Tottenham Hotspur did not play a great ninety minutes on Tuesday against Marseille, but Spurs were good enough, often enough, to steal the win and the Group.
It was very much a first half to forget for Tottenham, with the two most noteworthy events being the injury to Heung-min Son and then an injury-time goal, which left Spurs again asking more questions than providing answers. Fortunately, some wonderful individual efforts helped cobble together enough chances for Tottenham to score twice and steal the road win. Here are our player ratings from the big victory in France.
Tottenham Forward Ratings
Tottenham had three forward to start the game on paper, but in reality, Spurs spent much of the first half – before Son’s injury – sitting defensively in a 5-4-1 formation, with Harry Kane as the only true striker. After Son came off and an additional midfielder came on, Spurs morphed into more of a 5-3-2 formation, which helped apply more pressure and limit Marseille passing lanes.
Heung-min Son – 6
Sonny looked like he would be up for the battle on Tuesday, but his day was cut short. Less than 30 minutes into the match, Son’s face smashed into Chancel Mbemba’s shoulder, and after several minutes, the South Korean was replaced. We can only hope that Son will be okay sooner than later.
Harry Kane – 8
Harry Kane had a rough game physically as he rarely found himself without at least one, if not two, white shirts right on top of him. However, Kane came through when the team needed him most. His hold-up play was massive, including when he drew the foul that led to the game-tying goal. Then, as time expired, Kane collected the ball and played in Hojbjerg for the game-winner. It was not a pretty night for Kane, and his legs will likely show it, but he likely doesn’t care after winning the group.
Lucas Moura – 6.5
Lucas Moura was again the starter almost by default, with Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison still out. Bryan Gil, who we have advocated for, only appeared late as Spurs tried to run down the clock in injury time. Moura worked hard and, like Kane, was under immense pressure all evening. Perhaps his best chance was early in the second half, but his shot/cross found no one. Lucas did have a deft touch to set up Hojbjerg, who then hit the woodwork as Spurs looked for a winner.
Tottenham Midfield Ratings
Tottenham played with a four-man midfield on paper but switched between four and three players in practice. It was a strong outing from several midfielders who helped push the team to victory.
Ryan Sessegnon – 6
Starting on the right side of the pitch in the wing-back position, Ryan Sessegnon was never fully comfortable on Tuesday. Defensively he was often in position but struggled to find the right clearance or play, almost costing the team a goal late in the first half. Sess was substituted at half-time for Emerson Royal.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 8.5
A player that seems to be getting better with each outing, Rodrigo Bentancur was immense for Tottenham on Tuesday. Bentancur was persistent with pressing and pressure on the ball, making several steals. Bentancur was attacking with the ball and set up Moura, who set up Hojbjerg when the Dane hit the post. Most of all, Bentancur never let the level of the team go down, especially in the second half, where there was no such thing as a lost run. Bentancur did appear to pick up a knock late and was substituted; we have to hope it is nothing serious.
Pierre Hojbjerg – 7.5
Beyond the Lenglet goal, the two best chances for Tottenham came from Pierre Hojbjerg. The Dane hit the topside of the crossbar and the inside of the post, which the first glancing over and the second bouncing in. Beyond his shooting, which he led the team in, Hojbjerg was not as sharp and active passing as he had been, although his presence was still very obvious.
Ivan Perisic – 8
Ivan Perisic may have played his most complete game for Tottenham on Tuesday in France. Perisic worked hard on both ends of the pitch, contributing a major block defensively and playing the gem of a ball into the box for Lenglet’s game-tying goal. Perisic shows us what is possible in the wing-back position.
Rating the Tottenham Defense
There was a little change in the Tottenham defense, with Cristian Romero out and Eric Dier sliding over to the right side to replace him.
Ben Davies – 7.5
Probably the best defender on the pitch on Tuesday, Ben Davies was a wall for Spurs on the left. Davies had several big clearances and then looked to push the ball up the pitch, whether with the dribble or the pass. Davies’ positional sense helps with the changing personnel in the back.
Clement Lenglet – 7
We saw both sides of Clement Lenglet on Tuesday. A big defender, Lenglet, was excellent in the box, winning the big header that tied the game. Lenglet also got left by Alexi Sanchez a few times, as the Chilean found some space and could turn and get by the big Frenchman. It is a risk-reward with Lenglet, who knows when to stick his foot in but is susceptible to quick players.
Eric Dier – 6.5
Eric Dier did a few good things on Tuesday, mostly on the attacking side of the ball, where he played a few long balls and looked to keep the back line high. Dier played a couple of questionable balls but had Davies to bail him out. Hopefully, the extra day’s rest from a Tuesday game will do Dier some good.
Hugo Lloris – 8
It was not a clean sheet for the captain, but Spur’s skipper was excellent. Lloris had three big saves and as many claims as he helped keep the defense focused and preserve the draw, which became a win. The only reason the win was possible was because of the critical saves of Lloris.
Tottenham Substitute and Coach Ratings
Yves Bissouma – 7
Coming in less than 30 minutes into the game for Son, Yves Bissouma played well on Tuesday. Bissouma sat in the middle of the midfield three, allowing both Hojbjerg and Bentancur to take turns pressuring Marseille without conceding a ton of space behind them. Bissouma is still yet to find his passing game for Spurs, but he was solid with his distribution.
Emerson Royal – 7
Replacing Sessegnon at the interval, Emerson Royal played a couple of really dangerous crosses into the box and one terrific ball up the line to Bentancur. For a player that receives a lot of flack from the fans and has been in and out of the lineup, he seems to have lost no confidence and is starting to round into form.
Oliver Skipp – N/A
Skippy was on for Bentancur for the last six minutes, plus injury time. Skippy looked to continue the pressure and pressing, ultimately leading to Spur’s game-winner.
Bryan Gil – N/A
Gil came on during injury time to help run out the clock.
Coach – Cristian Stellini – 8
Stellini was subbing for Antonio Conte, who was serving his suspension from the red card against Sporting. Stellini had Spurs deep and defending hard in the first half, but that was not enough. Who knows what Stellini did at half-time, but the team returned renewed and with a fighting spirit, which Stellini needs some credit for.
So there are our ratings; how did you think the lads performed?