Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings vs Ferencvaros
Tottenham Hotspur earned their fifth successive win in all competitions as they narrowly saw off Ferencvaros by a 2-1 margin, courtesy of a close range finish from Pape Mata Sarr in the first half and Brennan Johnson’s goal having come off the bench in the second period. Barnabas Varga scored the consolation goal for the hosts.
The Lilywhites dominated possession and had the lion’s share of the big chances, but just like the Manchester United match and the early phases of the season, they failed to convert opportunities which allowed the home side to have a sniff at salvaging something out of the match until late on.
It is a second win in as many matches for Ange Postecoglou’s charges as they look to win a piece of silverware for the first time in over 15 years, whereas winning the continental competition will also guarantee them passage into next season’s Champions League – a competition which they have not featured in since the 2019/20 campaign.
Tottenham player ratings vs Ferencvaros
Vicario – 6.5/10 – A third straight clean sheet for Guglielmo Vicario came without too much effort. Ferencvaros had a goal ruled out in the first half but otherwise the Italian was a spectator for much of the match. He made a handful of easy saves and distributed the ball well but that’s about it.
Porro – 7.5/10 – Pedro Porro unexpectedly started the game in spite of being in contention to rest. The Spaniard was great going forward and also hit the woodwork. His performance did not have much to write home about as he failed creatively, but the right back showed glimpses of his quality and contributed to an important win.
Romero – 8/10 – Cristian Romero, as always, put in a superb display in the heart of defence. The World Cup winner was all over Barnabas Varga as he kept the Ferencvaros striker at bay for much of the match. He was even helpful when progressing the ball higher up the pitch, a characteristic which Spurs benefitted from against a disciplined opponent.
Gray – 7.5/10 – Archie Gray was expected to start as the right back but replaced Micky van de Ven in the starting eleven next to Romero in the backline. He performed at a decent level, completed a respectable number of passes and was instrumental in the team’s clean sheet.
Davies – 6.5/10 – Ben Davies had a rare outing at left back. The Welshman did not do much going forward, primarily because Porro was venturing higher up the pitch more often than not. Nevertheless, he kept Adama Traore at bay and did not allow the right winger to do much.
Bergvall – 8/10 – Lucas Bergvall was not in the thick of the action many times during the game but had a decent performance nevertheless. He completed 90% of his passes and was also credited with the assist for Sarr’s goal, although it was a fairly innocuous touch off the Swede.
Bissouma – 8/10 – Yves Bissouma held the fort well from his deep lying midfield role. The former Brighton star kept the team’s defensive shape and provided much-needed security to the backline while winning a number of duels too.
Sarr – 8.5/10 – Papa Mata Sarr opened the scoring for Tottenham and was effectively their best midfielder. The Senegalese played his box-to-box role to perfection as he contributed to equal and good measure on both ends of the pitch, especially on transitions either way for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Moore – 6.5/10 – Mikey Moore failed to cover himself in too much glory. The youngster started for the very first time this season but looked a bit lost and failed to produce any eye-catching moments in spite of being on the pitch for the whole game. His work rate was respectable, however.
Lankshear – 7/10 – Will Lankshear had a big role to play in the first Tottenham goal as his neat dribble led to the creation of the chance, which eventually found the back of the net through a hysterical sequence. He had two shots on goal, though none troubled the opposition too much.
Werner – 6.5/10 – Timo Werner displayed a good work ethic and looked determined to make things happen. However, the German international lacked a cutting edge this time around like he did against Manchester United before being withdrawn on the 65th minute mark itself.
Substitutes
The substitutes did a decent job, particularly James Maddison and Brennan Johnson. The duo came on and played 30 odd minutes, including stoppage time in the second half, and combined with the latter finding the back of the net to seal the deal.
Dejan Kulusevski also played as much of the game as Maddison and Johnson did but failed to do much. Dominic Solanke, meanwhile, came for the last 10 minutes, during which time Spurs comfortably defended their lead before being caught out by Varga’s strike.
What’s the verdict on Ange Postecoglou?
The Tottenham Hotspur boss managed to clinch a crucial win away from home to keep his side’s 100% start to the season intact in the Europa League. It is also for the first time since Jose Mourinho’s time at the club that the team has won five straight matches in a row in all competitions.
Ange Postecoglou did his job well today as he rested a number of key players, provided opportunities to a number of young prospects and still managed to bring back all the points to London with him.
