Tottenham Hotspur was looking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss at Arsenal, facing a strong Brighton side on the road. How did Spurs players rate?
After two matches without a win, some changes were due, and Tottenham Hotspur made a few, as Spurs went with a 3-5-2 lineup to face Brighton. The moves paid off as Spurs held on for a 0-1 win over the Seagulls.
Tottenham Forward Ratings
With Dejan Kulusevski still unavailable, Spurs elected to play with only two strikers from the start, with Heung-min Son and Harry Kane leading the line.
Harry Kane – 7
Kane did not have his passing boots on during the first half, but he did have his head on straight, as our talisman gave Tottenham the lead with his deflected Son cross. Kane had a golden opportunity to put Spurs up two with a nice turn on Lewis Dunk in the box, but Harry could not find the target. Kane took a late knock and was removed with a couple of minutes to go in what we all hope was a precautionary move.
Heung-min Son – 7
Trying to find his form, having only scored in one match this season for Spurs, Son was looking to make some plays. The striker had a wonderful cutback in the box off a recycled corner to create the space for the cross that Kane finished. Son looked to be in in the second half, but a timely tackle from Dunk prevented the South Korean from a one-on-one opportunity on goal. Son did have the ball in the net once with a wonderful left-footed shot, but he was correctly flagged for offside, making the goal moot.
Rating Spurs Midfield
With a player coming out of the attacking line, the midfield received an additional body, as Spurs played with three men across the middle and their two wing-backs.
Ryan Sessegnon – 6.5
Starting on the left side of the midfield, Sessegnon had some success pushing forward in the first half, getting behind the Brighton defense on several occasions. Sessegnon’s urge to get forward did get the best of him a couple of times with a few offsides calls.
Pierre Hojbjerg – 6.5
The Dane was strong in the tackle on Saturday but not as strong holding the ball. Twice in the first half, Hojbjerg was dispossessed and went to the ground, but no whistle ensued. On both occasions, Hugo Lloris’s saves kept Brighton at bay.
Yves Bissouma – 6
Facing his former team and making only his second Tottenham start Yves Bissouma had a below-average first half, picking up a poor yellow card and miss playing several passes. The Malian’s second half was not much brighter as Bissouma likely was disappointed with an ineffective showing.
Matt Doherty – 6
Making his first start of the season with Emerson Royal serving his three-match ban, Matt Doherty found himself in some good positions in the first half but could not find the final ball with a cross or shot. Doherty battled defensively in the second half, including a huge tackle on Leandro Trossard late in the second half, but was unable to get forward.
Tottenham Defensive Ratings
The Spurs made one change in the back, with Ben Davies returning to the team, as Conte stuck with his three-man defense.
Ben Davies – 7
After missing several outings with injury, Davis was back in the starting line-up. The Welshman was willing to get forward with the ball and avoided big mistakes.
Eric Dier – 7
He was leading the back line as expected. Dier stayed tight to Danny Welbeck for much of the game, working to deny possession as much as possible.
Cristian Romero – 6.5
Still not quite up to his best form, Cristian Romero was busy defensively working with Doherty on the right. The Argentine took a couple of shots and was down a few times but finished the game. He committed a poor foul late in the game, which could have been disastrous, but proved to be nothing.
Hugo Lloris – 8
Hugo Lloris was stout in goal for Spurs with several good saves in the first half. He was quick off his line to stop Kaoru Mitoma from being on goal. Alert and solid with his distribution, it was a strong game for the French stopper.
Tottenham Coach and Substitute Ratings
RIcharlison – 6
The first substitute off the bench was the Brazilian attacker, who came on for Yves Bissouma on a yellow card. That move put Spurs temporarily back in a 3-4-3 formation until Son was removed. A willing runner, Richarlison had little impact offensively.
Ivan Perisic – 6
The Croatian came on with about 10 minutes left in the match, replacing Son. Perisic did nothing of note.
Oliver Skipp – N/A
Skipp came on with just three minutes of regular time left in the game, replacing Kane and working to hold onto the lead and victory.
Coach Conte – 7
Showing that he will adapt his formation when the situation calls for it, Conte had his team ready in the first half. In the second half, Spurs lack of possession and willingness to sit back defensively made for a tense 45 minutes, but it was a big three points for Tottenham.