Tottenham player ratings: Son and Kane sink Red Star

Tottenham desperately needed a comfortable win against Red Star, and Spurs got just that due to the efforts of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

Mauricio Pochettino’s squad needed to dispatch Red Star by any means necessary on Tuesday night. Fortunately for Spurs, the match served as a cure for everything that’s ailed the club in recent weeks.

Tottenham blitzed the opposition for a 5-0 victory that could have ended with an even more lopsided score line. As such, you can expect to read solid player ratings for the match. Most everyone on the squad managed to get well in this Champions League laugher.

Harry Kane-9

England’s top striker wasn’t perfect in this match, but he wasn’t far off. He made scoring goals look very easy against Red Star’s overmatched defence. More importantly, Kane’s energy levels were off the charts from start to finish. That bodes well for Spurs as they try to turn their season around.

Dele Alli-7

Dele didn’t suffer from a poor outing, but he was easily the weakest of Tottenham’s starting attackers. His work rate was solid, but the quality in the final third didn’t show up for him. Even so, he didn’t do anything to damage his standing in the squad.

Heung-Min Son-9.5

Son was in line for a perfect 10 before he exited the match with just under a half hour remaining. He was everywhere during his time on the pitch. He scored two goals with ease and had multiple chances to notch a hat trick. His energy got Spurs off to the right start. He’ll be asked to put in a similar shift at Anfield this weekend.

Erik Lamela-7.5

Lamela produced an assist on a beautifully weighted cross to Son in the first half. Then he reached the back of the net himself during the second 45 minutes. That’s a quality outing no matter how you feel about the Argentine attacker. The only justifiable criticism regarding his play in this match is that he could have scored more often.

Tanguy Ndombele-8.5

The more Spurs fans get a chance to see a healthy Ndombele control the midfield the more excited they get. He was sublime in this game. His willingness to play risky passes forward makes him unique among Pochettino’s midfield options. His partnership with Sissoko looked like the way forward for Spurs in this match.

Moussa Sissoko-7

It was a solid, but unspectacular match for the Frenchman. Sissoko did a quality job shielding the back four, but he wasn’t asked to do much more. All in all he played with good effort and determination. That’s all Pochettino asks of him on a regular basis.

Ben Davies-6

Davies was better than Danny Rose was on the weekend, but that’s hardly a massive accomplishment. He still struggles to get forward and really contribute to Tottenham’s attack. Nonetheless, he deserves credit for being a steady defender in this match.

Jan Vertonghen-6

Vertonghen’s shaky play as of late is starting to become a troubling issue for Pochettino. He does a quality job of defending, but his decision-making is starting to cause problems for his teammates. The Belgian was a bit fortunate that his poor positioning didn’t cost Spurs a clean sheet.

Davinson Sanchez-7.5

This was an excellent response from Sanchez after his poor outing against Watford. He barely put a foot wrong for the full 90 minutes in central defence. He may not start at Liverpool, but he raised his stock with Pochettino based on this performance.

Serge Aurier-7.5

Aurier isn’t maddeningly inconsistent, but this was one of his good games in a Tottenham shirt. He did a solid job of defending on the flank, but more importantly he was a real threat in the final third when Spurs had the ball. He’s never going to be trustworthy, but he shouldn’t be criticized for his latest 90 minutes of play.

Paulo Gazzaniga-6

Gazzaniga touched the ball a few times in this match, but he wasn’t required to make anything other than a mundane save. One interesting observation is just how often Spurs elected to play the ball long in this match. It seems that Pochettino isn’t completely comfortable with his countryman’s distribution from the back. That’ll be something to watch at Liverpool.

Eric Dier-6

Dier got some meaningful playing time in place of Son during the second half. He didn’t make any glaring mistakes which is an improvement over his other appearances this season. Perhaps the physical midfielder is building a bit of match sharpness.

Juan Foyth-5.5

The young Argentine’s first appearance for Tottenham on the season was fairly uneventful. He did a good job passing the ball from the back, but he wasn’t required to do anything defensively. He’ll get more playing time for Spurs in the near future.

Giovani Lo Celso-5

Lo Celso’s return from injury was so late in the match that it barely gave him an opportunity to showcase his talent. The good news is that he looked to be moving well on the pitch. He too, should be in line for more playing time very soon.