The away side struggled to get any foothold in the disheartening 3-0 loss to Manchester City, further frustrating Tottenham supporters.
The 3-0 defeat was Spurs fourth in five matches, their only win coming against relegation favourites West Brom. Another listless performance, which Jose absurdly blamed on fatigue, will compound the already extensive list of issues behind the scenes at the club.
Here’s the player ratings from another tough outing.
Defence
Hugo Lloris 5/10
Recent scrutiny has followed Hugo Lloris everywhere he goes, and for good reason. The Frenchman had no chance on City’s first and third goals, but should have done better on İlkay Gündoğan’s toe poke from close range. In Lloris’ defence, the ball zipped quickly along the ground, making it more difficult. But Hugo decided to try make the save with his right hand rather than kicking a leg out, which would have made the task immeasurably easier.
Ben Davies 3/10
João Cancelo and Raheem Sterling had their with Ben Davies, who looked an exhausted figure. Sterling beat the Welshman for pace every time, which could cause forthcoming nightmares for the left back. He was extremely wasteful in possession, hindered by a lack of passing options.
Davinson Sanchez 5/10
A somewhat surprising starter, Davinson endured a bit of a mixed bag at the Etihad. He made a few desperate, yet effective, last-gasp, goal-saving challenges but was also partly culpable on two of City’s strikes. The Colombian was drawn to the ball carrier like a dog to his owner, making the task all the easier for Gündoğan to find space and poke home. He also got undressed faster than a drunkard keen on skinny dip on City’s third.
Eric Dier 4/10
Drained of confidence, Eric Dier did his utmost to do the job. Under intense pressure, he adequately organized the back four. But he was clearly under the cosh, unable to perform at an elite level, which has been the case for some time now.
Japhet Tanganga 4/10
Completely out of his depth, Japhet struggled to get anywhere near the ball today. He was uncomfortable in possession and was thrown into shark-infested water by his gaffer. The youngster should have never been put in such an unfair position, especially after such a long layoff at the top level.
Midfield
Tanguy Ndombele 5/10
Tanguy, who started deep in midfield, was unable to dictate play. That was to be expected against a possession side like City. You could see his frustration start to boil over in the first half with the lack of passing options at his disposal. He didn’t commit any grave errors and did what he could. Moving him into an advanced role didn’t have the desired effect, mostly due to the fact that Tottenham couldn’t muster any dangerous counter attacks.
Pierre Hojberg 6/10
Incorrectly and unfairly judged to have fouled Gündoğan, Pierre Hojberg put in a courageous performance under challenging conditions. He made four interceptions and interjected in numerous threatening City forays. However, he struggled in possession and contributed nothing going forward. It was also the second penalty he’s conceded in as many matches.
Eirk Lamela 4/10
A frustrated figure, Lamela endured a dismal afternoon. He tried to drive forward in the first half, but couldn’t find any incision. Jesus wound the Argentinian up, after which Lamela became even more of fringe player. He showed desire and a commitment to the cause, but lacked quality.
Son Heung-Min 3/10
Son had two dribbles and no shot attempts in an abject display. He ran a lot off the ball to help out defensively, but was drowned out the second he received the ball. Too isolated on the left side, his plight was not helped by Davies, who was either unwilling, too tired or prohibited from joining the South Korean in attack.
Forwards & Subs
Harry Kane 6/10
It’s saying something when 6/10 is the top rating of any starter. Harry Kane came closest to scoring, smashing the post from a brilliant free kick. He worked his socks off in a hopeless attempt to threaten City’s goal. He had one interception and four clearances, showcasing the defensive job he was asked to do. He was also only one of three Tottenham players to register a shot on target.
Lucas Moura 2/10
Lucas didn’t have a shot on target, a single dribble or a key pass. He was as ineffective as taking a placebo to combat the pain of witnessing that display. Steven Bergwijn should have started in his stead, as the Dutchman has enjoyed great success against City in short time at Spurs.
Gareth Bale 6/10
Gareth Bale showed a fleeting glimpse of what he did every week during his first stint at Spurs. He created room for himself via some impressive trickery before forcing Ederson into his only difficult save of the match. He also had four dribbles, the same combined total of Moura, Son and Lamela.
Dele Alli 5/10
Not a bad substitute performance under the circumstances.
Moussa Sissoko 5.5/10
Moussa Sissoko at least showed some initiative coming off the bench. He had three dribbles and a 96 percent passing completion rate. However, he was caught ball watching on City’s second and was rather ineffective defensively.