Tottenham Hotspur returned to action with a decisive victory away to Reading. The team performance was good, but the individual displays were a mixed bag.
Tottenham Hotspur took to the pitch on Saturday for the first time in almost two months and got off to a winning start to life under Thomas Frank.
There were plenty of positives to be taken from the trip, with some players showing little to no signs of rustiness at all. Here are the three winners and losers of Tottenham’s 2-0 victory over their League One opposition.
Three Tottenham players had outstanding performances
Mohammed Kudus was a Spurs bright spark
Interestingly enough, the assist Kudus picked up against Reading was one of the least impressive things he did. Tottenham supporters knew they were getting a good dribbler in Kudus and he looked outstanding at the weekend.
One particular highlight was when the £55m man beat three Reading players, played a one-two with Djed Spence and drilled the ball to Jamie Donley. Had the 20-year-old passed the ball to Heung-min Son, Kudus’ run would probably have led to a goal.
As well as his pace, clever dribbling and creativity on the ball, Kudus got into some good positions to receive it. He was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when Spence opted to shoot rather than square it to his new teammate, who would have had a tap-in.
Spurs will face much tougher opponents than Reading, but you can only beat what is in front of you, and Kudus did that in style.
Luke Vuskovic was Tottenham’s Man of the Match
The inclusion of Tottenham’s new defender on this list will not come as a surprise to anyone. Speculation over whether Vuskovic was built in a lab has already been raised, and who can blame those wondering?
The Croatian scored seven league goals in 28 appearances for Westerlo last season and now it is easy to see why. He assisted Will Lankshear with a header from a corner and later on, he found the bottom right corner of the net with a beautiful strike.
Spurs already have a defender with shooting capabilities in Micky van de Ven, but the Dutchman only gets forward so often. Vuskovic looks like the type of player who will join the attack whenever he can, and this can only be a good thing, considering Frank wants Tottenham to be brave and attack.
Destiny Udogie looked back to his best for Tottenham
Selecting a third player is difficult because a few players put in top performances. Guglielmo Vicario was agile and alert in goal, Lanskhear scored a close-range header, and Alfie Devine was unlucky to be denied an assist when he sent an excellent cross to Dominic Solanke. Also, Pedro Porro looked a threat going forward and won more duels than any other player.
However, Udogie also had a very good display. The left-back started the game and managed to create two goalscoring chances in 45 minutes. He maintained a pass accuracy rate of 89 per cent, won five of his six ground duels and two free kicks.
Udogie came under serious scrutiny last season, but he improved towards the end of the season, re-establishing his position in the first-team. If he continues to play the way he did against Reading, that looks set to continue.
Not every Tottenham player covered themselves in glory
Dominic Solanke may have competition along the front line
Solanke’s first season at Tottenham was okay, but that is about it. He clearly possesses qualities which help his team to be more fluent in attack, but his finishing was a long way off compared with his displays for Bournemouth the previous season.
His woes in front of goal continued on Saturday, as he missed a chance from Devine’s cross. It was not the easiest opportunity to convert, but it was a chance nonetheless.
During the first 45 minutes, Solanke failed to land a shot on target, while it took Lankshear just four minutes on the pitch to score a goal. This is not a good look for the Englishman, who really ought to be causing problems for a team like Reading.
Tottenham’s level of interest in Yoane Wissa is currently unclear, but if the Brentford goal machine does move to North London, Solanke has every reason to be concerned.
Heung-min Son’s Tottenham future remains unknown
Age has not been kind to the Tottenham Hotspur captain. Truth be told, Son looks a shadow of his former self, and this was particularly true on Saturday.
Son attempted three dribbles, but none of them were successful. His one shot was not on target, and he was unable to create any goalscoring chances. On top of this, some of his touches were heavy, and he looked a bit sluggish.
This could be the Korean’s final season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and hopefully, he will be able to make it a finale to be proud of. It would certainly help if he is given more freedom, rather than having to remain tight to the left wing.
Brennan Johnson is a hero but needs to reach new heights
Other than Solanke, Johnson had fewer touches than any Spurs player in the first half against Reading. He was not especially bad, but neither was he especially good.
Johnson vanishing into thin air has been a far too familiar theme since he arrived at Tottenham. Whereas, his replacement was phenomenal and made a clear impact.
The 24-year-old had a short run of games last season when he consistently made a difference each week, but this has to become the norm. If he keeps going missing during matches, he can kiss his first-team chances goodbye, because Kudus looks like a man ready to give his all for Tottenham.
Have something to tell us about this article?
