Well, it wasn’t quite the swashbuckling win fans would have been hoping for after the performance on Saturday, but Tottenham Hotspur picked up another important three points in the Europa League last night.
Ange Postecoglou’s side didn’t blow away AZ Alkmaar, but they were undoubtedly the better team and had some of the attackers been that bit more clinical, they could have come away with a few more goals.
That said, a win is a win, and among the starting lineup were some impressive performers, notably the young Mikey Moore, who demonstrated why he should be starting more games in the future – quite the opposite of one of his teammates.
Moore's sensational performance
Postecoglou finally handed Moore his second start of the season last night, and while he looked impressive off the right in the first half, he reached another level entirely off the left in the second half.
The young Englishman may not have scored a goal or registered an assist, but for large parts of the second 45, he was undoubtedly the North Londoners’ best attacker and was able to get the fans on their feet every time he had the ball at his.
That may sound hyperbolic, but it’s an opinion shared by James Maddison, who described him as “Neymar on the left wing,” and the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who awarded the 17-year-old an 8/10 on the night for his ‘electric display.’
It might still be ever so slightly too early to claim Moore should be starting every game for the club going forward, but based on his performance last night, he should now get far more game time, especially as the starter he replaced on the left put in a display that must see him removed from the lineup for some time.
Timo Werner's performance in numbers
German winger Timo Werner is the player in question who has surely played himself out of the team.
The former Chelsea ace started off the left against AZ and put in a performance so disastrous that Postecoglou hooked him at halftime, and for good reason, with Kilpatrick awarding him a 5/10 on the night and writing that ‘his woeful run in front of goal continued.’
It may sound harsh, but it’s an opinion backed up by the 28-year-old’s statistics, as in his 45 minutes of action, he took one shot on target and one off target, missed a big chance, failed in 100% of his dribbles, maintained a passing accuracy of 68%, misplaced 50% of his crosses and long balls, lost 100% of his aerial duels, lost the ball 11 times and was offside once.
Minutes
45′
Expected Goals
0.15
Shots on Target
1
Shots off Target
1
Dribbles (Successful)
1 (0)
BIg Chances Missed
1
Touches
33
Passing Accuracy
13/19 (68%)
Crosses (Accurate)
4 (2)
Long Balls (Accurate)
2 (1)
Aerial Duels (Won)
1 (0)
Lost Possession
11
Offsides
1
In all, it was an abysmal showing from the experienced attacker and one made to look even worse by the sensational display from Moore in the same position in the second half.
Ultimately, while the young Englishman has certainly played himself into contention for more games going forward, Werner has undoubtedly done the opposite, as if he cannot perform in the Europa League; what hope does he have in the Premier League?
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