Tottenham player ratings at Palace: Sanchez and Dier dominate

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LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 25: Eric Dier of Tottenham Hotspur (R) and Christian Benteke of Crystal Palace compete for the ball during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on February 25, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

Eric Dier-8

It wasn’t the most challenging attack Dier will ever face, but he still deserves credit for playing a really solid match. Other than one careless giveaway in the first half, he played a nearly flawless match at the back for Spurs.

Dier seemed to almost relish the opportunity to physically battle Benteke. The English defender can be caught out by world-class attackers with loads of pace, but that isn’t something that describes Benteke. The match played to Dier’s strengths and he deserves credit for expertly executing Pochettino’s game plan.

Davinson Sanchez-8.5

As good as Dier was during his 90 minutes on the pitch, Sanchez was just one notch better. For me, he was Tottenham’s Man of the Match.

Sanchez also enjoyed the chance to physically contest Benteke. Perhaps more crucially, he also used his pace to make sure Andros Townsend couldn’t sting his former club. The ability to outrun Townsend and outmuscle Benteke in the same match speaks to Sanchez’s quality as a central defender.

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