Tottenham Hotspur entertained AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday following a disappointing draw versus West Ham United on Thursday night at the Wembley Stadium. Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was looking for a much-improved showing from his players in this match against the Dons with the FA Cup representing the most realistic chance of a silverware for Spurs this season.
Tottenham opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Pochettino going into the match with a strong starting eleven which saw him name Harry Kane as the Spurs captain for the day. The North London outfit was in for a frustrating start to the game as they carved out chance after chance but still couldn’t find the opener in the first 45 minutes. However, the second half was a different story as Spurs ranked up the pressure and finally scored through their talisman Harry Kane in the 63rd minute and then again, two minutes later courtesy of another Kane finish. They sealed the contest through Jan Vertonghen in the 71st minute and ran out 3-0 winners on the day.
Let’s shed some light on how the Tottenham Hotspur players fared in the match.
GK: Michel Vorm – 7/10
He made two good saves in the contest to keep a well deserved clean sheet in the Spurs goal.
RB: Kieran Trippier – 6/10
He was involved in the build-up to the first goal and did well to provide an outlet for Spurs on the right flank. However, his crossing was not up to the mark but it was getting better as the game progressed.
CB: Juan Foyth – 5/10
The 19-year-old defender struggled in the game and was guilty of losing possession quite a number of times in the match.
CB: Jan Vertonghen – 8/10
The Belgian scored a goal and kept a clean sheet on the day. He put the perfect performance at the heart of the Spurs defense.
LB: Kyle Walker-Peters – 7/10
He looked reliable for Spurs in the left-back position and made a few good tackles in the match. The youngster linked up well in the opposition half and his effort on goal in the second period was deflected into the path of Harry Kane who finished with ease to grab his second goal of the contest.
RM: Moussa Sissoko – 7/10
He made a nervy start but improved as the game went on. His driving runs from midfield gave the Wimbledon defense some headaches to deal with.
CM: Victor Wanyama – 7/10
He made some great challenges in the midfield and had a dominant game at the center of the park.
CM: Mousa Dembele – 7/10
He was unlucky to strike the post with his effort but had a strong game overall in the Spurs midfield.
LM: Erik Lamela – 8/10
The Argentine was adventurous with his passes in the opposition half and created some good chances for his team-mates. He was one of the better players on the pitch and had a good game.
ST: Harry Kane – 9/10
The English striker once again came to his side’s rescue after breaking the deadlock in the 63rd minute and bagging his second goal two minutes later. He put in a captain’s performance and proved once again that there’s no stopping him this season!
ST: Fernando Llorente – 6/10
After making a good start to the game, the Spanish striker was slow and far too stagnant for Spurs. He was rightfully subbed at around the hour mark in the match.
Substitutes:
ST: Son Heung-min – 7/10
He came off the bench and always looked a threat with his energy and enthusiasm in the opposition half. The South Korean was unlucky to hit the post late on.
LM: Georges-Kévin N’Koudou – N/A
He hardly had any time to make an impact in the game but could have won a penalty for his side in injury time when he was clearly shoved off the ball by Fuller.
RM: Dele Alli – 6/10
He also had an influence in the match after coming off the bench for the last few minutes of the game.
