Darren Bent insists that Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is being too harsh on Erik Lamela as he has impressed in recent weeks.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Bent believes that Lamela has been one of the Lilywhites' best players since the Premier League restarted last month. He started the opening post-lockdown game against Manchester United, before being dropped to the bench for the last two matches.

Spurs began the match against the Red Devils well after Steven Bergwijn opened the scoring but Bruno Fernandes levelled with a penalty in the closing stages of the game (BBC).

Bent told Football Insider's Russell Edge: "Listen, every time he comes in he always seems to give a very, very good account of himself.

“I thought he played very, very well against Manchester United in the first game, he was one of their best players and then for the next game he found himself on the bench, which I thought was a little bit harsh. He’s done really well but it’s difficult for Spurs and their fans at the moment."

It is difficult to disagree with Bent on this one, as it looked like Lamela had a point to prove during the 1-1 draw with the Red Devils.

He stepped up in Dele Alli's absence by taking 37 touches of the ball, registering 17 out of 27 passes with a passing accuracy rate of 74%, completing three out of four dribble attempts and making two interceptions (via SofaScore).

However, he was promptly relegated to the bench, despite helping to set the tempo that unsettled United in the first half.

While Lamela played fewer minutes than Alli against Sheffield United, he actually earned a higher SofaScore rating than his teammate for his performance as Spurs struggled to break down the Blades' defence.

Mourinho's side are currently 10th in the Premier League, 12 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, although they have a game in hand over their London rivals.

For whatever reason, Mourinho doesn't seem to trust Lamela, but he may have to put his faith in the Argentine sooner rather than later. Now that Alli has returned from suspension, Lamela will have to settle for a backup role and he will have to grasp every opportunity that he gets to prove himself.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Lamela more of a chance? Let us know in the comments below!