Tottenham player ratings vs Aston Villa: Heung-min Son amazes but 3/10 flops
Tottenham secured a huge win against Aston Villa at Villa Park with a 4-0 win on Sunday afternoon (10 March).
James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Heung-min Son and Timo Werner all bagged in the second half to sink the Villans in a huge boost in their chase for a top-four finish.
Despite a strong opening 45 minutes from Unai Emery’s side, they quickly fell apart in the second half after conceding in quick succession and were marred by John McGinn’s dismissal for a dangerous challenge on Destiny Udogie in the 65th minute.
Ange Postecoglou’s side can now boast two successive wins ahead of a favour run of fixtures, and our Tottenham correspondent has rated the players’ performances against Villa.
Guglielmo Vicario [6]
The Italian was not called into action too often but was constantly alert to Villa’s high line and the pressure mounted from the likes of Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey.
He put his body on the line to keep the clean sheet and took an collision to the head from Matty Cash late in the second half.
Destiny Udogie [5]
Udogie’s strengths lie in his attacking ability and desire to bring the ball up the field, but he was occasionally left wanting defensively against Villa.
He was beaten by his opposite number on multiple occasions which allowed Emery’s side to whip in dangerous crosses which could have given Villa a way back into the game.
Micky van de Ven [8]
The Dutchman was crucial in keeping the high-pressing Villans at bay in the first half and his incredible pace and exceptional tackling ability were once again on full display.
His 98 per cent pass accuracy was vital for Spurs springing their attacks, but fans will be anxious after he was hauled off early in the second half with an injury for January signing Radu Dragusin.
Cristian Romero [7]
Romero dealt with Villa’s high press exceptionally and put in numerous quality tackles to snuff out the looming pressure.
A few misplaced passes could have proved very costly for Tottenham but multiple important interceptions and four successful ground duels nullified much of Villa’s potential joy.
Pedro Porro [7]
Typical of Postecoglou’s full-backs, Porro was bounding up and down the right channel and proved a real threat to their backline.
His defensive performance was also impressive and he several important tackles, including a last-man effort in the second half.
Pape Sarr [5]
Sarr struggled to make a major impact on the game and was unsurprisingly subbed off for Rodrigo Bentencur in the 70th minute.
Postecoglou likely did not want to risk him being sent off after he picked up a yellow card in the 19th minute, but he was outshined by his midfield couterparts. Nowhere near his usual level this season.
Yves Bissouma [7]
While Bissouma did not impact the game in as obvious a way as his attacking teammates, his quality in possession and passing ability was crucial.
He had the most touches of all of Tottenham’s players and his 96 per cent pass accuracy was important in keeping Postecoglou’s side ticking.
Brennan Johnson [8]
A slow start to the season has been quickly forgotten about after the latest emphatic performance from the Welshman.
He has grown in confidence and has started to develop a dangerous partnership with Son and Maddison.
His 53rd-minute goal, while at close range, was emphatically scored after his intelligent run into the Villa box.
James Maddison [9]
Maddison got himself back on the scoresheet for the first time since October with his clinical opener in the 50th minute.
Quality distribution has always been one of the Englishman’s strengths and it was on full display at Villa Park.
He often dropped deeper than normal and played exceptional line-breaking passes into Tottenham’s speedy wide attackers which proved crucial for Spurs securing the three points.
Dejan Kulusevski [3]
Don’t be fooled by the scoreline. It was a shock that Postecoglou opted to keep Kulusevski on the field for the full game given that he was absolutely miles off his normal level.
He made a couple of runs towards the Villa goal but lacked the directness that had endeared him to Tottenham fans previously.
With just two shots across the game and no successful dribbles, he would be wishing he could have chipped in more despite earning an assist for Son’s stoppage-time goal.
Heung-min Son [9]
Wow. Just wow. Tottenham’s captain once again proved why he deserves a bumper new deal with another outstanding display.
He bagged Spurs’ third goal – a thumping effort which Emi Martinez had no chance of stopping – and secured an assist for Werner’s 94th-minute strike.
On top of his obvious attacking output, he made multiple outstanding passes in tight areas to keep the ball alive and against weaker opposition, he could have made it a cricket score.
Substitutes
Radu Dragusin [6] – The centre-back has not had a lot of opportunities since his January move but gave a comfortable account of himself in the second half.
Rodrigo Bentencur [6] – The game was put to bed before he entered the fray, but he slotted in well and helped maintain the tempo.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg [N/A] – A late substitute appearance from the midfielder allowed him little time to make an impact in what looks to be his final season at Tottenham amid links to Italy.
Timo Werner [8] – The German managed to bag a well-taken late strike meaning he has scored in successive games. He will be hopeful that Postecoglou will give him a start in their next outing.
In other news, Tottenham ready talks for Premier League star after multiple offers submitted – sources.
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