Player ratings as Jorginho penalty cuts Spurs lackluster

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham fell to their third straight loss on Thursday night as Chelsea scored all three points thanks to Jorginho’s penalty in the first half.

As both sides engaged in the most turgid 20 minutes of football you’ve ever seen, Eric Dier did his best to add entertainment by awkwardly hacking Timo Werner into Tottenham’s box, Jorginho sending the penalty that result.

The home side saw a bit more of the ball in the second half but in truth they never really looked like they chose Chelsea’s lock, with Carlos Vinicius dismissing Spurs’ best chance of the game by grazing his head at close range.

This is the highlight of the game, now at those ratings from Spurs and Chelsea players.

Hugo Lloris (GK) – 6/10 – There was nothing he could do about Jorginho’s penalty. Produced a smart save from Mason Mount in the second half to keep his team in the game.

Serge Aurier (RB) – 6/10 – To be fair to the erratic full-back, he has shown a will and willingness to try and get Tottenham up the pitch – which couldn’t be said for many of his teammates.

Toby Alderweireld (CB) – 5/10 – I didn’t know what to do with Mount as the Chelsea man fell into pockets of space and continued to elude him.

Eric Dier (CB) – 4/10 – All that was missing was the Benny Hill theme. Complete lack of awareness as he attempted to hack the ball and instead hit Werner’s calf, as he almost helped Chelsea a second after unnecessarily shooting the ball at Lloris.

Ben Davies (LB) – 5/10 – A little bit of nothing. Offered kind of like an offensive threat, but was on the football pitch all along – it’s the best we’ve got. Frequently targeted by Chelsea during the first half.

Moussa Sissoko (CM) – 5/10 – Run a lot without doing much. Copy and paste from almost any Spurs player note you’ve read.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (CM) – 5/10 – Did his usual job of sitting in the middle of the pitch and keeping it simple, but couldn’t keep up with the Chelsea midfielder.

Tanguy Ndombele (CM) – 5/10 – In a rigid system like Spurs’, there has to be a spark, and this man is one of the few on the squad who can provide it – but Thursday night was not their night. His enthusiasm was evident but he just ended up going around in circles in midfield.

Steven Bergwijn (RW) – 4/10 – Have you ever completely forgotten that a footballer played until he received the ball for about 50 minutes? Yeah, that.

Carlos Vinicius (ST) – 5/10 – Responsible for leading the Spurs line in place of Harry Kane. Isolated for much of the game and forced to feed on leftovers. When his big luck came late, he couldn’t find the target.

Son Heung-min (LW) – 5/10 – If Spurs are truly hoping to be in the top four, this man needs to find his touch of goal. Difficult evening for him because he was chained by the back line of Chelsea.

Erik Lamela (RW) – 7/10

Lucas Moura (LW) – 6/10

Édouard Mendy (GK) – 6/10 – One of the easiest matches he will play against a so-called “top six” club. Decent handling but not much to say except a solid save from Erik Lamela late.

Cesar Azpilicueta (CB) – 7/10 – Cut Spurs’ baseline with a precise diagonal in the first ten seconds. Set the tone for her evening and was classy everywhere.

Antonio Rudiger (CB) – 7/10 – Very solid display of the great German. Challenged for absolutely everything that came his way and wasn’t afraid to fight Carlos Vinicius.

Thiago Silva (CB) – 6/10 – Did a really good job of stepping on Vinicius’ toes and not giving the Brazilian time to settle down. He pulled his hamstrings halfway through the first half and was forced to limp.

Reece James (RWB) – 6/10 – Had the chance to get away with a late challenge very early in the game. It took a little while to get into the rhythm of the game, but he looked solid once he did.

Jorginho (CM) – 7/10 – He gave up his usual stuttering momentum when taking the kick, but dispatched his efforts with ease. Sat at the base of the Chelsea midfielder and turned things right.

Mateo Kovacic (CM) – 7/10 – A good screen full of racing and energy. I had a fantastic run towards the Spurs box in the second half, but just didn’t have the composure to deliver the finish.

Marcos Alonso (LWB) – 6/10 – Retained his place in Chelsea’s starting XI after his goal of the weekend. Played more like a winger than a winger and offered consistent width to the left.

Callum Hudson-Odoi (RW) – 5/10 – He took care of Chelsea on the right but couldn’t really gain a foothold in the game.

Mason frame (ST) – 8/10 – Played like a fake number nine when Chelsea were in possession of the ball, falling to midfield when they didn’t have the ball. Did a brilliant job scooping up pockets of space and the Spurs just couldn’t contain it.

Timo Werner (LW) – 7/10 – The squad sheet seemed to suggest he would play center, but he spent a lot of time retreating to the left and changing with Mount. He missed a few chances but continued to get involved in the game and did well to win the penalty.

We are forced to make an early change as Thiago Silva limps and is replaced by Andreas Christensen.

⚪️ 0-1? [36’] #TOTCHE pic.twitter.com/fg85NDBFuJ

– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 4, 2021

Andreas Christensen (CB) – 6/10

N’Golo Kante (CM) – 6/10

Christian Pulisic (RW) – 5/10