Knowing they needed three points to keep pace with Arsenal in the race for fourth place, Tottenham again disappoints in a 0-0 draw; here are our player ratings.
A week after their poor performance against Brighton, one may have expected some changes from Spurs; if you were, you left the day feeling disappointed. Here are our player ratings from yet another missed opportunity for Tottenham, as Spurs drew 0-0 at Brentford.
Tottenham Forward Ratings
With a group that had been playing like the best front three in England, although Spurs were lacklustre in the attack against Brighton, there were no changes in the front three.
Left-Forward – Heung-Min Son – 5
Heung-min Son had a few moments in the first half as he received the ball in some dangerous areas and could even turn and run at the Brentford defence. Unfortunately, a lack of space and options slowed him in the attack. Son did pick up a free kick and had a few decent corners, but overall, he lacked the freedom and opportunity to make an impact.
Centre-Forward – Harry Kane – 6
Harry Kane looked like a player running on fumes for the second consecutive week. Kane looked up to pressure from the front defensively, but a lack of cohesion and support around him left Kane a frustrated figure for much of the affair. Kane never quit working on both sides of the ball, with a game-saving clearance off the line with his head following a recycled corner. He tried the tough scissor kick late, but the ball went just wide.
Right-Forward – Dejan Kulusevski – 5
Having fallen back to earth from his fantastic start to his Premier League career, Dejan Kulusevski had difficulty getting going. Potentially of concern would be the number of times Deki went down under pressure looking for calls that never came from Martin Atkinson, as the referee let play go more often than not.
Rating Spurs Midfield
The one area of Spurs team that saw a change from the previous XI was at left wing-back, where Ryan Sessegnon came into the side for Sergio Reguilon. Ultimately, the issues across Spurs’ midfield are more significant than the wingbacks right now.
Left Wing-back – Ryan Sessegnon – 5
Finally back from another injury, Sessegnon had some chances to provide some service but could not find the quality Spurs needed. Whether it was a long cross or a short cross, Sessegnon struggled to find a target. Sess did have a couple of solid defensive moments as he hustled back to get goalside.
Central-Midfield – Rodrigo Bentancur – 5
The dominant field general during Tottenham’s winning streak seems to have disappeared as Bentancur’s influence has waned. Rodrigo was pressing is evident in his three shot attempts, none of which were close to the goal. He and Pierre Hojbjerg have not provided Kane with enough support over the last two weeks, and Tottenham has dropped points as a result.
Central-Midfield – Pierre Hojbjerg – 5
Statistically, Hojbjerg had a strong match, with the most touches and the highest passing percentage for Tottenham. Add in a couple of crucial tackles, and it appears to be a strong performance. However, when you see Hojbjerg receive the ball 25-30 yards away from goal with four players in front of him and the ball continues to go sideways, there is little doubt why his percentage is so high. If Bentancur cannot provide the incisive passing, Hojbjerg has to step up, and today he did not.
Right Wing-back – Emerson Royal – 4
Again starting with Matt Doherty out, we were reminded of Emerson Royal’s ineffectiveness as a wing-back. Always present defensively, his contribution to the offense was negligible. Royal’s lack of confidence with the ball is not lost on his teammates, who only pass his way when they must. It is not Royal’s fault there are holes in the middle of the pitch, but his lack of contribution does not help.
Rating Tottenham Defence
Left-back – Ben Davies – 7
The Welsh defender, Davies, continues to do what he does, which is play solid, intelligent defence. Alert on defence, Davies kept the play in front of him and held down Spurs’ left side well. Davies did not have the impact going forward that he does when Spurs are purring offensively for most of the match. He was pushed up to wing-back late in the game, with Davinson Sanchez coming on for Sessegnon but did not change the game.
Centre-back – Eric Dier – 7
Eric Dier quietly had a fine afternoon in a game with Spurs facing pressure. Whether he was moving the ball from side to side in the back or stepping up to win the ball in the attacking half, Dier was alert on the spot. The lack of more forward passing came more from a lack of movement in front of him than anything else. He had an essential defensive clearance in the box late to help snuff out a dangerous situation.
Right-back – Cristian Romero – 6.5
At his best, Cristian Romero is one of the world’s best defenders. Unfortunately for Tottenham, Romero has been a rung or two below his level over the last couple of weeks. Romero did not have the same precision in his tackles and assurance in his passes as a few matches back. Still a solid defensive game overall, Romero has set an extremely high bar for himself, and today he was a bit under it.
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris – 6.5
There were two sides to the game for Hugo Lloris against the Bees. On the one hand, Lloris had a couple of outstanding saves and showed good anticipation inside and outside his box. Alternatively, Hugo left his mates in a lurch with some deficient distribution on more than one occasion. He was fortunate to see the ball bounce off the post and then go wide at 90 minutes as Brentford almost stole all three points.
Tottenham Coach and Substitute Ratings
The substitutes barely had a chance to impact the match, as Conte delayed, hoping for something that never came.
Coach Antonio Conte – 5
With the race clearly in front of them and ample time to prepare, Tottenham under Conte was another depressing display. There was no connection between the midfield and the attack, and he failed to make any tactical changes to influence the game. It was disappointing from every perspective, and the point keeps them relevant but leaves them in a hole.
Davinson Sanchez – 7
Sanchez came on in place of Sessegnon with about 15 minutes to play. Spurs did not change their shape. Instead, Davies pushed up the flank to wing-back, and Sanchez went to left-back. Sanchez had a couple of tackles and a decent clearance in his limited minutes on the pitch, which may increase if Davies moves wide for an extended period.
Lucas Moura – N/A
Lucas Moura was brought on far too late in the affair to make a significant impact. Did show burst and managed to get a free-kick, which was ultimately wasted. Given the poor performance of Royal, it was disappointing not to see Moura earlier.
Substitute 3 – There was no third substitute, despite the game crying for more change. The two dropped points leave Tottenham in an arduous position. Although they still have a game against Arsenal, another match-up with Liverpool looms large as Arsenal has an easy run-in.