Spurs' 7/10 machine was even better than Son & Werner vs Palace

Spurs’ 7/10 machine was even better than Son & Werner vs Palace

Saturday’s fixture marked another game that Tottenham Hotspur have been decidedly modest in their performance, though this time the squad purred into life in the late stage against Crystal Palace to secure a much-needed victory in the Premier League.

Goals from Timo Werner, Cristian Romero and Heung-min Son ensured that Spurs preserved their advantage over sixth-placed Manchester United while mounting pressure on Aston Villa in the top four.

On Friday, Ange Postecoglou confirmed that free-scoring forward Richarlison has been ruled out for three-to-four weeks with a knee injury, but the forwards clicked together against Palace to remind the division of their prowess.

The Spurs players who impressed vs Palace

Tottenham have struggled for consistency of late but proved that they are steadily building something under Postecoglou’s wing with a tenacious performance against a spirited Eagles side, newly led by Oliver Glasner.

Son wrapped up the contest with his late goal but the South Korean star led the line confidently throughput and also demonstrated his dynamic skill set by creating three key passes for his teammates.

Werner, meanwhile, was Richarlison’s replacement and while he doesn’t offer the same killer instinct in the final third, his showing down the left flank was highly effective and he was rewarded for his labours with a maiden goal in Tottenham colours.

Timo Werner: Stats vs Crystal Palace

Stat

#

Minutes played

83′

Goals

1

Shots on target

3

Key passes

2

Accurate passes

33/36 (92%)

Dribble attempts

2/2

Duels won

2/3

Sourced via Sofascore

A mention must also go to Brennan Johnson, whose introduction after the hour mark proved invaluable as his pace and intensity racked up two assists, also making the tackle in the build-up to his captain’s decisive strike.

While he didn’t enjoy his finest game, the biggest winner from Spurs’ victory might just be James Maddison, who hasn’t rekindled the full power of his pre-injury brilliance but is the centrepiece of Tottenham’s offensive fluency.

James Maddison’s performance vs Palace

Maddison’s absence throughout November and December was sorely felt down at N17, with the elite playmaker nursing an ankle injury suffered against Chelsea to topple the imperious feeling of the first months of Postecoglou’s reign.

Against Palace, the 27-year-old delivered the assist for Romero’s lead-taking goal but his influence stretched beyond that one moment of spark, taking 89 touches, completing 88% of his passes, creating two key passes, winning ten of his 13 contested ground duels, succeeding with two of his three attempted dribbles and making three tackles, as per Sofascore.

Determined in his defensive duties and intelligent in his passing play, Maddison is one of the most important members of Postecoglou’s outfit and he proved his worth once again on Saturday afternoon.

Football.london’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold noted Maddison’s performance and marked him with a 7/10 match rating, writing: ‘Not at his pre-injury levels yet but he grabbed another assist with his lobbed ball into the box for Romero to head home.’

The England international is starting to rekindle the blistering verve that took the Premier League by storm in the early phase of his Tottenham career, and if this isn’t even enough to leave people waxing lyrical, then Spurs’ top four-chasing rivals must be quaking in their boots as he creeps ever closer to his finest form once again.