Tottenham’s attacking players put on a show, expressing themselves with flair and enterprise in the dominant 4-0 win over Wolfsberger in the Europa League.
It was the type of game you rarely see these days. And boy oh boy, was it ever enjoyable. Hopefully Tottenham can use this confident display to exorcise their Premier League demons.
Here are Tottenham’s player ratings from a comprehensive display in Europe.
Defence
Joe Hart 6/10
Hard to rate a player who didn’t impact the match. He wasn’t called upon to make a difficult save, but looked confident and composed with the ball at his feet.
Matthew Doherty 7.5
Doherty got forward a lot, but his last touch let him down. He showed lots of positive intent throughout and set Dele up for a world-class overhead kick. He also closed quickly when Wolfsberger had the ball deep. Still needs to communicate better with his centre backs, who often pick up assignments late from his side of defence.
Ben Davies 7/10
A wonderful raking 50-meter ball in stride for Vinicius headlined his day. He looked well rested after sitting out on the weekend.
Eric Dier 6/10 & Toby Alderweireld 6/10
Both centre backs were untested throughout. They played well enough, not allowing Wolfsberger a sniff.
Midfield
Harry Winks 6/10
Shouldn’t be allowed to shoot, especially from long range with his weaker left foot. Relatively untested, Winks enjoyed time and space to calmly play out from the back.
Moussa Sissoko 7/10
Safe and assured in the middle of the park, Moussa Sissoko righted his wrongs from the first leg in Budapest. He didn’t take any chances in possession, representing a sturdy, immovable force in midfield.
Erik Lamela 8/10
Driving with pace and tight control, Erik Lamela proved too much for Wolfsberger’s defence. At top speed, Lamela cut through Wolfsberger like a moped through gridlock in Manila. It often looks like Lamela pushes the ball to far ahead, but almost always nips in ahead of the defender, a deceiving and effective bit of trickery.
His work rate was again brilliant, as Lamela tracked back to consistnetly regain possession. On one occasion late in the first half his perfectly timed sliding tackle led directly to Vinicius’ breakaway. Lamela retrieved the ball and played a perfectly weighted through ball to Vinicius, whose attempt was cleared off the goal line.
On a slightly sour note, Lamela, like his Dutch teammate, also lacks a killer instinct.
Steven Bergwijn 7/10
Was direct at every opportunity, trying to put an end to his goal-scoring drought. Quick on the dribble, the Dutchman provided Spurs with menace in possession. A few excellent touches and a brilliant flick to Lamela headlines his performance. But he lacks a cutting edge in front of goal.
Forwards
Dele Alli 10/10
Dele Alli, who scored on a sublime overhead kick while adding a beautiful helper, dominated proceedings, helping Tottenham brush Wolfsberger aside on route to the Europa League Round of 16.
The English midfielder was an instrumental part of Tottenham’s 2-0 win on the night. His early insurance marker, thanks to a goal-of-the-season candidate, got Spurs off to precisely the start they desired.
Dele Alli’s sublime overhead kick reminded Jose Mourinho of what he’s capable of. He set himself up marvellously with a first touch that bounced true off the pitch, coming down perfectly for Dele to strike. The midfielder revelled in the chance to play in a no-pressure match against a lesser side.
Popping up in space, coming deep to retrieve the ball, Dele was spritely and energized throughout. He dictated many of Tottenham’s offensive forays, an incredibly positive sign for Spurs. The Englishman also set Gareth Bale perfectly for yet another insurance marker.
He still needs to perform at that level against stronger opponents in the Premier League.
Carlos Vinicius 9/10
Vinicius bagged an impressive brace, thanks to Dele’s wondrous assist and an egregious Wolfsberger mistake. He harassed and harried the away side’s defence all evening. It was an admirable performance from the Brazilian.
He held the ball up well and made a lot of expansive runs in an attempt to separate Wolfsberger’s back four. Vinicius was unfortunate not to score after a sublime, albeit slightly slow drag back. The momentary delay allowed Wolfsberger to clear off the line. The move deserved a goal. Nonetheless, it was a promising move from Spurs’ attacking players.
Subs
Gareth Bale 8.5/10
Form is temporary, class is permanent. Gareth Bale didn’t need a second chance, as he walloped home after receiving Dele’s pass. Bale belted it with pace and control around Kuttin, who didn’t even see it blow by him.
Lucas Moura 6/10
Lucas had a decent outing, though he didn’t have a lot of time to impress. He was steady but didn’t get into any brilliant scoring opportunities.
Dane Scarlett, Marcel Lavinier and Nile John N/A
Feel good moments for Tottenham’s youngsters.