Tottenham Hotspur hosted Cardiff City at Wembley after taking a drubbing from Barcelona midweek. It was supposed to be an easy fixture on paper, but Spurs laboured to a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Eric Dier who smashed the ball in from close quarters.
The home side enjoyed plenty of possession as expected, but without Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, they sometimes lacked ideas in the final third. Cardiff City defended in numbers solidly, but the writing was on the wall when they conceded an early goal. The performance and cutting edge was lacking, but a win is a win and Tottenham would take this as three points keep them up to pace with their other major rivals.
This is how Pochettino’s men fared against the Bluebirds.
Hugo Lloris 7
Was tested by Josh Murphy but the World Cup winner came up with the goods by closing him down quickly. Looked sharp and it was a good performance after the debacle against Barcelona.
Kieran Trippier 7.5
His dangerous crosses and set-piece looked threatening, and the English fullback created the first goal as he put in a beautiful ball in the box which was lashed on by Eric Dier after Warnock’s men failed to clear their lines.
Davinson Sanchez 6
Played a part in the goal as his header was blocked the first time. Murphy caused him a bit of worry with his pace. Overall a decent game but Pochettino would expect much better from his Colombian powerhouse.
Toby Alderweireld 7.5
Made a vital clearance just in front of the goal which kept his side’s lead intact. Was strong in the air and a dominating performance at the back from the Belgian. Picked up a yellow for stopping a dangerous counter-attack.
Danny Rose 6.5
Was good while going forward but was tested defensively. His final ball could be improved upon. Alderweireld bailed him out on a few occasions when the Englishman was caught up high on the pitch.
Eric Dier 7
Played in the anchor role and spread the ball well. It was crucial for Spurs to keep a clean sheet as they were unable to make many clear-cut chances. Scored the goal by reacting first in the box which turned out to be the winner.
Harry Winks 8
Spurs would be delighted to see the way Winks has developed. Had more freedom as Spurs enjoyed a lot of possession. Was energetic in midfield and played in some smart balls. Covered well for the injured Eriksen.
Son Heung-min 6
It was a relatively inconsistent performance from the South Korean star as he shined on some occasions and fluffed his lines other times. Needs to bring more consistency. Should have got an assist as Moura missed a good chance.
Moussa Sissoko 7
Started off slow as he gave the ball away cheaply in the first half. Improved as the game went on and put in a big shift down the right. His link-up play with the forwards was eye-catching on some occasions.
Lucas Moura 6
Got in some dangerous positions but his finishing was lacking throughout the game. Drew a foul from Joe Rallswhichh got him sent off. His pace and trickery troubled the Bluebirds, but the final product was lacking.
Harry Kane 6
The Englishman has been dropping deep off late, and the same continued even in this game as well. Took some smart shots and tested the goalkeeper through a header but couldn’t get his mandatory goal. The team failed to create a clear-cut chance for him.
Substitute
Erik Lamela 6
Looked sharp when he came on and did his bit in the attacking third in the latter half of the game.
Ben Davies N/A
Played too little to warrant a rating
Victor Wanyama N/A
Played too little to warrant a rating.
