Will the Spurs' attacking trio of Son, Kane and Bale be better than Welshman's combo with Ronaldo and Benzema?
With Gareth Bale now in Tottenham Hotspur ranks, questions have been raised if the Welshman will build the same chemistry that he did with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Bale has played 157 matches alongside Ronaldo and his joint goal participation with the GOAT has been 41. When the prodigal son returned to don the white jersey with the Spurs, he was coming off the back of a seven-year stint with Real Madrid.
The famous Ronaldo-Bale-Benzema trio may have parted ways, but in Son and Kane, has Bale found two players equally good? Or perhaps better?
There is no doubt that Ronaldo's success can be attributed to the key roles Benzema and Bale have played. And it's true for the other two as well. Now, all eyes are on the Spurs as they have a deadly trio capable of breaking down their oppositions' defense. They have a world-class multiple title winner in Jose Mourinho — one of the most astute tacticians the sport has seen. In addition, they have a side with players who are multi-faceted and that just makes them bonafide contenders for the title.
While Mourinho himself rubbished comparisons between the two teams saying the Spurs were still a work in progress, the quality of football the side is playing has raised the need to ask the question if Son and Kane are better than Ronaldo and Benzema. Unfair comparison? Maybe. But should it not be a topic of discussion? That's definitely up for grabs. Ronaldo joined Madrid's ranks in 2009 and Bale linked up with the side in 2013.
Bale scored 15 goals in 27 appearances while Ronaldo netted 31 and played three more games. Benzema had 17 goals in 25 games. The following season, Bale's count was 13 in 31 games, while Ronaldo and Benzema registered 48 goals in 35 appearances and 15 in 29 respectively.
However, Bale's key contribution came in the form of assists where he registered double figures in his first season. And now, as he links up with the two quality Spurs strikers, there's every reason to believe they might, if not trump Ronaldo and Benzema, will definitely be their counterparts here in the Premier League.
Son leads the pack with eight goals for the Spurs while Kane has seven. With Bale set to stay with the Spurs and making the starting XI, chances of Kane and Son attacking more than usual is a definite possibility. And Bale's skills might have been on the downside for some time now, but being back in a place that's familiar for him, the confidence that's been low so far will pick up and that would mean, he would probably go on to play a better role than he did with Madrid.
It can take time for these players to develop an understanding of their style of play, so expecting an explosive season upfront would be unfair. However, with Mourinho at the helm, there's every reason why the trio could be alongside the famed Messi-Neymar-Suarez or Benzema-Ronaldo-Bale. For now, Kane and Son look unstoppable and if not for the injuries that have slowed their progress over the years, a fully fit trio will be a nightmare for the other sides and a statman's delight.