Tottenham Hotspur defeated Reading handily on the road to get back to action. Although the individual performances were inconsistent, the team’s performance was strong.
For the first time in nearly two months, Tottenham Hotspur took to the field on Saturday, and they started their season with a victory under Thomas Frank.
The fact that some players showed little to no indications of rustiness at all was one of the trip’s many pleasant aspects. The three winners and losers from Tottenham’s 2-0 triumph against their League One rivals are listed below.
Three Tottenham players performed exceptionally well. Mohammed Kudus was a brilliant spark for the Spurs.
Curiously, one of Kudus’ least remarkable performances was the assist he picked up against Reading. Kudus looked fantastic over the weekend, and Tottenham fans knew they were getting a good dribbler.
Highlights included the £55 million player’s one-two with Djed Spence, his hammering of the ball to Jamie Donley, and his victories over three Reading players. Kudus’ run most likely would have resulted in a goal if the 20-year-old had passed the ball to Heung-min Son.
Kudus got into several terrific situations to receive the ball in addition to his speed, deft dribbling, and inventiveness on the ball. When Spence chose to shoot instead of square it to his new teammate, who would have had a tap-in, he was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet.
Spurs’ opponents will be far more formidable than Reading’s, but you can only defeat what is in front of you, and Kudus did it in spectacular fashion.
The player of the match for Tottenham was Luke Vuskovic.
Nobody will be surprised to learn that Tottenham’s new defender is on this list. Who can blame those who have already speculated as to whether Vuskovic was constructed in a laboratory?
It is now simple to understand why the Croatian scored seven league goals in 28 games for Westerlo the previous season. Later, he struck the bottom right corner of the net with a stunning strike after helping Will Lankshear with a header from a corner.
Spurs already have a shooting defender in Micky van de Ven, but the Dutchman only scores goals sometimes. Given that Frank wants Tottenham to be bold and attack, Vuskovic seems like the kind of player who will get on the offensive anytime he can.
For Tottenham, Destiny Udogie returned to his peak performance.
Because only a select few players perform at the highest level, choosing a third player is challenging. Lanskhear scored a close-range header, Guglielmo Vicario was quick and alert in goal, and Alfie Devine was unfortunate not to receive an assist after sending a superb cross to Dominic Solanke. Pedro Porro also won more duels than any other player and appeared to be a threat moving forward.
But Udogie also put in a strong performance. After starting the game, the left-back created two chances to score goals in the first forty-five minutes. He won two free kicks, five of his six ground duels, and maintained an accuracy rate of 89% on passes.
Last season, Udogie was under intense scrutiny, but he turned things around toward the end and was able to return to the first squad. That appears to be the case if he keeps playing the way he did against Reading.
Not all Tottenham players were enamored with themselves.
There might be rivals for Dominic Solanke on the front line.
Apart from that, Solanke’s first season at Tottenham was mediocre. Although he obviously has skills that make his team more offensively fluid, his finishing was far less impressive than it was for Bournemouth the season before.
He wasted an opportunity from Devine’s cross on Saturday, continuing his problems in front of goal. Although it wasn’t the most straightforward chance to convert, there was still a possibility.
Lankshear only needed four minutes on the field to score a goal, whereas Solanke was unable to get a shot on goal within the first forty-five minutes. The Englishman should be generating trouble for a team like Reading, so this is not a good look for him.
Although Tottenham’s interest in Yoane Wissa is still unknown, Solanke has every reason to be worried if the Brentford goal machine decides to move to North London.
Heung-min Son’s future at Tottenham is still uncertain.
The captain of Tottenham Hotspur has not fared well with age. In all honesty, Son appears to be a much smaller version of himself, especially on Saturday.
Son attempted three dribbles but was unsuccessful each time. He was unable to create any chances to score a goal, and his one try was unsuccessful. He also had multiple heavy touches and seemed a little sluggish.
The Korean may be playing his last season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he should be able to have a memorable farewell. If he were allowed more freedom instead of being forced to stay close to the left wing, it would undoubtedly help.
Although Brennan Johnson is a hero, he must achieve greater things.
Johnson had the fewest touches of any Spurs player in the first half against Reading, except from Solanke. He wasn’t particularly good, but he wasn’t particularly bad either.
Since he joined Tottenham, Johnson’s disappearances have been all too often. On the other hand, his replacement was outstanding and had a noticeable effect.
Last season, the 24-year-old had a brief run of games during which he made a weekly impact, but this needs to become the norm. Kudus appears to be a man willing to give his best for Tottenham, so if he continues to disappear during games, he can bid farewell to his first-team opportunities.
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