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Kulusebski wears 'black mask' like Kane, Son Heung-min
The reason why Dejan Kuluczewski played in a black mask has been revealed.
Tottenham defeated Newcastle United 4-1 in the 16th round of the 2023-24 Premier League (PL) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, at 1:30 a.m. ET on Nov. 11. The win snapped a five-match winless streak in the league.
Tottenham bounced back. They had lost key players en masse against Chelsea and had come from behind in each of their last five games. Luckily, they bounced back with a 4-1 victory over an injury-riddled Newcastle side, thanks to a debut goal from Udogie, a multi-goal performance from Xherdan Shaqiri, and a Son Heung-min penalty.
Dejan Krzysztof Kuluczewski's appearance in the starting lineup stole the show. He wore a black face mask. It was similar to the mask that Son Heung-min wore last year when he suffered a fractured orbital bone.
The reason for the mask has been revealed. "Kulusebski was injured in the last game against West Ham when he was hit by Lucas Paqueta's elbow," Football London reported. His protests went unheeded as the game ended. Kulusebski reportedly broke his nose in the incident and wore a mask to protect himself."
In the previous match against West Ham, in second-half stoppage time, Kulusebski broke through from the right and got into a tussle with Paqueta. Paqueta's elbow struck Kulusebski in the nose, and the two went down together, with Kulusebski holding his nose and unable to get up for some time. However, the referee only called a foul on Kulusebski. Enraged, Kulusebski lunged at the officials after the match, but the players stopped him. Kulusebski is not usually known for his emotional demeanor, so his behavior stood out.
The outlet revealed some fans' reactions to Kulusebski wearing a mask. Fans wrote: "He's wearing a mask because he broke his nose. It feels like when 바카라 Harry Kane scored and ripped his mask off," and "Kuluczewski in a mask? Yes, Newcastle is done!", comparing it to the 2015-16 season when Kane scored seven goals in seven games while wearing a face mask due to injury.
Kuluczewski also showed his commitment. Despite not having an offensive point, Kuluczewski was a playmaker on the day, leading the attack alongside Heung-min Son, Heung-min Son, and Brennan Johnson. He created five chances, created two big chances, had two shots on target, and completed 90 percent of his passes, according to soccer stats site Footmob.