Harry Kane finished the game with a 20-minute hat-trick as Tottenham thrashed NS Mura in a Europa Conference League group stage match.
Nuno Espirito Santo might have stumbled upon an effective team in the second half of Tottenham’s clash with NS Mura, as his team displayed a fluid side to their game. Spurs thrashed the opposition 5-1 in north London to take control of their UEFA Europa Conference League group.
Spurs started the game brightly, going 2-0 up with under 10-minutes on the clock. Dele Alli gave the home side the lead in the 4th minute from the penalty spot, then Giovanni Lo Celso doubled their lead in the 8th minute to give his team the keys to the game.
NS Mura winger Ziga Kous scored a beautiful goal off the volley to give the visitors some thrust. Both teams then failed to threaten until half-time. However, Nuno resorted to calling his senior forwards into play after lacking penetration in the final third.
Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura all entered the pitch to give Spurs some impetus in the attack. The England captain put his recent bad form behind him to score a hattrick to cap off a good night and give Tottenham top spot in Group-G, level on points with Rennes and ahead on goal difference. Here’s how Tottenham’s players fared in their huge win over NS Mura.
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??' ⚽️⚽️⚽️Another match ball to the collection for @HKane! pic.twitter.com/Th8neixbWM
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 30, 2021
Pierluigi Gollini: 6/10
Gollini had a good evening after some difficult games in the Europa Conference League before. The Italian was unable to stop Zous’ stunning volley but otherwise not threatened much by the opposition.
Matt Doherty: 6/10
A good return to the lineup for Doherty. He was active down the pitch, creating a chance early on for Alli and got involved in Kane’s goal later on. More importantly, the full-back was pretty tidy in possession.
Cristian Romero: 7.5/10
Romero was out there to prove a point and show the manager that he was one of the best options to play regularly in defence. He carried himself with authority and displayed good leadership.
Joe Rodon: 7/10
There’s a good partnership brewing at the back alongside Romero. Nuno will have to start them regularly to get performances like this evening, as these centre-backs complement each other.
Sergio Reguilon: 6/10
Mura attackers chose his side the most, as Reguilon still looked a bit shaky at full-back. However, he made amends with some good attacking play and taking positions of importance. He should steady himself more and be defensively sharper in the Premier League.
Oliver Skipp: 6/10
Skipp was capable of bringing in immense energy in midfield with his all-action display. He brought about some much-needed sturdiness in the middle, and Nuno took him off, possibly indicating a start against Aston Villa at the weekend.
Harry Winks: 6.5./10
Just about better from Winks considering his recent displays have been rather drab. He created the goal for Lo Celso and was surprisingly moving the ball forwards than the usual conservative passing in his locker. Considering the quality of the opposition, he could have been more adventurous.
Giovani Lo Celso: 8/10
This game was the chance Lo Celso needed to convince the manager of his quality, and he gave Nuno some thinking to do. He scored a good goal to put Spurs in a commanding position early in the game, and his performance in midfield performance might put him in the lineup against Aston Villa.
?? Giovani Lo Celso against NŠ Mura:
⚽️ 1 Goal
?️ 1 Assist
✋ 87 Touches
? 87% Pass Accuracy
? 2 Key Passes
? 1 Big Chance Created
? 6/7 Duels Won
? 3 Times FouledThis is the Lo Celso we want to see every week…? pic.twitter.com/7FkqOOJgNI
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) September 30, 2021
Dele Alli: 7/10
A strangely positive performance from Alli after some awful displays leading up to this game. Scored the penalty he won after a burst in the box and showed plenty of quality in the final third. Looked far better playing in the no.10 position than in a midfield three.
Bryan Gil: 6/10
Gil has been making steady strides into becoming a promising player in this Spurs team. Had a good performance against Mura, but nothing adventurous. The young Spaniard remains a work in progress.
Dane Scarlett: 4.5/10
Another one of Spurs’ raw talent waiting in the wings for more opportunities such as these. Scarlett did show some good touches and generally played well. Physically and technically, he is still some way from playing regularly in the league but is certainly heading in the right direction.
SUBSTITUTES
Harry Kane: 9/10
Kane had to polish his scoring boot, and the Conference League is again the platform to do so. He scored a scintillating hattrick to cap off a morale-boosting night for him.
Harry Kane is the first player ever to score a hat-trick in the group stages of the #UECL.
He has also scored a hat-trick in the #UCL, #UEL and #UECL pic.twitter.com/isRvzWh9Je
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 30, 2021
Son Heung-min: 8/10
Like Kane, came on in the second half, produced an assist for the striker’s second and gave Mura defenders all sorts of problems.
Lucas Moura: 8/10
Like his attacking colleagues, he made a telling contribution. Moura started the second-half onslaught with a defence-splitting pass for Kane’s first goal and proved a menace for Mura.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 6/10
Replaced Skipp and brought more steel into midfield. Kept things simple as Spurs saw the game through.
Emerson Royal: 6/10
Got some minutes under his belt as Royal replaced Reguilon to see the game out at left-back.
