After a massive win last weekend against Newcastle, Antonio Conte named an unchanged Tottenham Hotspur team for Aston Villa, so how did Spurs rate in another runaway win.
Before the game had even begun, Tottenham Hotspur knew they had a real opportunity in front of them, given the losses of Manchester United and Arsenal. With a chance to move a full three points ahead of Arsenal in fifth, Spurs came out of the dressing room ready. An early flurry of action, including a long ball down the middle, led to an early Tottenham 0-1 lead. That early goal shaped the rest of the first half, as Aston Villa furiously fought to level the match, and Spurs absorbed the pressure, waiting for the second half to finish the Villians in the 0-4 win.
Tottenham Forward Ratings
In a move that surprised absolutely no one, Conte kept his front three, clicking like a car starter. The connection between Son and Kane is to be expected given how long they have played together; however, the addition of Kulusevski has taken this group to the next level.
Left-forward – Heung-Min Son – 10
Alert and ready early in the match, Heung-min Son quickly responded to a block on a shot from Harry Kane and scored with a first-time strike. The goal was critical in a first half that was all Aston Villa following the early score. Like everyone else, Son spent most of the first half defending after scoring his goal and did his part. In the second half, Son finished the game for Spurs. After not beating Martinez to a long ball earlier in the second half, Son timed his run perfectly off Kane to get Spurs’ third goal. Son’s patience in the box to wait for the ball from Kulusevski gave him his hattrick. Having scored six goals in his last three matches, Sonny is back in a purple patch.
Centre-forward – Harry Kane – 9
Harry Kane looked strong early in the match, looking to hold possession in the midfield and make plays on the turn or with his back to goal. After seeing several teammates get crunched on the ball, Kane appeared tentative getting on the ball the rest of the first half, as Spurs settled into a 5-4-1 formation to absorb Villa’s possession. Some subtle changes made things different for Kane and the club in the second half. Like with the first goal, Kane was instrumental in Spurs’ second goal, as he battled Mings for the ball that Kulusevski ran onto. Depending. Kane got a second official assist on the third goal as he saw Sonny running behind him and hit his flick off a Romero long-ball to perfection. He never got his goal and absorbed a crunching late tackle from Ashley Young that has to leave Conte and fans worried but continues to shine.
Right-forward – Dejan Kulusevski – 8.5
Looking alert and breaking into the box within the first minute of the match, Dejan Kulusevski looked up to the challenge he has since arrived. A bit quieter the rest of the half after taking a hard tackle from Tyronne Mings; Kulusevski came out in the second half, ready to go. Deki did well running behind Kane on a long ball from Lloris, then slotted one, not the far post, past Mings and Martinez to give Spurs the 2-0 lead early in the second half. Working tirelessly on defence and ready to sprint forward at a moment’s notice, it is hard to say enough good things about the work of Kulusevski. That willingness to run led to Deki picking up the ball in space on the right and finding Son for Spurs’ fourth goal on the day.
Tottenham Midfield Ratings
Perhaps if Conte were to make any changes in the team, it would have been in the middle of the park. With Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon available, some may have been surprised that neither was included in the starting line-up.
Left wing-back – Matt Doherty – 6
Despite the return of Reguilon and Sessegnon to the squad, it was the on-form Matt Doherty who started for Tottenham on the left. Unfortunately for Doherty, his day did not last, with a nice clearance at the back post his only real contribution. Doherty took a hard tackle on the touchline from Matty Cash and, after seeing the physio on two occasions, went down for good at 20 minutes, giving way to Sergio Reguilon.
Central midfield – Rodrigo Bentancur – 7
Tottenham sat deeper and deeper as the first half wore on. As a result, Rodrigo Bentancur did not see as much of the ball as he has in recent matches. Saw a lot more of the ball in the second half, as Tottenham looked to get on the ball and see out the game and held more possession.
Central midfield – Pierre Hojbjerg – 7
Battling all over the pitch, Pierre Hojbjerg had a significant battle with John McGinn most of the day. Unfortunate to get a yellow for a bit of tug on Countinho after getting shoved off the ball, Hojbjerg had to run a fine line for over an hour. He kept the play in front of him for most of the second half and was in Graham Scott’s ear as much as the Villian players’ shirts but never dropped the intensity.
Right wing-back – Emerson Royal 7
After a strong performance against Newcastle, Emerson Royal kept his place at right wing-back for Tottenham. After some early moves forward, Royal spent most of the first half defending against Lucas Digne and Countinho on the right. He was stout defensively and willing to tackle to win the ball. He had a few opportunities going forward and seemed to make the right decision, even if the ball was not quite right. With Doherty going down, a confident Emerson is a must.
Rating Spurs Defence
Like the front-line, at this point, Spurs, defensive formation, and alignment is a known entity. After facing a ton of pressure in the first half, Tottenham settled in during the second half and did better keeping Villa from creating big opportunities to see out the match.
Left-back – Ben Davies – 7
Working to keep tabs on Danny Ings, Ben Davies did a solid job covering Spurs left. Davies was excellent in possession throughout the day, which helped keep Cash out of the box moving forward. He continues to do what is needed defensively; Davies looks confident and sure on both ends of the pitch.
Centre-back – Eric Dier – 6
Eric Dier made the big pass straight down the middle that led to the opening goal for Spurs. However, the defender struggled in possession after that success. While doing his job defensively, Dier had a rough day on the ball. As Tottenham needed to control possession, Dier was forcing passes and turning the ball over. Dier’s lack of success in possession had no impact on his defending
Right-back – Cristian Romero – 8
In contrast to the full-blooded challenges coming from Villa, Cristian Romero was putting on a tackling class for Spurs. With his long legs and quick feet, Romero was cleanly winning balls; others simply could not. Romero picked up his physicality in the second half as Spurs suffocated Villa. Earned himself a hockey assist with a nice long-ball to Kane on Spurs’ third goal.
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris – 9
As Villa dominated the possession and play in the first half, Hugo Lloris was put to work. The Villians had 14 shots in the first half alone, as Lloris kept Spurs in the match with parries and blocks. Although Lloris did allow three rebounds, none went to Villa, and he kept the clean sheet. The second half was a much different story, as Tottenham kept the Villians at bay, and Lloris maintained the clean sheet making only one second-half save in extra time. Did almost blow it late with a poor pass in the box, but Leon Bailey could not find the target with his effort.
Tottenham Substitute & Coach Ratings
Coach – Antonio Conte – 7.5
Likely pleased with the early goal, Conte had to be slightly upset at halftime, despite the 0-1 lead. Villa was the more physical team, and for most of the 45 minutes, Spurs failed to match that intensity. A small tactical change to target Kane high versus at his feet early in the second half led to a couple of goals and opened the game for Spurs. Conte has this team ticking at just the right time.
Substitute 1 – Sergio Reguilon – 6
After trying to gut it out for about 15 minutes, Sergio Reguilon came on to replace Doherty barely more than 20 minutes into the match. Like the rest of the team, Reguilon spent most of his first-half defending. Although Spurs were more on the ball in the second half, it was the three.
Substitute 2 – Lucas Moura – N/A
The Brazilian came on with 15 minutes left, earning Sonny his standing ovation from the away-end fans. Moura saw a little of the ball and did his part to see out the win.
Substitute 3 – Steven Bergwijn – N/A
The last substitute to come on, Steven Berwgijn, looked dangerous as he has in his last several outings. Picking up the ball with ease, Bergwijn would likely get more playing time if the front three were not all on fire.