Antonio Conte made several changes to his starting 11, resulting in a wide-open affair for Spurs against Leicester City, so how did the Tottenham players rate in the 6-2 win against the Foxes?
Tottenham Forward Ratings
The first major change was to the front three, with Conte electing to go with the same front three we predicted, putting Heung-min Son on the bench and bringing Dejan Kulusevski back in the starting line-up. Tottenham’s results were near immediate, with the big Swede back on the pitch.
Left-forward – Richarlison – 7
The newly signed Brazilian continued to start for Spurs and on his preferred left-hand side for the first time. Richarlison was not the goal-scoring difference maker he was a few weeks ago in the Champions League. However, his hustle and effort were a big factor in the second Tottenham goal, which gave Spurs their first lead of the game. It was Richi chasing down the ball and earning the corner; Dier converted.
Center forward – Harry Kane – 7
Playing against his favorite team to score against, Harry Kane was off the mark early for Tottenham. Kane did well to lurk at the back post waiting for Kulusevski to send in his two-man corner, which Kane headed home to bring Spurs level at one. The goal was Kane’s 20th against Leicester, tying him with Alan Shearer for the most all-time against one team in the Premier League. Shearer had 20 against Leeds.
Right-forward – Dejan Kulusevski – 8
With Son, not starting, who might take the corner kicks was a question, which Dejan Kulusevski answered almost immediately in a big way. Showing his value on Spurs’ first corner by curling a perfect ball to Kane’s head at the back of the box. Kulusevski never quite got his shooting boots on, but his ability to stretch the field on the right makes his contributions invaluable to the squad.
Tottenham Midfield Ratings
There were some major changes on the outside of Spurs midfield as there was a change at both wing-back positions, but not in the middle of the park, where Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre Hojbjerg were still holding court.
Left wing-back – Ryan Sessegnon – 7
Returning to the starting line-up for Tottenham, Ryan Sessegnon did a nice job stretching the pitch for Spurs. Sessegnon had a rough go of it on Maddison’s goal, as he was beaten twice by Dewsbury-Hall. Outside that moment, Ryan was dependable defensively and helped push the ball forward.
Central-midfield – Rodrigo Bentancur – 8
In the first half, Bentancur’s most notable contributions were his movement on and off the ball; however, that changed in the second half, as he helped Tottenham take command for the final 45 minutes. Bentancur timed a tackle perfectly on N’didi and took two touches before slotting home off the right post to give Spurs a lead they would not relinquish.
Central-midfield – Pierre Hojbjerg – 7
Coming off a poor showing midweek against Sporting, Pierre Hojbjerg was looking to rebound against Leicester City. Hojbjerg did what he does as he helped move the ball around the pitch. The Dane’s biggest moment was when he led the counter-attack and fed Son for his third goal.
Right wing-back – Ivan Perisic – 7
With Sessegnon coming in on the left, summer signing Ivan Perisic came in for Emerson Royal on the right. The Croatian flanker was up and down in the match, with some poor touches and tackles sandwiching a couple of beautiful free-kicks. Perisic missed twice on sliding tackles on the play that ultimately became Leicester’s opening penalty kick. Alternatively, his corner to Dier and free-kick where Ward narrowly denied Sanchez were both sublime.
Rating the Tottenham Defense
There were two changes in the back from the Champions League 11 Spurs fielded in Portugal, with Clement Lenglet and Davinson Sanchez coming in for Ben Davies and Cristian Romero.
Left-back – Clement Lenglet – 7
Making his second consecutive Premier League start, Clement Lenglet was active and alert at left-back for Tottenham. Lenglet’s name was not called a lot in the match, which is really a good thing, as he showed he was as comfortable tackling in the attacking half as in the defensive third.
Center-back – Eric Dier – 8
Fresh off his first England call-up in quite a while, Eric Dier put his stamp on the game. Dier showed off his passing range with great diagonal balls, harkening some fans back to Toby Alderweireld. Dier’s moment was his header for the second Tottenham goal. The goal looked like a replay for the one Spurs conceded to Sporting but went the Lilywhite’s way.
Right-back – Davison Sanchez – 6
We did not predict Davison Sanchez to start, but we did think there was the possibility as traditional starter Cristian Romero was nursing a knock. Sanchez had highs and lows during the game, with his poorly timed tackle resulting in the initial penalty to get the game going being the most significant low. Sanchez was denied a goal by Danny Ward on a nice save off a good header following a set-piece.
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris – 7
Following a strong outing where he still conceded two goals, Lloris again had a good game while conceding a couple of goals. Lloris again had a couple of wonderful saves, not the least of which was a big palm diving to his right to deny Daka in the second half. The Frenchman must feel hard done having been penalized on the first penalty attempt kick of Youri Tielemans, which he denied. Lloris also got off his line well several times to clear with his feet.
Tottenham Bench and Coach Ratings
Having taken a little criticism from the media for not using his bench or summer signings, we saw more of both against Leicester City from Spurs.
Substitute #1 – Emerson Royal – 6
Emerson Royal started the game from the bench in a move likely to appease some Tottenham fans, including some here at HotspurHQ. However, showing his favor under Conte, Royal was the first substitute in the match, coming on in the 55th minute for Perisic to shore up Spurs defensively.
Substitute #2 – Heung-min Son – 10
Coming on as a substitute for the first time in recent memory, Son was hungry, and it showed as the South Korean finally ended his goal drought with two bangers and bouncer in a 13-minute hat-trick. The goals put the game out of reach and leave Tottenham heading into the break on a major high.
Substitute #3 – Cristian Romero – 6
Possibly nursing a bit of a knock, Cristian Romero came on simultaneously as Son, replacing Sanchez in the back. Romero’s most notable moment was likely his missed sitter, although an offside flag against Son let the big Argentine off the hook.
Substitute #4 – Yves Bissouma – 6
Coming on for the last twenty minutes for Bentancur, Bissouma showed some of what he can do on the ball but still looks to be thinking more than just playing on the pitch.
Coach – Antonio Conte – 8
Making just the right changes to open up the game for Tottenham and give Spurs the kind of strength off the bench they need, Conte pushed the right buttons. To head into an international break following such a big win is a great feeling.