View: Tottenham player ratings from Premier League victory over Manchester United
Ange Postecoglou made a dream start to life in front of his new supporters with a statement 2-0 victory against Manchester United on Saturday 19 August at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
After a promising start to life under the Australian away at Brentford, where they would have taken more positives than negatives back to North London following the 2-2 draw, Spurs cranked their performance levels up another notch on Saturday.
If you had offered any supporter inside the ground four points from Brentford and Manchester United in Postecoglou’s first two games in charge, they would have bitten your hand off. But it was the way in which they won the match that would have left those associated with Tottenham feeling most delighted.
It is clear that the players are buying into their new manager’s philosophy and embracing his high-octane, attacking style of football. And not only are they embracing it, they are, so far, excelling at it. It represented the club’s first victory in their brand new shiny home against the Red Devils and felt like a real statement moment.
A new era is certainly underway at Tottenham, and there will be plenty of optimism that it is going to be a good one.
Here, Tottenham News has provided a player rating for each and every Spurs player that took to the field.
Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario – 9/10
Many supporters were left worried after the Italian’s shaky debut against Brentford where he looked nervous, but during the visit of Erik ten Hag’s men, he looked anything but. It was one of the finest performances a goalkeeper has put in between the sticks for Tottenham in a very long time.
As well as some exceptionally fine saves, he looked confident with the ball at his feet when playing out from the back, finding a teammate more often than not.
His six stops prevented 1.46 expected goals and he completed 34 out of his 37 passes, a successful passing accuracy of 92 per cent. In addition to this the one time he ran out he dealt with it and he made three accurate long passes from the six he attempted (Sofascore).
Right-back – Pedro Porro – 7/10
Eyebrows would have been raised when Postecoglou decided to drop Emerson Royal after his goal and overall positive performance against Brentford during the club’s Premier League opener.
But, although he made a shaky start to the match, Porro quickly grew into proceedings and justified his boss’ choice of selecting him, very much rewarding the faith placed in him by his manager.
He was solid defensively, despite this not being an element of his game that is often praised, showcasing that he does have what it takes to play in a back four. His speed was helpful in transition and went some way in explaining his selection.
He made three clearances, one interception and one tackle and was incredibly unlucky not to become the second right-back in as many weeks to get on the scoresheet for Tottenham, as he saw his powerful strike rattle the crossbar at 0-0.
In addition, he was positive going forward, making one successful dribble, one successful cross and completing 35 of his 43 passes, a successful accuracy of 85 per cent. It is clear that right-back will not be a major area of concern for the side this season after Porro and Royal’s back-to-back showings.
Centre-back – Mick van de Ven – 7/10
Just as against Brentford, the Dutchman rarely put a foot wrong and looked composed overall as he helped his team to a clean sheet. While he did have a few more shaky moments throughout this match than against Brentford, they were easy to forgive as he grew into the game.
One moment that would have left fans’ hearts in their mouths was when he gave the ball away just in front of the technical area, offering United the chance to counter-attack. But he quickly put this behind him and played well, especially in the second half.
By the end of the match he had made one clearance, one tackle and one interception while completing 56 of his 60 attempted passes, a successful accuracy of 93 per cent. With time, there is no doubt Van de Ven has the potential to develop into one of the league’s best defenders.
Centre-back – Cristian Romero – 8/10
A player who is already well on his way to establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s top centre-backs. The World Cup winner’s quality is often forgotten and he is usually not given the plaudits he deserves, but after his rock-solid display against United, it would be hard for even the most cynical of fans to deny the Tottenham centre-back those plaudits.
The Argentine made four clearances and blocked three shots while making one interception and one tackle. In addition to this, he completed 88 per cent of his passes and won his one ground duel.
He and Van de Ven could certainly form a very exciting partnership over the coming months.
Left-back – Destiny Udogie – 6/10
Although not as positive as his showing against Brentford, it was still an assured performance for a youngster playing his first home Premier League game against top opposition.
He made a few more mistakes than he did in his previous appearance, giving the ball away 14 times, but still offered a lot for fans to be hopeful about. He completed 21 of his 24 passes, an accuracy of 88 per cent, with one of those passes being key and was successful with two of his five dribbles.
Tottenham certainly have a real talent on their hands but will need some patience as the young Italian continues to adapt to life in England and the Premier League.
Midfield – Yves Bissouma – 8/10
Another phenomenal performance from a player continuing his resurgence under Postecoglou. Bissouma really looks like a brand-new signing and after his showings during the club’s opening two Premier League matches, supporters will be left wondering why exactly he did not feature under Antonio Conte more regularly.
If he had, they would have picked up more points, he is that good. At times he glided effortlessly across the pitch with Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Mason Mount struggling to get near him throughout the contest. He was once again fabulous defensively, dealing with much of what was thrown at him.
The Mali International made five tackles and three clearances while winning nine ground duels and his one aerial duel that he contested. He completed 45 of his 51 passes, an accuracy of 88 per cent, as he once again controlled the midfield.
Midfield – James Maddison – 8/10
Daniel Levy spent £40million on this man, which is beginning to look more and more like a bargain as the days go by. There was a moment during the first half where he took the ball from a defensive area and burst past three or four United men in midfield, driving forward and releasing the ball, which then led to a shot on target.
It is something that hasn’t been seen from midfielders at the club for years and is a prime example of why the Englishman was brought in. While he didn’t provide an assist directly, his switch to Ivan Perisic in the build-up to Spurs’ second was as delightful as it was crucial.
Maddison registered 0.10 expected goals as well as 0.25 expected assists during the match. In addition to this, he completed 36 of his 44 attempted passes, an accuracy of 82 per cent, with two of them being key. He was successful with 100 per cent of his dribbles and demonstrated once again just how much of a key player he can become.
Midfield – Pape Matar Sarr – 9/10
What a time to get your first goal in Lilywhite. With the game evenly poised, Sarr arrived in the box and showed the composure of a player much older than him, smashing it into the roof of the net. If someone with no knowledge had watched his performance, they would have been in disbelief when they found out he is only 20 years old.
Sarr made two tackles and lost possession just five times while winning three of his four ground duels and the one aerial duel he attempted. Against much more experienced players in the middle of the park, he looked like the veteran.
It represents another exciting gem that the club have on their hands.
Left-winger – Son Heung-min – 7/10
A much-improved performance from the captain. He was largely anonymous against Brentford and, although he wasn’t back to his usual levels against United, he had a far greater impact on the contest.
He was unlucky not to get an assist when he slipped the ball into the box for Sarr, who saw his shot saved by Andre Onana, and showed signs of drifting further infield rather than hugging the touchline as he had done in the club’s first match of the season.
Perhaps this tactical tweak was suggested by his manager and it certainly paid dividends. The South Korea international provided four key passes, registering 0.38 expected assists and 0.13 goals while making three successful dribbles.
There is still some room for improvement but certainly signs that he is becoming used to Postecoglou’s style of play.
Right-winger – Dejan Kulusevski – 6/10
Just like his fellow winger, the Swede put in a much-improved performance and was a greater threat against United than he was at any point against Brentford.
He was fundamental in the build-up to the first goal, driving the ball across the box where it bounced around before landing at Sarr’s feet. Although, apart from this, he still struggled.
Kulusevski completed just 11 of his 19 passes, a successful accuracy of 58 per cent and completed just one cross. He also was unsuccessful in both his dribble attempts and all four of his ground duels. He clearly still needs some time to adapt to Postecoglou’s system.
Striker – Richarlison – 6/10
Signs of improvement, but a player who is still desperate for that goal to really push him forward. He was much better in his hold-up play and got more involved in the match, but his furious reaction when substituted in the 70th minute showed signs of a player still not satisfied with his performance.
And no one could really blame him for being disappointed. The 26-year-old managed just 28 touches and only completed nine of an attempted 14 passes, an accuracy of 64 per cent.
He must do better.
Substitutes
Ivan Perisic – 6/10
His pass was put into the back of the net by United defender Lisandro Martinez.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 6/10
Completed plenty of passes and chipped in defensively to help see out the win.
Ben Davies – 5/10
Emerson Royal – N/A
Manor Solomon – N/A
In other Tottenham news, John Wenham believes Manor Solomon is a good bit of business for the club.