Tottenham player ratings following 2-0 defeat away at Chelsea

After the 3-2 defeat against Arsenal in last Sunday's North London Derby, a message that popped up throughout the week was questioning Ange Postecoglou's thoughts on how set pieces have plagued his squad for most of the season.

One could say that defending them has been the Lilywhites' biggest weakness this season, and it is definitely an area that needs to be addressed moving forward. However, the Australian manager shrugged off the notion, saying “I don’t see it as an issue," when engaged about the topic in his pre-game press conference.

Well, it definitely was an issue at Stamford Bridge, as Spurs allowed two more set piece goals en route to a 2-0 defeat. Most of the squad didn't have their best days on the pitch either, so let's dive into Tottenham's player ratings.

GK - Guglielmo Vicario: 5/10. Despite the final score, there wasn't much the Italian could do on either goal. Just another match highlighting both his and Spurs' weaknesses with set pieces. This will need to be a point of emphasis moving forward.

RB - Pedro Porro: 4/10. One of Porro's weakest displays of the season, the Spanish international needs to focus on the defending aspect of his duties, and soon. Spurs' place in the table depends on that skillset.

CB - Cristian Romero: 6/10. Yeah, a 2-0 defeat usually isn't good from a defensive standpoint. But once again, it wasn't Romero and center-back partner Micky Van de Ven's fault on this day. The vice-captain had a steady and solid performance, one many Tottenham fans would take nine out of ten times.

CB - Micky van de Ven: 7/10. Had another good performance at the heart of Spurs' defense, which is more than the rest of his teammates can say after this match. The future is very bright indeed for the young Dutchman.

LB - Emerson Royal: 4/10. Unfortunately, filling the role vacated by the injured Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies really showed that Royal isn't a good fit for Postecoglou's system. It's a shame too, because the Brazilian is well liked and plays hard in every opportunity he's given. He was just outmatched at Chelsea.

CM - Yves Bissouma: 5/10. The midseason slide continues for the Malian midfielder, as Biss struggled once again Thursday evening. Maybe a match or two off as the season draws to an end would help the midfielder regain some form.

CM - Pape Matar Sarr: 5/10. Along with Bissouma, had another unremarkable match. Burnout may also be a factor for the 21 year old wunderkind, as he's played in a ton of matches this season. A spell on the bench Sunday at Liverpool might help.

CAM - Dejan Kulusevski: 5/10. Following an excellent performance in Sunday's North London Derby, Kulusevski deserved today's start. Unfortunately, it wasn't his best performance, as he basically gave away the free kick that led to Chelsea's second goal in the second half.

RW - Brennan Johnson: 5/10. Missed a big chance to put Spurs on the board in the second half, and didn't perform at his best against Marc Cucurella of the home team. Still, never gave up trying to set Tottenham up with looks at goal.

ST - Richarlison: 5/10. In his first start since February, the Brazilian really didn't offer too much in front of goal. Made a few half-decent runs, but was ultimately part of the problem on a poor display from the Lilywhite attack.

LW - Heung-Min Son: 4/10. Spurs' captain looks like he could use a break as well, as it appears his confidence might be shot. As the season draws to a close, Big Ange needs to help motivate his captain in these final matches.

SUBSTITUTES

Rodrigo Bentancur: 6/10. Not a bad display from the former Juventus man after being one of three players introduced in the 63rd minute. Came on for Richarlison.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 5/10. The second substitute to come on in the 63rd minute (for Bissouma), Hojbjerg tried to help push things along in midfield, but came up short on the day. Still, a decent outing from the former Southampton man.

James Maddison: 5/10. Coming on for Sarr in the 63rd minute, it looked as if Maddison might provide the spark that Tottenham needed. Unfortunately, Chelsea's second goal all but snuffed it out.

Bryan Gil: 5/10. A surprising addition in the 78th minute, Gil didn't really do too much after coming on for Johnson. Likely on his way out of North London after the season.

Giovani Lo Celso: N/A. Didn't have enough time to warrant a grade after coming on for Royal in the 85th minute. Needs more playing time moving forward. Wouldn't be too bad of an idea to possibly start the Argentinian against Liverpool Sunday.