Tottenham player ratings v Nottingham Forest – James Maddison dazzles as 3/10 key man is horrific
Tottenham moved into the Premier League top four with a hard-fought 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday (7 April).
The hosts went ahead after just 15 minutes through a Murillo own goal, but Forest quickly equalised through Chris Wood to ensure a stalemate at the break.
Micky van de Ven then restored his side’s lead with a thumping goal just after the restart, with Pedro Porro adding a third.
Football Insider rates the Spurs players for their displays at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Guglielmo Vicario [7]
The Italian was switched on from minute one as his teammates enjoyed the majority of possession, with Vicario forced into five saves in what was a very busy match for the number one.
Pedro Porro [6]
The right-back often bombed forward as he loves to do, with Porro given plenty of freedom in the final third, particularly for his goal. He was, however, susceptible defensively against the pacey Forest attackers.
Cristian Romero [6]
Romero has often lacked composure in his Spurs career, but that wasn’t the case against Forest, with the centre-back producing a top defensive display that involved five clearances, more than any of his teammates.
Micky van de Ven [7]
The central defender’s lightning-quick pace was crucial in helping prevent the tricky Forest trio of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga from really making their mark on the match, with Van de Ven winning six of his eight duels, as well as scoring a superb goal.
Destiny Udogie [3]
Udogie was quieter than normal in terms of his usual superb attacking threat under Ange Postecoglou, while his defensive frailties were clear as day as he switched off for Forest’s goal, with the left-back winning just two of his five ground duels, as well as making two fouls.
Yves Bissouma [7]
Bissouma dictated the play in North London with a superb 93% passing accuracy, with the midfield maestro impressing both defensively and offensively. He was, however, somewhat surprisingly taken off at half-time.
Pape Matar Sarr [5]
Sarr certainly didn’t get as forward as much as Bissouma, with the former more eager to help out his defenders. But he was careless on the ball, losing possession seven times, and was also withdrawn at the interval.
Brennan Johnson [5]
The Wales star has found his feet lately, much to the delight of Ange Postecoglou, who trusted Johnson from the start ahead of Dejan Kulusevski. But the manager may be slightly disappointed with that choice, with the winger failing to shine against his former club.
James Maddison [8]
The midfielder has been having a tough time on the pitch lately, but he started very brightly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and continued to do so throughout the game, with Maddison outclassing his opponents all over the match, with three key passes to his name, more than any other player.
Timo Werner [7]
The hosts certainly started the match much stronger than their opponents, with Werner in the thick of the action in the early stages. He remained a threat throughout the clash, with the German forcing the own goal from Murillo thanks to his dangerous cross into the box.
Son Heung-min [6]
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Son to get to grips with the Forest defence, but he couldn’t quite find that killer instinct that he often provides. The South Korean did, however, find the feet of Van de Ven for the latter’s stunning goal with some good footwork himself.
SUBSTITUTES
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg [6]
The Dane certainly helped change the pattern of the match after entering the fray at half-time, with Hojbjerg producing a reliable display in the middle.
Rodrigo Bentancur [5]
Another half-time substitute, Bentancur also played a key role in the second-half revival from Spurs, with the midfielder assisting Porro’s goal with a clever flick.
Giovani Lo Celso [N/A]
Dejan Kulusevski [N/A]
Dane Scarlett [N/A]
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