Tottenham Hotspur player ratings from 0-2 win at Nottingham Forest
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham Midfield Ratings
Right wing-back – Emerson Royal – 6
Emerson Royal had an auspicious start with a poor clearance followed by a dumb foul. However, Royal showed some improvement in his passing, liking up well with Kulusevski on several occasions and playing one great ball through the lines to Son, who was, unfortunately, offside. Royal defended well for most of the match but ultimately had a limited contribution.
Central Midfield – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 7.5
The Danish midfielder was found lacking on his first attempt at providing service into the box, hitting a cross behind four players during a counterattack about ten minutes into the match. However, his alert defending to shield Johnson in the box allowed Lloris to get the ball. Likewise, his second attempt at a big pass was spot on to Kane between the lines, but a precise tackle from Joe Worrall snuffed out the opportunity. Hojbjerg ran hard in both directions, often being one of the first on the counter and then popping up defending in front of the box.
Central Midfield – Rodrigo Bentancur – 6.5
F Rodrigo Bentancur’s biggest contribution to the match was his effort running to pressure the ball from midfield to maintain the tempo. He defended well in the box to end a sustained spell of Forest possession around 24 minutes. Bentancur tended to stay a bit deeper when Tottenham had the ball as Hojbjerg pushed forward. He was taken off at 90 minutes with some a knock.
Left wing-back – Ivan Perisic – 6.5
Making his second Spurs start in as many games, Ivan Perisic spent as much time tracking back as he did attack in the first half. He had a smart header back to Lloris to relieve some pressure and later used every bit of his knowledge to get goal-side of Williams to allow Lloris to clear. Perisic showed his still incredible range and skill in the first half, racing over to beat Williams to a ball with a lovely hold and then shielding the ball to retain possession. Ivan could not connect well with a tough volley attempt off a Kane corner, with the ball going well over the bar. Moments later, Perisic played the cross that led to Steve Cook’s handball and a penalty kick. Perisic flashed at times but, like everyone else, spent more time backing up than going forward before being replaced by Ryan Sessegnon in a double move after 73 minutes.