It was a horror show for Tottenham as they were outplayed again in a Champions League match at Wembley. They were unusually sloppy at the back and the final score flattered them as Leverkusen were better in all departments. This match emphasised how important both Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld are to Tottenham as their replacements were simply not good enough. They now need to win both of their remaining Champions League matches to qualify for the second round. Here is how their players rated on Wednesday:
Hugo Lloris – The goalkeeper didn’t have to do much on Wednesday, but he couldn’t be blamed for the defeat. There was little he could do for the goal, which ended his run of clean sheets in the Premier League. His distribution was good, especially as he was put into some uncomfortable situations by his team-mates. 6
Kyle Walker – It was a rare poor performance from the England international as he was gave the ball away often and was run ragged by Julian Brandt. There were some signs of his attacking quality on the rare occasions he got forward, but the right back will be disappointed with his overall contribution. 4
Eric Dier – He had to deputise for Toby Alderweireld and it was obvious that Dier hadn’t played at centre back regularly over the last 12 months. Like Walker, he put his side under needless pressure on two or three occasions and had a generally poor game defensively. He almost equalised late on, as his free kick smashed the crossbar, but it was a night to forget for the England international. 4
Jan Vertonghen – The 29-year-old was the standout performer of the Tottenham defence. Although that says more about the others than it does for his contribution. He remained focused and didn’t give the ball away unlike his fellow defenders, finishing the game with a pass accuracy of 88. 6
Ben Davies – The Welshman was solid without being spectacular. He wasn’t helped by the poor performance of the team as a whole. Going forwards, he tried to make things happen, but the quality wasn’t there. 5
Victor Wanyama – It wasn’t the best performance from the Kenyan as the Tottenham midfield was outplayed by their German opposition. He made just one tackle and one interception, which will have disappointed Mauricio Pochettino. Tottenham couldn’t get the ball into dangerous areas and Wanyama was partly to blame for that. 4
Mousa Dembele – The Belgian made a key interception to break up a Leverkusen attack before going off injured. It was another blow for the midfielder as he was forced to leave the pitch in the first half. Pochettino will be hoping it isn’t serious as Tottenham are better with a fully-fit Dembele in the side. It is telling that only one Tottenham player made more tackles than the midfielder, who was on the pitch for just 30 minutes. 5
Moussa Sissoko – Despite completing more tackles than any other Tottenham player (4), the £30 million man was one of the worst players on display. His work rate will have pleased his manager, but his contributions in possession were awful. The Frenchman completed only 60% of his passes and wasted several good situations for his side. 3
Dele Alli – The England international tried to make things happen and never gave up, but like the majority of his team-mates, the quality just wasn’t there. Although he should have been awarded a penalty during the match and his movement caused problems, he couldn’t create a moment of magic for his side. 5
Christian Eriksen – The midfielder hasn’t found his stride this season and he was anonymous during the match against Leverkusen. He should be the star of the attack, but he hasn’t developed into the player that everybody expected him to become. The position that he is being used in hasn’t helped and it could be time for the Dane to spend some time out of the starting eleven. 4
Son Heung-min – The attacker was isolated in the first half and didn’t get the opportunity to cause problems for his former side. He didn’t manage to attempt a shot for the entire 90 minutes and that highlights how poor Tottenham were. Son tried, but wasn’t given the support to succeed. 5
Vincent Janssen – After his first Premier League goal, it was a disappointment to be dropped. He did get brought on in the first half, but like the other attacking players, Janssen failed to make anything happen in the final third. He needs to show more or the comparisons to Roberto Soldado won’t go away. 4
Harry Winks – He was enthusiastic and provided energy to the midfield after coming on in the second half. It is unfair to expect a player with Winks’ limited experience to contribute significantly in a Champions League game and he can’t be blamed for the side’s defeat. 5
Georges-Kevin N’Koudou – The winger looked the brightest of Tottenham’s attackers after coming on, as he was direct and trying to make something come off. That said, his end product was poor and he failed to secure Tottenham a point. 5
Featured image: All rights reserved by goldenweb002