TF Player Ratings - Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle Utd
Dan Elder - too young even for the Spurs back four - gives us his player ratings from the away end in North London
Martin Dúbravka - 7 - Calm and composed distribution, made some vital saves for us and claimed multiple balls into the box and did well all round. Couldn’t have done much about Dominic Solanke’s goal, but he was very good from goal kicks and set pieces and exploited Spurs’s lack of real centre halfs with his lofted balls over the top.
Tino Livramento - 8 - Tino handled Timo Werner very well and Heung Min Son when he came on in the 62nd minute. He made a vital intervention in the first half on a Spurs break away and was technically brilliant down the right hand side. His control of the ball and his dribbling prowess is impressive. He impresses me more and more every time I watch him.
Dan Burn - 8 - I thought BDB contained Dominic Solanke admirably and allowed him a minimal number of shots, controlling him aerially throughout the match. This season Burn has been monumental at the back with his interventions, which always seem to come at exactly the right time: this continued today.
Sven Botman - 7 - Solid performance for his first game back in over nine months. He was caught out by Porro’s ball into the box, but his left hand side didn’t cover themselves in glory by allowing Porro to swing the ball in unchallenged for Solanke to capitalise. Overall he was decent. He won his aerial battles and made some good tackles.
Lewis Hall - 7 - He is special, a future long-term England fullback (I hope Thomas Tuchel was impressed). He has a wand of a left foot which can pick out a pass with ease. He was up and down the pitch all game and played some good linkups, something we’ve become accustomed to this season. Only 20 years old, his footballing ability is outstanding and he has the potential to become one of the world’s best.
Sandro Tonali MOTM - 8 - He is an elegant and spectacular footballer. He can dictate the tempo of a match like a light switch. He is the technician in that midfield, and the ground that he covers is like nothing I have ever seen. He continued to show his ability today and he provided key passes to the Newcastle attack. He seems hungry for those UCL spots up for grabs this season.
Bruno Guimarães - 7 - Showed great leadership today and aggression in the midfield battle today. He won lots of fouls and managed the game very well, especially in the 10 minutes added on. He showed good vision with his passes, but should’ve stopped Porro getting the ball in to box. His passion is unmatched and really shows when he celebrates winning throw ins and free kicks etc. Absolutely love Bruno G.
Joelinton - 7 - Joelinton’s athleticism is impeccable and he is a fantastic ball carrier on the left hand side of the pitch. His touch today wasn’t the best but his adaptability across the pitch is unrivalled, the ability to slot into midfield and also play right wing back in the same match is absolutely fantastic and he is vital for the team.
Anthony Gordon - 8 - He was very effective today and caused a real headache for Porro. Took his goal well, levelling the score within two minutes, and he combined well with Lewis Hall down the left hand side of the pitch. He had a couple of good chances but couldn’t capitalise on the opportunities. Definitely should be England’s left winger in the future.
Alexander Isak - 7 - His positioning for the goal to make it 2-1 was fantastic, even if he was aided by Drǎgusin’s touch to tee him up for the finish. His link up in attack and all over the pitch is just great to watch. Really giving Haaland a run for his money for being the best striker in the country.
Jacob Murphy - 7 - Jacob Murphy is an unsung hero for Newcastle United, constantly under scrutiny by many of our fans, but he showed today why he’s a valuable player in the squad. His movement for Isak’s goal was top-class, followed by a fantastic pass. But after that he took up a deeper role, struggling to have an effect on the game, but contributing to us securing the three points.
Substitutes
Harvey Barnes (Anthony Gordon, 78’) - 7 -
He was good when he came on, helping us close out the game, even if struggled to get a hold of the ball because of the lack of service. Had a decent chance near the end which was well stopped by the Spurs keeper. Did his part defensively and had a solid 30 minutes on the pitch.
Joe Willock (Alexander Isak, 86’) - 7 - He held down the attack better than I thought he would, but didn’t get much of the ball. Pressed well and helped Joelinton and Bruno in protecting the ball in the right hand corner of the pitch.
Sean Longstaff (Jacob Murphy) - 6.5 - Didn’t get into the game, held his position well, but a few missed passes almost led to a Spurs goal.
Lloyd Kelly (Sven Botman, 90’ + 2) - N/A -
Only played 10 minutes and not really challenged by the Spurs attack.
Great job Dan - excellent!