Hugo Lloris produces a heroic performance, avoiding Tottenham Hotspur from facing further humiliation following a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United.
Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of pushing for the Champions League places suffer a major setback as they slump to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Leeds United.
The Ryan Mason-led Lilywhites were completely outclassed by Marcelo Bielsa, who were simply too good with their high pressing and attacking brand of football that made life difficult for the opposition defenders. They initially found their opener in the 13th minute through Stuart Dallas, but Spurs were quick to equalise against the run of play, as Son Heung-Min found the back of the net in the 25th minute.
Leeds United, though, continued to dominate the game and deservedly restored their through Patrick Bamford just before half-time. It was pretty much the same story after the restart as the Whites looked by far the better side, thanks to a quality attacking display and impeccable chance creation.
It was still a tense game for Bielsa, though, as his side only had a one-goal cushion. That was, however, until substitute Rodrigo netted the third in the 84th minute – effectively sealing all three points for his side – crushing their opponent’s Champions League hopes in the process.
Here, at the Hard Tackle, we will take a look at the Tottenham Hotspur players in their dreadful defeat at the hands of Leeds United this weekend.
Hugo Lloris: 8/10
Hugo Lloris was the only real spark in an otherwise disastrous performance from Tottenham Hotspur. The skipper made a plethora of excellent saves throughout the course of the ninety minutes, keeping the likes of Mateusz Klich, Jack Harrison and Stuart Dallas at bay. In truth, the Lilywhites would have lost by a much bigger margin had it not been for their goalkeeper.
Hugo Lloris is the only player who can hold his head high after today's performance.
He must be sick of this defence in front of him. pic.twitter.com/QXLeCyzIgP
— Mason. (@FtblMason) May 8, 2021
Serge Aurier: 4/10
Serge Aurier had a difficult afternoon, dealing with the threat of Harrison and Alioski on the right hand side of the Tottenham defence. His offensive movements were restricted, and the right-back should have done a much better job of offering the solidity out wide for his side. He did force one save from Illan Meslier, though.
Toby Alderweireld: 4/10
As the most experienced operator in the Tottenham backline, one could expect much better from Toby Alderweireld, who failed to marshall his troops. He succumbed to the pressure exerted by Leeds United, though the experienced Belgian did make a host of clearances and tackles that minimised the damage for his side.
Eric Dier: 2/10
Eric Dier struggled to offer any solidity at the heart of the Tottenham backline alongside Alderweireld. He looked out of touch and way too slow to deal with Leeds’ high press. His marking was also poor, as the opposition attackers ran rings around him, strangling the Englishman throughout the ninety minutes of this game.
Sergio Reguilon: 1/10
Sergio Reguilon was by far the worst defender for Tottenham, struggling right from the beginning. He was more or less culpable for the first goal and was nowhere near his marker for the third. His overall positioning was poor, and it is perhaps to say that the left-back was not the right choice for a game like this, especially with poor defensive support around him.
Sergio Reguilón’s first half vs. Leeds United by numbers:
47% pass accuracy
13 x possession lost
0/1 crosses
0/1 tacklesSuspect for both goals too. ? pic.twitter.com/7zK7n4usYi
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 8, 2021
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 5/10
It was disheartening to see Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg trying to put together any semblance of control with no support at all. As a result, the Dane often got overwhelmed in the middle of the park, and also looked very tired, which is no surprise given the number of minutes he has racked in the current season.
Giovani Lo Celso: 6/10
Giovani Lo Celso wasn’t absolutely ineffective for Tottenham, as the former Real Betis playmaker did enjoy some good moments going forward. His forward passing, in particular, was useful at times, with the player even playing a key role in the build-up to the opener. However, the overall consistency and involvement were missing from his game this afternoon.
Gareth Bale:
It was always going to be a difficult game for Gareth Bale, who struggled to deal with Leeds’s high press. He wasn’t involved much in the game, either, and perhaps should have offered much better creativity going forward. The on-loan Real Madrid superstar was ultimately taken off midway through the second half.
Dele Alli: 6.5/10
Dele Alli looked surprisingly inspiring, using his technical brilliance and dynamism to cause problems for the Leeds United defence. He created two notable chances for his team, both of which led to goals, but the strike from Harry Kane was disallowed due to offside. Alli, therefore, was by far the best attacker for Tottenham in this disappointing result.
Son Heung-Min: 6/10
In a game where the opposition press high, you would expect Son Heung-Min to make incisive runs in behind the backline. It worked for him once as he scored the early equaliser, but after that, the South Korean international lacked support from his teammates. The attacker himself also wasn’t involved much in the game.
Only five players have scored 70+ Premier League goals for Spurs:
??????? Harry Kane (164)
??????? Teddy Sheringham (97)
??????? Jermain Defoe (91)
?? Robbie Keane (91)
?? Son Heung-min (70)Nice one, Sonny. pic.twitter.com/r5D87yswoZ
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) May 8, 2021
Harry Kane: 5/10
Harry Kane tried his best to find himself in scoring opportunities and even found the back of the net once, though his goal was disallowed due to offside. The striker, though, was defended very well, as he barely managed to find any freedom on the ball. It was indeed a masterclass defensive performance from Leeds United.
Substitutes
Erik Lamela: 4/10
Erik Lamela couldn’t really make the desired impact after coming on for Bale midway through the second half. The Argentine certainly wasn’t cut out for the job.
Lamela trying a robona at 3-1…. if he isn't one of the first out the door this summer, then just liquidate the club.
— Trevor Lloyd (@Trevorlloyd92) May 8, 2021
Lucas Moura: 5/10
Lucas Moura was introduced to add more industry to the Tottenham attack. Unfortunately for Mason, the move did not pay off, especially because it came at the expense of Alli, who was looking bright.
Tanguy Ndombele: N/A
A late replacement for Lo Celso. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
