Christian Eriksen-6
I was encouraged by Pochettino’s decision to start Eriksen in a deeper role. It made his double-pivot much more dangerous. That was a wise call given the absence of Harry Kane to lead the line.
Eriksen enjoyed a lot of time on the ball, but he didn’t do a ton with it. He deserves credit for firing a few really good free kicks into the box, but his live ball play was pretty mediocre.
The most frustrating aspect of Eriksen’s outing was his lack of physicality in the midfield. I don’t expect him to be Victor Wanyama’s equal, but he can’t duck out of challenges either. It was a very average performance with a player with a lot of talent.
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Eric Dier-6
Dier, of course, split his time between the defensive midfield and the back line, but Pochettino did start him in the double-pivot. Like Eriksen, he enjoyed a lot of time on the ball, but he did even less with it.
Dier was slightly better when he moved back to centre back, but it’s still a struggle to see how he’s going to stay in the starting XI when everyone is healthy. The English international needs to pick up his play quickly if he wants to cement his place at Spurs for the long haul.
Victor Wanyama-7.5
What a welcome sight it was for all Tottenham fans to see the Kenyan destroyer back on the pitch. Despite missing four months of action, he looked right at home after coming on as a second half substitute.
Wanyama was his usual imperious self in the middle of the pitch. When Spurs needed to break up play, he was there to win the ball. When Tottenham needed the ball quickly shuttled up the pitch, he was there to provide a key pass. Wanyama looked as if he hadn’t missed a match and Spurs needed that kind of shift from him.