goal, but Eriksen wasn't about to let the game slip away.
Instead, he scored a sensational equaliser of his own.
Following up on a saved Harry Kane effort wide to the left of goal, Eriksen saw space on the right and clipped his shot over the scrambling Everton defence.
It was the kind of goal that got more impressive the more times you watched it—a sensational strike from a sensational young player.
Eriksen's brilliance was forgotten when Roberto Soldado snatched an unlikely winner, but the Dane's was the key moment.
Youngest Dane to Reach 50 Caps
6 of 10
Of all of Christian Eriksen's great moments this season, one of the greatest came on international duty.
In March, he became the youngest player to reach 50 caps for Denmark.
He is just 23 years old and now surely has his eye on Sergio Ramos' European record; the Spaniard reached 100 caps at 26.
That is a great achievement, but to eclipse his idol, Michael Laudrup, would have made it an even sweeter moment.
Not only is he one of Spurs' most important players, he is Denmark's key man. Already at 50 caps, he is poised to lead Denmark to Euro 2016 and beyond.
Complete Performance in Wales
7 of 10
When Spurs travelled to play Swansea City in December, Eriksen began and ended the match with the ball at his feet.
After laying on Harry Kane's early headed goal, Eriksen struck an 89th-minute winner to claim three points that Spurs never really looked like taking.
If it was a little fortunate the match remained level in the final stages, there was no luck in Eriksen's finish.
He drove a low shot, skidding on sodden surface at the Liberty Stadium, past the diving Gerhard Tremmel to send Spurs' travelling fans into ecstasy.
Even better than the late winner was the fact it came just days after an abject defeat to Besiktas in Istanbul. Eriksen played no part in that fixture, but he was the decisive factor on Spurs' return to domestic action.
Third Goal in 3 Games Against Sunderland
8 of 10
Another day, another late, great goal for Christian Eriksen.
This time, with Spurs' Champions League qualification hopes hanging in the balance, Eriksen fired a precise shot out of reach of Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.
It was a victory that Spurs both needed and richly deserved. Far and away the dominant side, Spurs would have had every right to feel aggrieved had they failed to claim the win, but Eriksen made sure of it with yet another telling contribution.
Eriksen Drags Spurs into League Cup Final
9 of 10
When all around him were losing their heads in the League Cup semi-final against Sheffield United, Christian Eriksen kept his.
Spurs are seemingly more capable of producing this kind of match than any other club in Europe. Nothing is ever really straightforward for the club, and even a home game against a side two divisions down the Football League pyramid was enough to raise heartbeats in the homes of Spurs fans across the country.
After opening the scoring, and seemingly killing off the tie in the second leg, Eriksen was required to level the match with an 88th-minute goal and give Spurs a 3-2 aggregate lead.
His reward was not, as Rudyard Kipling had it, the earth. Rather, it was a trip to Wembley. And isn't that almost as good?
Setting the Tone for the Rarest of Things
10 of 10
If nothing is ever easy for Tottenham, their victory over West Brom at the Hawthorns in January was the exception.
Eriksen cracked one of his typically brilliant free-kicks to give Spurs an early lead. Suddenly, the only question surrounded the margin of their seemingly certain victory.
The Dane got the opportunity to really strut in a game that never looked likely to slip out of his hands.
In a season of decisive moments, this was a highlight of a different kind but no less notable.
He is one of Europe's pre-eminent free-kick specialists, and this game featured an example of his artistry in that field.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
