Player ratings as unbeaten Spurs thump sorry Clarets

FROM TURF MOOR – Tottenham Hotspur remain unbeaten in the Ange Postecoglou era as they came from behind to thrash newly promoted Burnley 5-2.

Burnley took the lead early on through Lyle Foster, but Spurs responded and levelled through captain Son Heung-min before Cristian Romero fired home a brilliant effort just before the break.

Into the second half Spurs took control. James Maddison curled home the third just before the hour, before Son helped himself to two more to seal his hat-trick and give Spurs a hugely convincing win.

How the game unfolded

Burnley had started the game brightly and were ahead after just five minutes with a sweeping move down the left. Connor Roberts fed the lively Luca Koleosho down the left and Pedro Porro just could not cope with the Italian. He broke into the box and fed Foster, who swept the ball home.

Spurs were struggling to get into the game, but they levelled just ten minutes later – albeit against the run of play. A sweeping counter-attack saw the ball fall for Manor Solomon. The Israeli, starting ahead of Richarlison, had already missed a couple of good chances to feed his teammates but this time he chose the correct pass as he found Son, who finished with a beautiful chip over the onrushing James Trafford.

Burnley continued to play well and Zeki Amdouni was close to opening his Premier League account but he shot just wide with Guglielmo Vicario scrambling to get across his goal.

Spurs, and particularly Maddison, began to see more of the ball before half-time and the England man was unlucky not to put Spurs ahead as he exchanged passes with Pape Matar Sarr and forced Trafford into an excellent save.

Then the Spurs pressure told just before the interval as they went ahead in stoppage time. Burnley just could not clear their lines from a Maddison corner and the ball came for Romero on the edge of the box and he curled home off Trafford’s post.

Clearly not happy, Vincent Kompany changed things at half-time by bringing on Josh Brownhill and Hannes Delcroix and switching to three at the back, but it had little impact and Spurs should have doubled their advantage just moments after the restart.

Dejan Kulusevski fed Son clean through on goal but his first touch let him down, allowing Trafford to claim it. Trafford was then called upon again to save at his near post from Maddison as he cut inside the box and got his shot away.

Brownhill almost made a telling contribution with his first touch of the ball as he looked to curl the ball beyond Vicario but the ball dipped just over the bar.

Then Spurs double their advantage just before the hour and it was Maddison with the sublime finish. Poor defending from Burnley saw Destiny Udogie pick the ball up and square it to Maddison who, as soon as he picked the ball up on the edge of the box only had one thing in mind and that was to score, and he duly obliged by curling it home.

The floodgates had been opened at this point as Burnley looked lost in their new system and Spurs punished them for it.

Just after the hour, Solomon found his skipper Son and he made no mistake to make it 4-1 – but the away following had barely finished cheering that goal before the fifth arrived.

Again it was Son with the finish to complete his treble and claim the matchball but it was all down to a world-class through ball from Porro.

Burnley fans did have one thing to cheer about in the second half with Brownhill adding a late consolation, but that was all it was for Kompany’s side who suffered a third straight defeat to open their campaign as Tottenham claimed the win, which takes them into second place and continues the brilliant start under Postecoglou.

GK: James Trafford – 6/10 – Looked very solid and produced some top saves. Was only beaten by a couple of wonderful finishes

RB: Ameen Al Dakhil – 3/10 – Looked like what he is, a centre-half playing at right-back. Way off the pace.

CB: Jordan Beyer – 3/10 – Struggled and was at fault for third. Not good.

CB: Dara O’Shea – 3/10 – Never looked solid and did little to help his team, especially in the second half.

LB: Connor Roberts – 3/10 – Like Al Dakhil, given a torrid time on the left.

CM: Johann Berg Gudmundsson – 5/10 – Worked hard, so it came as a shock to see him taken off at the break.

CM: Joe Cullen – 3/10 – Anonymous figure throughout the game.

CM: Sander Berge – 3/10 – Poor from the off and no surprise to see him replaced at the break.

RW: Lyle Foster – 7/10 – Nice finish for his goal and worked hard for the team.

CF: Zeki Amdouni – 4/10 – Struggled to get into game, had one decent effort.

LW: Luca Koleosho – 7/10 – By far Burnley’s best player. Brilliant first half and a constant menace to Porro. Change of shape didn’t help him.

Substitutes

SUB: Josh Brownhill – (45′ for Berge) – 5/10

SUB: Hannes Delcroix (45′ for Gudmundsson) – 3/10

SUB: Nathan Redmond (60′ for Amdouni) – 3/10

SUB: Jacob Bruun Larsen (68′ for Koleosho) – 3/10

SUB: Jack Clark (74′ for Beyer) – N/A

Subs not used: Muric, Rodriguez, Benson, Odobert

Manager

Vincent Kompany – 2/10 – His decision to change system at half-time was a strange one and a bad one.

GK: Guglielmo Vicario – 6/10 – Did well and was solid enough. Could do little for the Burnley goals.

RB: Pedro Porro – 6/10 – Strange day, looked poor in defence and was at fault for the opening goal, but his pass for Son’s third was amazing.

CB: Cristian Romero – 8/10 – Led by example, like a rock in defence and like Lionel Messi on the edge of the box as he fired home brilliantly.

CB: Micky van de Ven – 7/10 – Did well for the most part and cleared his lines well, but might think he could have done more to prevent the opening goal.

LB: Destiny Udogie – 8/10 – Constant threat, always involved and did what he needed to in defence. Class act.

CM: Yves Bissouma – 7/10 – Was very solid in the first half and even with Spurs’ slow start was on form.

CM: Pape Matar Sarr – 6/10 – Struggled to get a foot hold in the game. Not terrible but not at his best either.

RM: Manor Solomon – 6/10 – Two assists on his first Spurs start but could have been so much more. His passing and decision making at times was poor.

AM: James Maddison – 9/10 – Amazing performance. This was the player Spurs imagined when they signed him, simply outstanding with almost everything he did.

LM: Dejan Kulusevski – 7/10 – Not bad and stayed wide and was a threat throughout. A decent outing.

ST: Son Heung-min – 9/10 – Brilliant finish for the first goal to level matters and them claimed the matchball as he killed the game off.

Substitutes

SUB: Pierre Emile Hojberg (68′ for Sarr) – 6/10

SUB: Ivan Perisic (69′ for Solomon) – 6/10

SUB: Richarlison (72′ for Son) – 6/10

SUB: Oliver Skipp (86′ for Kulusevski) – N/A

SUB: Emerson Royal (87′ for Maddison) – N/A

Subs not used: Forster, Sanchez, Davies, Phillips

Manager

Ange Postecoglou – 8/10 – Second half performance was brilliant – his side pinned Burnley in and never wavered from his instructions.

Player of the Match: James Maddison (Tottenham)