Tottenham Hotspur player ratings from thrilling 2-3 win at Manchester City
By Aaron Coe
Rating Spurs Defence
Tottenham played with five defenders out of possession and asked the wing-backs to push forward with the ball. It was a significant effort from Spurs where a couple of poor moments led to the big chances City could not create themselves.
Ryan Sessegnon 6.5
Ryan Sessegnon had a nice little battle early with Raheem Sterling, with Sessegnon’s defence leading Guardiola to move Sterling to the left. Tentative on the ball in the first half, some confidence would help his scrappiness. He was in the right spot at the right time, winning the ball and then getting it to the right man in Son for Tottenham’s second goal.
Ben Davies – 6.5
Playing on the left of Dier and inside of Sessegnon, Ben Davies was strong all afternoon in holding the line and not overcommitting himself on the ball after a couple of poor performances. He had a few big headers and defensive moments at the back post but never cracked.
Eric Dier – 7
In observing Spurs’ defense, it was evident that their leader was back with Eric Dier on the pitch. The centre-back guided his fellow defenders and kept the team organized, limiting City’s chances in the first half. It often seemed like Dier was pushing himself into the midfield to get his squad stuck out of the back.
Cristian Romero – 6
The big centre-back was on the right in place of Davinson Sanchez, with Dier back in the line-up for Spurs. Romero was strong defending on the ball in the first half, using his body well to prevent big chances. Unfortunately, Romero also had the moment that almost cost Spurs the match. The Argentinian came sliding over to block a cross and ended up doing so with his arm, giving City a late penalty to tie to the game. Add the kind of physicality to the team Spurs need.
Emerson Royal – 6.5
Right-wing-back Emerson Royal was busy on both ends of the pitch in the first half. Royal was beaten on the dribble a couple of times, but none turned into anything. The young defender had a massive block on Sterling late in half, taking a shot to the head. Royal found some space going forward, but his three opportunities in the first half turned into two unsuccessful crosses and a shot off-target. He was far busier defensively in the second half as City dominated possession but never committed the significant error and gave Spurs some breathing room picking up a couple of fouls.
Hugo Lloris– 6.5
He had one big save on a play flagged offside early in the first half but made a critical error later. A relatively simple ball from Sterling into the box was not attacked by anyone, including Lloris, who spilled the ball as he tried to trap it on the ground as Kevin De Bruyne came running by. A confident Lloris would have come out and claimed the ball high, avoiding the spill altogether. The second half saw Lloris keep Spurs in the game, stretching to stop Gundogan and showing confidence to claim a couple of crosses.