Tottenham Player Ratings vs West Ham United: 7/10 for Gareth Bale; 6 or lower for the rest

Tottenham Hotspur were stunned 2-1 by West Ham United, as the Lilywhites were not able to put an end to their miserable run in the Premier League on Sunday.

After the triumph over Wolfsberger AC in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 first leg, Tottenham were raring to gain much-needed momentum against the West Ham at London Stadium. But Spurs fumbled yet again in the league, as they suffered a daunting 2-1 loss against the determined Hammers.

The East London side started off the proceedings in blistering fashion, as Michail Antonio fired the ball back into the net from the close range within just five minutes of the first half. In spite of enhancing the pressure on the Hammers’ backline on several occasions, Hammers No.1 Lukasz Fabianski was able to keep the Spurs’ forwards at bay.

Jesse Lingard’s left-footed strike from inside the box in the 47th minute doubled the hosts’ advantage. Jose Mourinho’s men were not able to capitalise on crucial moments of the game, and in spite of creating 16 chances, lack of precision in the final third squandered their hopes.

In the 63rd minute, the North London side seemed to be back in it as Lucas Moura pulled one goal back with a staggering header from Gareth Bale’s corner. Spurs desperately pushed to find the equaliser as Bale’s sumptuous strike from outside the box rattled the crossbar in the 78th minute while the visitors hit the woodwork once again late in the game but couldn’t find that second goal.

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With three consecutive defeats in the league campaign, Tottenham are now hanging on 9th place of the league table. As for West Ham United, they are relishing a gripping run in this term, as they firmly sit fourth. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at the Tottenham Hotspur players in their performance over West Ham this weekend.

Hugo Lloris: 3/10

The Frenchman gave away the first goal within just five minutes of the tie, as he was not able to judge the flight of the ball. The player had a not so impressive outing as Lingard’s stunning effort went past him easily, which could have been saved by the goalkeeper. Showing signs of decline.

Japhet Tanganga: 5/10

One of the main culprits at the back, who couldn’t do much to stop Antonio in the first place. The young Englishman was assigned to bring stability in the defence, and as a result, he was not able to influence the attack from the right channel.

Davinson Sanchez: 4.5/10

Sanchez has been going through a rugged phase for quite a while now, as his inability to hold the defensive line in proper structure was yet again exposed by Lingard within the first two minutes of the second half. Lack of composure and his indecisive approach in the air haunted the Colombian, as the player lost five of his eight aerial duels.

Eric Dier: 4/10

The English centre-back wasn’t able to fulfil his responsibilities to command the backline, as he seemed rusty from the very first whistle. Dier showcased a bizarre bit of defending in crucial periods, which allowed the hosts to cause plenty of problems to the visitors.

Sergio Reguilon: 5/10

A surprising return from injury to make the first eleven, as he was expected to remain on the sideline for this fixture. In terms of going forward, he failed to influence the progression. He lost seven of the possible nine duels, which reflects his dodgy performance.

Tanguy Ndombele: 5.5/10

His tireless efforts in the centre of the pitch didn’t actually affect the game, but one of those very few figures who was desperately trying to maintain the rhythm. The Frenchman had the best passing accuracy in this London derby (92%) as he completed 57 of his 62 passes.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 5/10

The Danish midfielder had an uninspiring outing by his standards, as his attempts to narrow down the spaces in midfield couldn’t go according to his plans. However, Hojbjerg was moving the ball around the field freely, as he accomplished 93 out of possible 103 passes and created a chance for Harry Kane.

Lucas Moura: 6/10

Probably the star man for the visitors, as the Brazilian was thoroughly proactive in the attacking half. In the 63rd minute, his exquisite header from Bale’s whipping cross opened up the tie. The player was trying to pull the strings in the crucial spaces, and completed the most dribbles (4) and made a key pass as well.

Erik Lamela: 6/10

The Argentine had a decent first-half performance, as he looked dangerous with his left foot. His incredible run could have turned the clash on its head, but Kane’s sketchy effort ruined that scenario. Lamela was subbed off after the end of the first half, as the attacker received a yellow card due to a late challenge on Issa Diop.

Heung-Min Son: 5/10

The South Korean international tried his best to uplift his side’s standards, as he seemed determined to influence the attack through the left-wing. But it was a rare quiet event for the No. 7 in this season, as he was not convincing enough in his task to penetrate the opposition’s defence.

Harry Kane: 5.5/10

The main man in the Lilywhites attack had been popping up on decisive spaces in the final third. But the English forward was not able to find any opening, as out of six attempts he had managed to hit the target just once.

Substitutes

Gareth Bale: 7/10

After a stellar display in the Europa League Round of 32 first leg, Bale was eagerly waiting to continue his inspiring form against David Moyes’s men. Came on as a substitute in the 46th minute, and from the very first minute, he was dominating the final third region.

The Welshman could have grabbed the equaliser in the dying moments of the game, as his sliced half-volley hit the crossbar. Jose should slot him in as a starter from now on, as he looks in fine-tune.

Matt Doherty: 6/10

Matt Doherty came on for Japhet Tanganga in the 46th minute. The right-back was one of the better performers in the previous game against Wolfsberger AC and this time, he fared decently yet again, provided an outlet down the right flank.

Dele Alli: N/A

Hardly had any time to make an, as he came onto the scene in the 77th minute.