Tottenham Player Ratings from Shambolic Loss to Brighton

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BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 31: Tanguy Ndombele of Tottenham Hotspur goes down injured as team mate Steven Bergwijn (L) looks on and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (R) speaks with match referee, Peter Bankes during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur at American Express Community Stadium on January 31, 2021 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

Tottenham Midfield and Attack

Tottenham was supposed to have four midfielders, but really only had two as Sissoko and Davies spent most of their time defending. This left five players in attack, but without Harry Kane the middle of the pitch was often a void and the team was bereft of ideas. Much better after Carlos Vinicius came on, but still should have done more in the first half than 1 lousy shot.

Pierre Højbjerg – 6.5

Like Moussa Sissoko one of the best things you can say about Pierre Højbjerg is his willingness to show in space and get on the ball. However, also like Sissoko, when the Dane and the Frenchman lead the team in touches it is going to be a long day. While Højbjerg’s passing has far exceeded what was expected coming in, he is in no way a deep lying playmaker who needs 100 touches per match. With 1/4 of the possession going through those two, we should not expect a lot of creativity but without more players willing to get on the ball, not sure what Spurs should do.

Tanguy Ndombele – 7

Tanguy Ndombele did some good things on the day, but he also had his moments where he and his body went and the ball did not. While Ndombele is excellent in both space and tight quarters, he was being asked to do far too much without enough support and under a lot of pressure. Whenver Ndombele was on the ball, there was at least two Brighton defenders on him, as slowing Ndombele slowed the team.

Gareth Bale – 5.5

Gareth Bale jogged around the pitch for about 70 minutes before giving way to Lucas Moura. There were a couple times when it looked like Bale was going to do something, but then nothing ever really happened. Did not have enough burst to get around the corner and adds little defensively. Probably hurting the team more than helping as a passenger without the ball.

Steven Bergwijn – 6

Steven Bergwijn had a rather quiet, pedestrian day. Bergwijn did manage Spurs only shot in the first half, but it really never had a chance to score. Bergwijn seems to be struggling with fitness as he has all year, often seen huffing and puffing after a run like he cannot catch his breath. For a player that is supposed to provide pace and power, we have seen none of that of late. Was willing to get on the ball with 50 touches, but did little with them.

Heung-Min Son – 6

Heung-Min Son was even more quiet than Steven Bergwijn although he did manage more shots, Son really never impacted the match. Did have one little run which led to a shot forcing a save, but only did that once when Tottenham needed so much more. Has a lot of pressure on his shoulders with Kane out, which is compounded by the fact that Son has not really played great all season, despite the goals. His ability to paper over Spurs rough spots was not evident today.