Harry Kane celebrated a landmark with Tottenham, not only by snatching another winner but by scoring his 185th Premier League goal and 250th in all competitions.
Tottenham got the job done against Wolves in a tightly contested, dogged affair at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Kane hit the woodwork before scoring a close-range header from an Ivan Perisic flicked header.
Spurs struggled to find their footing in the first half, but came into the match after the interval. Antonio Conte’s side were heavily outshot after the first 45, but finished with one more shot on goal than their resilient opponents.
Here’s the player ratings from Spurs’ important, if not comprehensive, 1-0 win.
Defence
Hugo Lloris 7/10
Hugo Lloris was a busy man in the first half. While Wolves only had three shots on target, they had 20 shot attempts, consistently threatening. Lloris was safe and solid throughout, fully deserving of the clean sheet.
Ben Davies 7.5/10
Ben Davies enjoyed another secure outing. He was beaten to a header in the first half which slid just wide of Lloris’ post. Otherwise, Davies was the embodiment of calm. He also made a few key defensive plays.
Eric Dier 8/10
Eric Dier was yet again superb. He marshals the backline with poise and assuredness, rarely showing any signs of panic. He also had four clearances, a tackle, an interception, and a blocked shot.
Davinson Sanchez 7/10
Davinson Sanchez made a few key defensive plays, including a clearing header in the 90th minute at the back post. He did, however, lose track of the ball in the first half and wasn’t able to clear the danger from a simple long ball. Overall, Sanchez enjoyed a fairly good outing. He made three tackles, the most of Spurs’ back three.
Midfield
Rodrigo Bentancur 7/10
While Rodrigo Bentancur didn’t show too much flare, he took care of the ball in possession and was stable defensively. He is always reliable and can be counted on consistently, especially in tight, scrappy affairs. Bentancur connected on 94 percent his passes.
Pierre Hojbjerg 7.5/10
Like Rodrigo, Pierre Hojbjerg was safe and steady. His passing was incredibly accurate, as he connected on 94 percent, equaling Bentancur’s success rate. Hojbjerg struggled o find an incisive pass, but that’s nothing new.
Ivan Perisic 8/10
Ivan Perisic wasn’t exactly a gamble signing. The Croatian showed every bit of his class, experience and crossing panache. He can pick a cross from nothing and with no space. Perisic is a threat going forward and flicked on for Harry Kane’s winner. He also made three key passes and five tackles.
Emerson Royal 6/10
Emerson Royal was steady, if not outstanding. He wasn’t brilliant going forward today, but didn’t make any mistakes at the back either.
Forwards and Subs
Harry Kane 9/10
He scored yet another winner and, with 185 goals, now has the honour of being the top one-club goalscorer in Premier League history. It was his 250th goal in all competitions with Spurs. He also hit the woodwork and made some key passes, particularly the arrowed long ball to Son Heung-min in the second half.
Son Heung-min 5.5/10
Sonny was a bit off the pace, and not for the first time this season. He was the worst of Tottenham’s triumvirate and will be desperately unhappy with his performance today.
Dejan Kulusevski 8/10
The swift Swede was outstanding yet again. He drives forward and causes havoc for the defence. While he didn’t have a shot attempt all afternoon, he made three key passes and was one of Tottenham’s top players.
Ryan Sessegnon 7/10
Ryan Sessegnon came on and did a great job at shutting down Adama Traore. He looked spry and is playing with a high level of confidence.
Richarlison 7/10
Richarlison came on and made an immediate impact. He’s a live wire and can cause defenders fits with his skill, pace, movement and guile. He made one excellent surging run and had to half chances.