Tottenham Hotspur continued their perfect start in the Europa League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.
A second-half Richarlison penalty was the only thing separating the two sides despite a bright performance from Spurs.
Even though they dominated for large parts, the Lilywhites will be relieved to take all three points after AZ posed a sizeable threat on the break, forcing some smart saves from Fraser Forster.
Read on for full Spurs player ratings following an important victory for Ange Postecoglou’s men.
Tottenham player ratings vs AZ
Fraser Forster – 8/10 – Justified his surprise inclusion with a few quality saves as AZ put the pressure on in both halves.
Archie Gray – 7/10 – Made driving runs forward and provided some dangerous crosses into the box. Did what he needed to defensively.
Radu Dragusin – 8/10 – 100% success with aerial duels and made some important blocks and clearances at key times.
Ben Davies – 8/10 – Defended well alongside Dragusin and was positive with the ball.
Destiny Udogie – 7/10 – Still liable to the odd switch-off defensively but is a powerhouse going forward.
Lucas Bergvall – 8/10 – Pure class with the ball, showing incredible composure for a player so young. Won the penalty for Richarlison’s goal and had a match-high three tackles to his name when he was substituted.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 7/10 – Provided Spurs with a strong platform in possession, keeping things ticking over. Recovered possession on more occasions (15) than any other Spurs player.
Mikey Moore – 9/10 – Burst into life after the half-time break, driving at the AZ defence with some dizzying dribbling. Deserved an assist after some menacing crosses into the box. 17 years old. What a talent! “The goal was a result of the positive start at the start of this second half, led by Mikey Moore,” said Clive Allen after Spurs took the lead (via BBC Sport).
James Maddison – 8/10 – Was Spurs’ brightest spark in the early stages and selflessly allowed Richarlison to open his account from the season by handing over the penalty.
Timo Werner – 4/10 – Missed a glorious chance just before the half-hour mark, which wasn’t his only blunder in the opposition box. Hooked at half-time.
Richarlison – 7/10 – A couple of rusty moments but that was a valuable 64 minutes in Richarlison’s battle to full fitness. The Brazilian will take huge confidence from getting on the scoresheet.
Substitutes
Brennan Johnson (46′, for Werner) – 5/10 – His first touch was a shot but he struggled to really get into the game after that.
Dominic Solanke (64′, for Richarlison) – 6/10 – A couple of decent moments but never truly got going.
Dejan Kulusevski (72′, for Bergvall) – 6/10 – Looked dangerous again in limited minutes.
Pape Sarr (73′, for Maddison) – 7/10 – Clean with the ball and kept things nice and safe without it.
Wilson Odobert (87′, for Moore) – 6/10 – Nice to see him back on the pitch after injury and almost scored after an excellent Spurs move.