Harry Kane scored the equaliser as Tottenham Hotspur played out a 1-1 draw with Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium on Tuesday.
Tottenham Hotspur’s brilliant form in the Premier League came to a halt as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton on Tuesday. It was a disappointing result for the visitors, who remain in sixth only thanks to Manchester United’s draw with Newcastle United.
It was not the best of games for Antonio Conte’s men as Southampton started the proceedings in a flurry. They create a few chances and deservedly got their opener through James Ward-Prowse’s strike in the 25th minute. But things started to turn sour soon, especially after Mohammed Salisu picked up two yellow cards in the space of twelve minutes.
The Southampton defender was sent off in the 39th minute for his foul inside the box, allowing Harry Kane to level the scoring just before half-time. And quite predictably, Tottenham piled on the pressure in the second half, creating several goalscoring opportunities throughout the course of the next 45 minutes.
They even found the net twice but were denied on occasions, with VAR controversially involved once again for deeming Harry Kane offside. Tottenham, though, had more than enough opportunities to put this game to bed, but an inspired performance from Fraser Forster in goal ultimately forced them to share a point with the Saints.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will rank the Tottenham players in their disappointing draw with Southampton this midweek.
Hugo Lloris: 6/10
Apart from their brisk start to the game and Ward-Prowse’s brilliant goal, Southampton were not really able to test Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham Hotspur goal. In fact, they only mustered two shots on target, one of which found the back of the net. It led to a relatively easy afternoon for Lloris, although the Frenchman will be disappointed to have missed out on the clean sheet.
Davinson Sanchez: 7.5/10
Davinson Sanchez was one of the few Tottenham players that managed to impress against Southampton. He was solid in dealing with the threat of Adam Armstrong and remained resolute throughout the game. Also saved a point for his side by making a heroic block to deny a potential late winner from Armando Broja.
Eric Dier: 6.5/10
Eric Dier was culpable for conceding the dangerous turnover that could have led to the Southampton winner had it not been for Sanchez. The Englishman was not at his usual best, struggling to find his accuracy with the forward passes. But despite the late gift to Broja, he defended well, not allowing too much freedom for the Southampton forwards.
? Eric Dier shares his thoughts on a difficult afternoon. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ALsgBQB6nN
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 28, 2021
Ben Davies: 6.5/10
Despite starting alongside Dier and Sanchez as part of the back three, Ben Davies was largely tasked with the responsibility of aiding the attackers in the final third. The Welshman made some exciting runs forward and even found the back of the net in the first half, but it was ruled out due to a clear offside.
Emerson Royal: 6/10
Emerson Royal could not capitalise on his performance on the weekend to build a nice momentum. In fact, it was quite an underwhelming display from the ex-Barcelona defender, who struggled to find the accuracy in his crosses. It resulted in a lack of penetration of the Southampton defence from the wider areas of the pitch, thus putting more pressure on the attackers.
Harry Winks: 7/10
Playing ahead of Oliver Skipp as part of Conte’s rotation policy, Harry Winks started the game poorly, notably conceding a dangerous turnover inside his own half. But he settled down soon, even becoming one of the best performers for Tottenham. His forward passing was particularly impressive, as it led to a few goalscoring opportunities, including Kane’s goal that was ruled out by VAR.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 5/10
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg did not have the best of games against his former club. There was no shortage of effort from the Danish international, but in a game where he had to offer the creative essence, the ex-Southampton captain failed miserably. It might have been a wiser option for Conte to start with Skipp and Winks in midfield.
Sergio Reguilon: 4/10
Sergio Reguilon was one of the worst performers on the pitch in this disappointing draw. The former Sevilla star could not offer anything meaningful on the flanks. On the contrary, he picked up a booking and was close to getting sent off. With that in mind, Conte decided to substitute him at half-time.
Reguilon needs to be careful second half. Ref will send him off first opportunity, he’ll wanna save himself the abuse from the home fans.
— Spurs ITK hub (@SpursITKhub) December 28, 2021
Dele Alli: 5/10
Conte’s rotation policy saw Dele Alli return to the first team, which did not quite work well for Tottenham. The Englishman offered very little going forward, struggling to put together anything meaningful that could have breached the Southampton defence. He was subbed off around the hour-mark.
Son Heung-min: 7/10
Son Heung-min was a creative force in the Tottenham frontline. His energy, pace and technical prowess were vital in helping Tottenham keep the opposition defence busy, with the South Korean international even winning the penalty just before half-time. But apart from that, Son lacked the incision in the final third and looked a bit wasteful in front of goal. Not the best of the performances from the former Bayer Leverkusen ace.
Harry Kane: 7.5/10
Harry Kane was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the Tottenham attackers. The English international scored his third goal in as many matches by converting a penalty just before half-time. He might have been unlucky to have his goal ruled out in the second half as well, but his steady return to form is exciting news for the fans and indeed, Antonio Conte.
First 13 Premier League games: 1 goal
Last 3 Premier League games: 3 goalsHarry Kane is finding his form ? pic.twitter.com/S9YZJgPKmH
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 28, 2021
SUBSTITUTES
Matt Doherty: 6/10
Matt Doherty replaced Reguilon at half-time and operated on the left-hand side. The Irishman did not offer much quality, notably ruining a great opportunity with his poor first-touch late in the game.
Lucas Moura: 6/10
Despite his excellent performance on the weekend, Lucas Moura was unable to make much of an impact after coming on Alli during the half-hour mark.
Bryan Gil: 6.5/10
Offered a bit of flair and trickery on the flanks and created a few openings late in the game. Should have started the game ahead of Alli.
