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Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign in the Premier League got off to a miserable start when they were beaten 1-0 by Everton in their own backyard on Sunday night. The only goal came from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who headed home from a free kick when Carlo Ancelotti edged his old friend Jose Mourinho in the capital.
Positive
It definitely felt like the Spurs’ plan was to give Everton the majority of possession, and they never seemed to panic even when they came in behind the back four. They had a tendency to strip opposition in key areas and while it didn’t last long, there was a sustained period of urgency midway through the first half that fans would have liked to see throughout the game.
Negative
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1 Related
There was a definite one-dimensional element to the Spurs’ play throughout the game, and that was particularly evident when they tried to advance. They were slow to react each time Everton made their way into the last third and left holes in their defensive structure multiple times, and none of their attacks had a final result.
Manager rating out of 10
4 – José Mourinho’s gritty version of modern football may have worked 10 years ago, but his old-fashioned techniques are clearly starting to cost him. He put in a strong starting eleven and made some necessary changes to try and change the momentum of the game, but there is absolutely no excuse for his team’s lack of creativity and pressure.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players submitted after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Hugo Lloris, 6 – The French international made several easy saves, but was lucky to avoid conceding when Richarlison circled around him and could do nothing to prevent Calvert-Lewin’s win.
DF Matt Doherty, 5 years old – There was a real determination in the debut of the new signing during the first half and he even came close to scoring, but as time passed, Richarlison was pocketing at will.
DF Toby Alderweireld, 4 – Producing a small collection of important blocks cannot make up for the obvious and obvious lack of pace that Alderweireld now has.
DF Eric Dier, 4 – Any kind of intricate game will always catch Dier with his spatial awareness costing Tottenham the Everton goal.
DF Ben Davies, 4 – Davies was lethargic from the get-go as he never seemed to be in the right frame of mind to get stuck or fight for every loose ball.
Spurs battled Everton and suffered an unexpected loss at home. Getty
MF Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 4 – The former Southampton player didn’t even seem to really know what role he was playing and while his distribution was solid, there was no cohesion to work in midfield.
MF Harry Winks, 5 – While he found much more success when he kept the ball on deck, it’s hard to define Winks as an overall midfielder when his overall game is so overwhelmingly negative.
AMF Lucas Moura, 4 – He certainly works better on the counter, but for someone tasked with creating opportunities for his team, Moura really leaves a lot to be desired.
AMF Dele Alli, 4 -. It was another poor display, from his questionable decision-making to his boring and uninspiring demeanor every time he received the ball.
AMF Son Heung-Min, 6 – It started out as a house on fire cutting in and causing all kinds of trouble for Everton’s defense, but that pressure faded in the second half.
FW Harry Kane, 5 – Tottenham’s star man was simply left out of the conversation in North London because lack of service cost him a chance to make an impact.
Substitutes
MF Moussa Sissoko, 5 – He didn’t even remotely come close to causing any danger for Everton after another lackluster performance.
MF Steven Bergwijn, 6 years old – With a full 90 minutes under his belt, he may have unlocked some opportunities for the Spurs, but his teammates weren’t as motivated.
MF Tanguy Ndombele, N / A – It can produce some true moments of magic when given space, but its energy levels just aren’t where they need to be.
Source: espn.co.uk
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