Tottenham kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea with a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Wednesday evening. So how did Mauricio Pochettino’s men perform individually?
Hugo Lloris, 6
Only really had routine saves to make. His distribution was a little inconsistent but it didn’t really matter.
Toby Alderweireld, 7
Misplaced a couple of passes but won most of his 50/50 challenges and provided a solid base at the back for Spurs to build from.
Eric Dier, 7
Was guilty of holding onto the ball for too long in the first half, particularly when he moved into midfield. Improved after half-time when he began to distribute the ball more quickly.
Jan Vertonghen, 7
Did a great job in the second half keeping Christian Benteke quiet, which meant Tottenham could concentrate on getting the ball forward without worrying about Palace’s main threat.
Kyle Walker, 7
Struggled against the tricky Wilfried Zaha in the first half and was far too inaccurate with his passing. Thankfully, his second half display was completely the opposite.
Victor Wanyama, 6
Fine in terms of general play, but got away with a tackle that could have produced a second yellow card and was subsequently substituted at half-time.
Mousa Dembele, 6
He, too, was hauled off at the break after a knock to his ankle provoked a disjointed first half display.
Ben Davies, 7
Played his part in some useful interplay with Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son down the left. Just about won his personal battle with former Spurs man Andros Townsend.
Christian Eriksen, 9
Did OK in the first half but really stepped up his game after the break, dropping deeper into a central midfield role from where he controlled the contest. Capped his night by scoring the stunning winner from 25 yards out.
Dele Alli, 7
Showed some slick footwork on more than one occasion and aided Tottenham in general play. Will have been relieved at Eriksen’s goal after firing a volley wide from close range.
Harry Kane, 8
Didn’t provide his usual goal threat but his hard work was pivotal to the points. He chased down every ball and set up Eriksen for the winner with some neat play in a deep position.
Substitutes
Moussa Sissoko, 7
Didn’t make a huge impact as a half-time sub, but he retained the ball well and played a key role in ensuring victory by keeping the ball high up the pitch at the end.
Heung-Min Son, 6
Also introduced at the break, not a lot went right for the Korean — his first touch was particularly sloppy — but Spurs’ improvement coincided with his arrival.
Kieran Trippier, N/A
Brought on in stoppage time to waste some valuable seconds.
