Tottenham Player Ratings: Sunderland at Home
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur reacts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at White Hart Lane on September 18, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Tottenham find themselves in third place despite struggling to break through a determined Sunderland side on Sunday.
It’s hard to fault the collective effort here. Tottenham were by far the better team by traditional football standards. They kept the ball, passed it well and shot prolifically. They only faltered when it came to the final product. Harry Kane’s goal earned them a win, but it felt like it should have been a match decided by much more.
A large part of the reason behind Tottenham’s struggles was, admittedly, the fine play of Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford. The 22-year-old was aided considerably be a disjointed and uneven performance from Tottenham’s attack however. Mauricio Pochettino’s rotation failed to find the right balance required for Tottenham to discover the form that did so well for them last season.
To make matters just that much more troublesome, all three substitutions Tottenham used were forced upon them due to injury. Even if Tottenham’s bench has never been stronger, that’s a lot of change due to happy very quickly if these injuries stick.
It wasn’t all negative. There was plenty to be happy about here. A record signing got his debut start. A star player was welcomed back into the fold after a long absence. And a budding talent might have solidified himself in the starting XI.
Let’s take a look at the trials and successes of the team Pochettino fielded against Sunderland on Sunday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Adnan Januzaj of Sunderland (L) and Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur (R) battle for possession during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at White Hart Lane on September 18, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Defense
Hugo Lloris – 3.5 / 5
It’s not being disingenuous to say that Sunderland effectively didn’t bother to attack on Sunday. Lloris’ role was limited to charging down inaccurate punted balls and re-distributing back to Tottenham’s defenders. When he was called upon to stop a Sunderland attack, he was saved by not by his own hands but by Kyle Walker’s foot. One close call isn’t enough to dock him too much this week though.
Jan Vertonghen – 3.0 / 5
Clearly Pochettino wasn’t too impressed with Ben Davies’ contributions at left-back against Monaco. The Welshman started from the bench, meaning that Vertonghen was shifted over into a less-than-ideal left-back role. Needless to say, Vertonghen is no Danny Rose.
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Eric Dier – 3.5 / 5 (Injured; hamstring)
One can imagine that, long term, Dier’s place at Tottenham remains in central defense. Like the rest of the backline, he wasn’t called upon to do much on Sunday but he looked comfortable in position.
Toby Alderweireld – 3.5 / 5
The Belgian’s talents are robust, to say the least, but among his best attributes is his mobility. Whether it’s pressing into midfield when in possession, covering for Walker when the full-back moves forward or chasing down runners that slip through the lines, Alderweireld’s range of influence might be biggest of any player on the pitch. These talents stood out as Sunderland afforded a lot of space for Alderweireld and his teammates to move into.
Kyle Walker – 4 / 5
In a primarily offensive match from Spurs’ standpoint, Walker’s biggest contribution was in defense. Though not challenged regularly, it was Walker’s boot which prevented Steven Pienaar’s shot from becoming a goal just before half-time. Without that Tottenham would have been coming from behind after the interval, and a meek draw might have been the end result.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Tottenham Hotspur’s Mousa Dembele and Sunderland’s Steven Pienaar during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at White Hart Lane on September 18, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images,)
Midfield
Mousa Dembélé – 3.5 / 5 (Injured; hamstring)
Not that is supremacy was challenged much by Sunderland, but Dembélé put on another master class in how a central midfielder needs to operate alongside a more defensively minded partner. He covered when he needed to and, more often, got forward to support overloads in attack. Spurs would have looked much worse without Dembélé on the pitch.
Victor Wanyama – 3.5 / 5
There wasn’t too much action for Wanyama to clamp down on against a Sunderland side content to simply sit back. Still, the Kenyan ably covered for Dier as the latter was pushed back into defense.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at White Hart Lane on September 18, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Attack
Heung-min Son – 4.5 / 5
It’s nearly impossible to fault Son’s performance on Sunday. As he did against Stoke, he was a constant threat from right on the edge of Sunderland’s area. Whether it was a shot, an attempted assist or a finely driven cross, Son looked the most likely to set up Spurs’ winner. He could very well find himself a regular part of the starting XI conversation if he keeps this up.
Dele Alli – 3.5 / 5
Like Christian Eriksen against Monaco, Alli was bogged down by a crowded defensive midfield. Still, he managed to find his way through enough times to create four chances and take a few himself
Moussa Sissoko – 2.5 / 5
This wasn’t the best debut from Sissoko. He did a lot of the things we knew he could do, but good and bad: he played a direct game based around dribbling and found ways through Sunderland’s lines, but couldn’t find any sort of final ball for himself or his teammates. That he didn’t seem in sync with Walker behind him didn’t help matters.
Harry Kane – 3.5 / 5 (Injured; twisted ankle)
Kane’s second goal of the season might have won the match, but it was hard to escape the impression that the striker just isn’t operating at 100%. Son’s performance on the day would have been markedly better had his efforts been complemented by an in-form Kane.
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