Tottenham Hotspur leaders, Dele Alli and Hugo Lloris had big days as the Spurs beat Wolverhampton at the Molineux, so how did the Spurs players rate?
Given the storyline of Tottenham’s new Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo taking his new team to face his old one, we knew going in the match was going to be tough. The Spurs were not as intense as they were against Manchester City. Whereas in week one, Tottenham was the first to the second balls against the Wolves it was going the other way. Regardless the Lilywhites maintained composure and saw out the match 0-1. Here are our ratings from the big road win.
Man of the match and more for Hugo Lloris
To say Hugo Lloris was huge today may be of an overstatement as he had the same five saves that his counterpart Jose Sa did for Wolves. However, as we noted in our prematch coverage, it was going to really be about Hugo make that one big play to win the day. This is not to say that the rest of Lloris’ saves were all routine but one clearly stood out.
Lloris made the big play when Tottenham needed
When the time came and Lloris had to make the big save he did it, deflecting away Adama Traore‘s breakaway attempt just past the hour mark. An unfortunate Eric Dier turnover and an amazing pass from Ruben Neves had created the situation but in the end, Lloris was the one who had the final say.
Beyond the big save, Lloris was also good with his distribution. It is clear, Tottenham is going to look to push when possible on the break and one way is with a quick Lloris restarts. The captain’s punts were one of Spurs best-attacking weapons on a day where the opponent’s intensity and Tottenham’s tenacity were the order.
It was fitting that on the day that Frenchman passed Darren Anderton for the most Premier League appearances for the club (300) that he has the play of the day and is the man of the match. Congratulations to Hugo, read on for our complete ratings.
Tottenham Forward Ratings
It was a mixed bag of a day for the Tottenham front line as the team struggled to find consistent possession and a rhythm against a rugged Wolves team. The interchange and hold-up play that had been successful up to this point in the Spurs campaign – preseason included of course – never found the footing as Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son, in particular, were roughed up.
Steven Bergwijn – 7
He is no Adama Traore but on a day when Tottenham really struggled to find an offensive weapon and push, Steven Bergwijn was probably the Spur’s most consistent attacker. The Dutchman was the most active and involved of the front three players all day with the ball and was the only Spurs attacker that could turn against the tough Wolves defense. Bergwijn is dangerous as an outlet but similarly to Traore needs to work on his end product in the final third. However, with two shots on target and two key passes, it was clear why Bergwijn stayed on and Lucas went off as the substitutes started.
Heung-Min Son – 6
After showing his value as the leading man last week against Manchester City it was a quiet and actually strange day for Heung-Min Son. Unfortunately for Tottenham Son’s day seemed to start and end the same way, with unexpected questions about his fitness. Before the game during warm-ups Son went back to the dressing room with the fitness team but came back out and played. Then he was the one who came off for Harry Kane and definitely seemed to be favoring his leg. Hopefully, it is nothing but Son had a quiet day overall outside two shots in one 10 second period and we will look for more the next time.
Lucas Moura – 5
Outside of some decent effort defensively, which included a few tackles and a couple of interceptions, Lucas Moura just could not get going on Sunday against the Wolves. Whether it was because he had less support from Japhet Tanganga who had his hands full defensively or it was the aggressive nature of Wolves’ defense that put the Brazilian off is unknown. However, what we do know is that Moura was not turning the corner and attacking with the dribble as he has been doing. With zero shots, zero key passes, and zero dribbles, it was not surprising Moura was the first off for Giovani Lo Celso. The spurs will have to hope Moura is better next time out.
Tottenham Midfield Ratings
If you are looking for a midfield full of creative passes and astonishing runs, Tottenham was not really that on Sunday. However, what the midfield three had in spades was a tremendous work rate that never quit and did enough to help manage the game, protect the defense, and win the day for the Spurs.
Dele Alli – 7.5
Dele Alli did not have the classic Dele day we came to expect when he was younger, despite picking up the big foul in the box. Instead what we saw was the new Dele that no one can call lazy work all over the pitch. Dele did show he still has that eye for the run with the quick diagonal flash to get behind the defense on the penalty. And sure he may have dangled the leg a little but Sa was going to clatter him regardless and Dele had already gotten a touch on the ball. His composure on the spot-kick was excellent, likely making some fans of England cringe knowing how the summer went down. Dele still allowed himself to get pushed off the ball a few too many times looking for calls that never came but overall his strength and stamina are welcome in the team that needs to bring a lunch pail to work every day.
Oliver Skipp – 6.5
When it comes to bringing it every day for the team, 20-year-old midfielder Oliver Skipp is getting that message. Skipp did not contribute a ton to the offensive game but his work reading the match and breaking up play in the deep midfield was excellent. The one time it looked like Skipp had won the ball at midfield with space in front of him, Atwell blew the whistle for a foul before Skipp got there. Skippy had a couple of passes that almost came up short but then again he made a couple of passes come up short for Wolves with his defense. Another solid outing against a difficult side for midfielder overall.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 7
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg had an up and down day as he spent most of the afternoon helping Sanchez and Tanganga keep tabs on Traore and Neves. This work helped Højbjerg fill up the stat sheet with two tackles, a clearance, an interception, and a block. However, the defensive efforts also meant a less progressive Højbjerg than the one who played against Manchester City. While the Dane led the team in passing accuracy (93%) and attempts – tied with Skipp at 45 – Højbjerg was very conservative with his passing attempting only two long balls. That said, the Viking did almost have a moment where he had made an overlapping run beyond Harry Kane in the box, going on to nutmeg the defender only to have his shot blocked. It was some impressive skill from a man renowned for his abilities on the other side of the ball and shows Højbjerg is more than meets the eye.
Rating Tottenham’s defense
There were some fouls, there were some blocks, there were some clearances and some tackles. The reality is Tottenham spent most of the day playing defense. However, what did not happen was the Spurs making a big mistake in the defensive third and shooting themselves in the foot.
Sergio Reguilón – 7.5
It is quite possible that left fullback Sergio Reguilón was Tottenham’s best two-way player against the Wolves. It was Reguilón who intercepted Ruben Neves to win possession on the deciding penalty kick. Further, it was Reguilón who rolled the ball into Dele to win the penalty. However, if you think that was all the Spanish defender contributed you are wrong. Reguilón was not nearly as busy as Tanganga on the right but he did his part with two tackles, two interceptions, and five clearances. It was really the kind of all-around performance that you expect as a baseline from the defender, such is his talent.
Eric Dier – 7
Absent one moment, Eric Dier had a really strong performance for Tottenham defensively. Fortunately for the Spurs, Dier’s mistake was in the attacking half and although it led directly to a goal-scoring opportunity, his mate Lloris bailed him out. Had the mistake occurred in the defensive third maybe things would have turned out differently but it was what it was in the end. Outside the one turnover, where Dier had first done well to step and win the ball near midfield, Eric was a good leader of a stuck-in defense. Dier consistently urged his team out of the back and did his best Jan Vertoghen impersonation clearing everything near him. A good day where it was nice Lloris could prevent Dier from being the target of fan’s disdain.
Davinson Sanchez – 7.5
Davinson Sanchez was excellent all day for Tottenham defensively. Sanchez was just behind Tanganga and Dier with six clearances – they each had 7 – and led the team with four blocked shots. Sanchez found himself in one-on-one situations with Traore more than he would have liked but like Tanganga managed to avoid the big mistakes. After a summer full of speculation about his future, Sanchez has just been great to start the season for the club.
Japhet Tanganga – 7
After his man-of-the-match performance in week one, it was always going to be hard for Japhet Tanganga to replicate that performance. However, the young defender did his best and despite getting passed a few times by Traore hung in there and helped win the day for Tottenham. Tanganga’s 7 clearances show the kind of pressure he was under and he also managed a couple of blocks. Unlike last week, Japhet did pick up a yellow in the first half but saw out the game without further incident. Tanganga did have a scary moment in the opening five minutes when he clashed heads with Marcal near the touchline. Both teams had doctors on immediately and after sufficient protocol clearance, both players continued without incident. It could have been scary but was handled well and you have to appreciate that. Let’s hope Tanganga can stay fit and available as he has started well on the right.
Hugo Lloris – 8
It was a big day for the Frenchman celebrating a historic club appearance with number 300 in the Premier League. Passing Darren Anderton is certainly an achievement. More impressive was how Lloris played on the occasion, looking like a keeper who has another 300 matches in him on the day. Hugo’s quick release to spread the play was good and he of course had the play of the game with the save on Traore. Pierluigi Gollini may be a serious challenger for Hugo’s job but he is clearly not going to give it up without a fight.
Tottenham Substitute and Coach Ratings
Tottenham had the strongest bench available it has had in some time when as expected Harry Kane was available for selection. Ultimately, it was Giovani Lo Celso who was the first player off the bench and got the momentum swinging. However, Kane still got on the pitch and had some impact.
Giovani Lo Celso – 6
Giovani Lo Celso looked like he was going to make a near-immediate impact, winning the ball defensively for Spurs. However, like several of the Spurs on the day, he was too easily pushed back off the ball and lost possession. Only making nine passes in his 34 minutes – one less than Kane – Lo Celso was not quite as on-the-ball as most would have liked to have seen.
Harry Kane – 6
Harry Kane showed his value in his 20 minutes on the pitch. Kane was able to provide a modicum of hold-up play, which Son just was unable to do against the tough Wolves defense. Then Kane almost sealed the match for Spurs, overlapping behind Steven Bergwijn Kane got in one-on-one with Sa. However, the Portuguese keeper managed to get just enough of his back leg on the ball to save the effort. Kane did get in the book with a yellow for time-wasting. It was good to see Kane, you just hope it is for the full season.
Harry Winks – N/A
Harry Winks was the third Spurs player off the bench coming on at the 90th minute for Steven Bergwijn. Winks only had one touch but that was a tackle, which we can all appreciate.
Nuno Espirito Santo – 6.5
After having the perfect game plan and attitude for week one, Tottenham struggled a bit with Wolves in the second week. Santo’s team stayed organized and compact but tended to fall in deep far too often, too quickly. Avoiding the big mistakes was a plus but Santo and company never figured out a way to really take control of possession and help alleviate the strain on the defense. Lo Celso helped change the game and probably should have come on earlier but in the end, it was three points and as pinned in as Spurs were, they were not stretched defensively, which is a good thing.
There are our ratings, what did you think of the team and the performance Sunday?