Tottenham continued their winning streak with a resilient 1-0 victory against an improved Watford side moving to the top of the Premier League.
Tottenham secured their third consecutive 1-0 win in the Premier League game thanks to Son Heung-free min’s kick, as they defeated an improved Watford side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The game started on a high tempo, with both teams burning down the flanks with pace and overlaps. Spurs had the majority of possession and threatened with Eric Dier, while Dele Alli and Steven Bergwijn also tested the Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann. But it wasn’t until late in the first half that the deadlock was finally broken.
Bergwijn showed his pace and clever feet to draw a foul from defender Craig Cathcart in a dangerous position near the left touchline. Son whipped the ball towards the far corner into the zone of uncertainty, but the delivery landed awkwardly and caught everyone by surprise including keeper Daniel Bachmann who was caught flat-footed and reacted late only to pick the ball out of the nets.
Alli and Harry Kane came close to doubling Spurs’ lead but were denied. The trio of Kane, Son and Alli linked up very well on the afternoon and created problems for Watford defence. As for Watford, they mostly played on the counter-attack with the electric pace of Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis pushing them forwards but with no substance; they barely registered two shots on target but were better defensively unlike their last game.
It was another Nuno-Esque win for Tottenham, but there was only optimism and joy in the air at the final whistle. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over the Lilywhites after their third win on the bounce.
Hugo Lloris: 6.5/10
He was untested for the best part of the game, only faced two shots on target and dealt with comfortably. His distribution was better, and he made a crucial grab late on.
Japhet Tanganga: 6.5/10
It was a big improvement from him; he used his strength and power to handle Emmanuel Dennis, pushed forwards more and put in a few deliveries. He needs to be more confident while taking on opponents on the touchline.
Davinson Sanchez: 7.5/10
The Colombian put up a commanding performance at the back and was proactive with his passing. He completed three tackles, three interceptions and blocked two shots. He crucially blocked the shot to deny Sarr. He had a 90.2% passing percentage and chipped in with four accurate long balls. If he continues to perform like this, Cristian Romero will have to wait even longer for his chance.
Eric Dier: 7.5/10
It was a fine performance at the back; he was vocal and was calm, composed and confident on the ball. He did the basics well and was simple and efficient. He made four clearances and blocked two shots.
Sergio Reguilon: 7/10
He was energetic and bombed forward as always. He left spaces behind when advancing up the field and was caught off guard at times by Ismaila Sarr. He only delivered three crosses but to be fair on him, he wasn’t given much room by the tricky Sarr.
Oliver Skipp: 7/10
The youngster put another impressive performance and is delivering on the manager’s faith. It was a little bouncy from a midfielder who was always in the thick of things and mopping up for Hojbjerg’s gritty work in the centre of the pitch.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 8.5/10
Another solid shift in the engine room from the Dane, he looked more assured when advanced with the ball. Made two tackles, two interceptions, two clearances, and 1 blocked shot, showing great defensive nous. Displayed his range of passing and nearly found the back of the net with a deflected free-kick.
Dele Alli: 7/10
He looked more involved in the attacking play compared to the previous two league games; Kane’s arrival has given him a focal point to set his creative space around, he linked up very well with Kane and should have buried the match by scoring from cut-back, but his shot sailed wide instead.
Steven Bergwijn: 6.5/10
Another good showing from Bergwijn, he was more direct with his dribbles and was confident while taking on players in 1v1 situations. He needs to improve upon his creativity and final ball as both lacked very much on the day. He won the foul from which Son scored the only goal of the game.
Harry Kane: 7/10
He almost earned a penalty for his team in the first minute but was waved off by the referee. He dropped deep to create and make something happen, played some nice passes and combined with players around him superbly. He came close to scoring late on but was denied. He looked a little tired by the end of the game, maybe due to lack of match sharpness.
Son Heung-Min: 8.5/10
Son Heung-min is the first Spurs player to score directly from a free-kick in the Premier League since Christian Eriksen in December 2019.
Bringing out a new party trick to celebrate his 200th appearance. ? pic.twitter.com/8Ikk4fuAv8
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 29, 2021
It was a MOTM performance from Son to mark his 200th appearance for the Lilywhites. He again proved to be the difference-maker for Spurs. He took the most shots and had more dribbles completed than any other Tottenham player. He curled a pin-point delivery in the danger zone but to his surprise, the ball went all the way in the back of the net.
Substitutes
Lucas Moura: 6/10
He made a superb run and nearly put the ball in place for Kane to tap it in, but a brilliant clearance denied Tottenham a second goal. He looked lively and covered the hard yards to run down the clock.
