Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings as the Cherries claim another big scalp at the Vitality Stadium

In what has been a truly surprising campaign from Bournemouth, they have somehow managed to come into this game as favorites for this one in the eyes of many. Tottenham Hotspur happens to be the confusing team in the Premier League at the moment and today was certainly a reminder of that. 

Whilst the visitors shook things up with a couple of close attempts at the Bournemouth goal, the home side soon turned the tides and capped it off with a superb-headed goal by Dean Huijsen. That said, for a while, it appeared as though Spurs would grow back into the game and had a few big chances but failed to put any of them away. By the closing stages, the tides had fully turned in favor of the Cherries and the match had become somewhat like a target practice session for them as Tottenham looked to hold on. 

All in all, it was another ecstatic night for the home support at the Vitality Stadium which has been a surprisingly difficult ground to come to for many top sides. The win now sees Bournemouth move a point clear of Spurs on the table as they continue their fairytale run this season. 

Bournemouth Player Ratings vs Tottenham

Goalkeeper

Kepa Arrizabalaga: 7/10- Had a very competent performance on the night. Held his nerve during tense moments and did not have much to do aside from a big save in the first half. 

Defenders

Miloš Kerkez: 7/10- Continued his fine form for the season with another great performance. Defensively resolute and flying forward at any given opportunity, Kerkez was a big reason as to why Bournemouth were able to get up the field.

Dean Huijsen: 8.5 /10- Despite a shaky start, did well to recover in difficult situations, and fully grew into the game after a delightful header from a corner which got the lead for his side. Rock solid defensively and constantly shut the door for the Spurs attackers.

Illia Zabarnyi: 7/10- Was caught lacking on the ball very early on in the game which led to a bit of a tense moment. Did pay more attention moving forward and synchronized himself with the pace of the game. Got much much better as the game went on and clearly had a boost in confidence because of it.

Adam Smith: 6.5/10- Had a mostly solid game which saw him repel the Spurs attackers without much hassle in the first half. Did get troubled by Son in the second half on a couple of occasions but was mostly in control.

Midfielders

Tyler Adams: 7/10- Covered every blade of grass and was an ever-present danger for the Spurs players to deal with. Managed to nick the ball off for a possible second, but it was deemed offside. Had a great showing in the middle of the park.

Ryan Christie: 7/10- Did not stand out, particularly for many but quietly had a very good performance, doing superbly defensively and threading through a couple of beautiful line-breaking passes for the frontmen. 

Justin Kluivert: 6.5/10- Went slightly missing in spells and was difficult to notice amidst the good work his teammates were doing. Did squander a couple of big chances but was not bad by any means. 

Attackers

Marcus Tavernier: 7/10- Had a big performance on the night and was responsible for the impeccable delivery which led to the goal. Did have a massive chance in the second half, but scuffed the shot. Was well involved in attacks be it off the left or when he was moved centrally later on.

Antoine Semenyo: 7/10- Seemingly unplayable at times, Semenyo was a massive danger to the Spurs side. Be it attacking the box himself, or creating chances or dribbling, he was very good in all departments tonight.

Evanilson: 6/10- Possibly the poorest out of a very good side, Evanilson was a constant thorn in the side of Spurs but couldn’t really put away any of his chances despite getting into good positions.

Substitutes

Dango Ouattara: 7/10- Did a lot of good work when he came on and was a real threat that the Spurs just could not lock down. Fortunately for them, Outtara forgot to put on his shooting boots tonight.  

Lewis Cook: N/A

Philip Billing: N/A

David Brooks: N/A

Enes Ünal: N/A

Manager

Andoni Iraola: 7.5/10- Managed a fantastic game from start to finish, introducing substitutions just as Spurs looked like getting a goal. Completely outplayed the opposition in some aspects and made it look comfortable in the end.

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Tottenham Player Ratings vs Bournemouth

Goalkeeper

Fraser Forster: 8/10- Made a couple of impeccable close-range saves which helped keep his side in the game in the first half. Despite a couple of shaky moments, Forster had the game of a lifetime, seemingly unbeatable between the sticks despite waves of pressure from the Cherries.

Defenders

Destiny Udogie: 7/10- Had a solid performance, wasn’t easily beaten but was out of position on a few occasions. Was great offensively and offered a lot for his side during the attacking transitions.

Ben Davies: 6.5/10- Was struggling to keep up with Evanilson at times and picked up an early yellow as well. Did well for a large part of the game before his injury. 

Radu Drăguşin: 6.5/10- Was pretty shaky on occasions and made a couple of big errors during the game. Was fortunate not to have them result in something for the opposition. Was much more comfortable defending than he was on the ball.

Archie Gray: 7/10- Had to put in a shift across a number of different positions on the night. Played most of them relatively well and was hardly outdone or made any big mistakes. 

Midfielders

Pape Matar Sarr: 6.5/10- Did a lot of the hard running and grunt work in the middle of the park. Was at times lost during transitions but mostly played his part well.

Yves Bissouma: 6.5/10- Was at times the best player Spurs had on the pitch. Went on to have an effort on goal himself to try and get something for his side, but grew frustrated quite quickly in the game.

James Maddison: 7/10- Created chances and put his teammates through on a number of occasions. Was up to the mark in terms of his role on the night, and barely missed out on goal with a good effort.

Attackers

Brennan Johnson: Not as comfortable on the left as he is off the right. Lacked that certain incisiveness and poaching tendency that he usually has. Seemed off the pace despite his recent purple patch of form.

Dejan Kulusevski: 7/10- Made things happen for his side and looked very dangerous at times. Was denied despite his best efforts and eventually began fading towards the end of the game. 

Dominic Solanke: 7/10- Showed good intensity and awareness to nick the ball from his opponents at times. Missed a very easy chance which he should and usually does put away. Was still active and getting on the end of passes to try and get a goal.

Substitutes

Heung-min Son: N/A

Pedro Porro: N/A

Lucas Bergvall: N/A

Timo Werner: N/A

Manager
Ange Postecoglou: 6/10- Made a number of puzzling decisions with his selection and tactics on the night. Could not influence the game with his changes and made the team look even more vulnerable in the second half. Was very clearly outdone by his opposing manager today.

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