Tottenham hammer PSG: 5 lessons from the Spurs victory

2. Kyle Walker-Peters might be ready

There might not have been a player under any more pressure last night than Kyle Walker-Peters. After the sale of his quasi namesake, there is serious playing time available at right back. The 20-year-old defender put forth a very mixed performance in his opening audition.

Let’s start with the positive aspects of his half of football. Going forward, Walker-Peters was arguably Spurs’ top fullback against PSG. He didn’t showcase blistering pace, but he was very composed on the ball in the final third. He was unlucky not to earn an assist on a beautiful first half cross to N’Koudou.

Curiously, his style reminded me more of Kieran Trippier than Walker. Neither have the elite athleticism that Walker provided Spurs, but both are significantly more skilled with the ball at their feet. It’s easy to envision Walker-Peters becoming a real offensive weapon for Pochettino’s attack.

Unfortunately, Walker-Peters will need to do a lot of work on his defensive game if he wants to earn regular Premier League playing time. His poor positioning gifted PSG their second goal in the first half. That sort of error is simply unacceptable during Premier League play.

In fairness, he did manage to win some one v one battles against quality PSG attackers. If you don’t focus entirely on his egregious error, you might find encouraging signs. In the end, it was a mixed bag for the young Englishman.