Midfielder loses possession 15 times – Tottenham’s three winners and losers vs Chelsea
Tottenham were woeful against Chelsea as they lost 1-0 in the feisty London derby with their poor home run continuing.
Prior to the match, attention was on the expectation that Xavi Simons’ would face Chelsea even with his poor form since arriving to England.
Tottenham hijacked Simons from Chelsea in the summer, yet Enzo Maresca is probably thrilled they didn’t sign him given his underwhelming start to life in north London.
However, Joao Pedro’s goal was the difference maker as Football Insider picks out who struggled and who thrived for Thomas Frank against the Blues.
Tottenham winners
Guglielmo Vicario
The Italian was one of the standout performers against Everton on 26 October and was busy once again against the Blues.
Guglielmo Vicario made eight monstrous saves to keep Chelsea’s lead to one goal continuing to be one of Frank’s most reliable players this season.
Cristian Romero
Following an injury-induced absence from the team, the World Cup winner came on in the 60th minute to a huge applause from the Tottenham fans.
Cristian Romero instantly sured up the Lilywhites backline, completing 100 per cent of his tackles and winning four of his six ground duels.
Pape Sarr
Performances were poor across the board for Frank’s side, but the Senegalese stood out as one of the few players trying to make something happen.
Pape Sarr delivered two key passes as he sought to create an opportunity for his teammates in a tight and nervy fixture.
Moreover, his heat map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, highlighted his tireless running as he covered every corner of the pitch.
Tottenham losers
Lucas Bergvall
The young Swede kept his starting role from Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat against Newcastle in the EFL Cup, yet was unable to make much of an impact.
Lucas Bergvall was hooked after just seven minutes with concussion protocol cited as the reason for his exit in what was a frustrating night for the midfielder.
Kevin Danso
The Austrian struggled to keep up with the pace of the Chelsea attack which saw him pick up a yellow card for his troubles.
Kevin Danso completed just four of his 10 duels during the match before being taken off on the 60th minute for the returning Romero.
The comeback of the Argentine is far from ideal for the number four who will now see reduced minutes in the coming games.
Xavi Simons
The Blues will be breathing a sigh of relief that they didn’t pursue the Dutchman any further after Spurs’ eye-watering bid in the summer.
Simons came on for the injured Bergvall early on in the match, yet looked completely lost on the field, losing possession 15 times.
Moreover, he was dribbled past three times, which saw him make panicked recovery runs to make up for his mistakes.
His heat map highlights the need to run backwards to help out his defence, mostly due to losing the ball on numerous occasions.