Written by : George Lewis

Lukasz Fabianski: A quiet afternoon for the keeper, as he was helpless for the goal and made a sharp stop to deny a second Spurs goal just before the break. Aside from this, he had very little to do, but he claimed crosses with great authority and marshalled the defence well. 7/10

Pablo Zabaleta: Another decent all-round display from the veteran, who looked solid in defence whilst efficient, if a little pedestrian in attack. His link-up play with Diangana didn’t really get going, a combination of excellent pressing from the opposition and the new partnership. 6/10

Fabian Balbuena: The Paraguayan was good in the heart of the defence again, and his partnership with Diop is looking the most secure aspect of the team. Harry Kane only escaped his grasp on one occasion, and luckily his partner was able to bail him out. One area of improvement could be in the air, as he was beaten a few times, but overall the No.4 was solid. 7/10

Issa Diop: Aside from getting skinned by Erik Lamela twice in the matter of seconds, the Frenchman was excellent at the back. His last-ditch block stopped a certain Kane goal, and his pace means Pellegrini’s high-line isn’t as risky as what it could be. This will be tested to the maximum at Leicester next week, but Diop should be a good match for Vardy and is proving to be a superb acquisition. 8/10

Aaron Cresswell: Calls for the ex-Ipswich man to replace Masauku were heard, and he undoubtedly proved to be an upgrade. His passing in the first half was superb, playing two lovely balls behind the Spurs defence in the first half, and he tried his utmost to stem the tide when defending. Unfortunately, he was provided with no protection and was fighting a losing battle, but he performed admirably, with multiple crosses being inches away from finding the target. 7/10

Declan Rice: One of his more difficult days in the middle of the park, as he struggled to pick up the inverted wingers. For a period in the first half, both Lamela and Lucas Moura were running rings around the youngster, but he improved considerably in the second half and was integral to the team’s late push, winning the ball back regularly and starting attacks. 6/10

Mark Noble: The captain normally excels in these matches, but this was one of his more subdued performances. He gave the ball away needlessly in the run-up to the first goal, though there was a lot of play after that moment until Lamela headed the ball home. Had the referee punished blatant shirt-pulling on Arnautovic, then Noble’s lofted passes to the striker would’ve gained far more rewards, for they were regularly on the money and looked our most likely avenue to score. 6/10

Robert Snodgrass: A central midfield berth for the Scotsman was surprising, and he grafted tirelessly. Unfortunately, he doesn’t possess the pace to press from the front and then advance to dangerous positions, but he is always a threat with set-pieces, even if Tottenham defended them well on the day. Following Yarmolenko’s injury, it seems Snodgrass will move back to his favoured position on the right, and he deserves a start after a solid display. 6/10

Andriy Yarmolenko: Though his fall was innocuous, it looks like a season-ending injury for the Ukrainian is on the cards. In his spell before that, he was fairly quiet as he was starved of space, but he tracked back diligently, and we missed his invention in the closing stages; a worrying sign given our growing injury crisis. 5/10

Felipe Anderson: After a bright opening ten minutes, in which he was linking play nicely, it quickly went pear-shaped for the Brazilian following a dreadful corner delivery. This was followed by two more crosses of similar quality, and his passing never really recovered from then on. One can tolerate a poor display, albeit with certain caveats; namely, some effort, and this is where Anderson’s lacklustre display becomes inexcusable. Not only did he lazily follow Sissoko, but he turned his back on the ball and allowed the player to cross the ball unimpeded. To make matters worse, he committed the same offence a matter of minutes later, almost costing the team another goal. It’s been clear for a while that Anderson is more suited to a central position, and this performance cements that notion; but should he continue to track back with this amount of effort, one could question if he even deserves a spot in the team. 2/10

Marko Arnautovic: After a muted first-half display, the Austrian excelled after the break; the only thing missing was a goal. He did well to direct his looped header on the target, and his latch-ditch toe-poke was agonisingly close. As a result of our over-reliance on him, his decision making could sometimes be improved, but he almost single-handedly gained the team a point against a well-drilled outfit, and he’s performing with a consistency that will catch the attention of the big clubs. 7/10

SUBS:

Grady Diangana: A surprise substitution for the injured Yarmolenko, and it didn’t really pay off. This was a huge step up for the youngster, and though he was not disgraced by any means, he was marked out of the game by Davies and wasn’t given any room to stretch his legs. 5/10

Javier Hernandez: After a quiet introduction, the Mexican exploded into life with a nice one-two with Arnautovic before firing the ball home; unfortunately, the linesman had already flagged for offside. If there was ever a sign that both he and the Austrian can play as a two then this was it, and this might be a viable option given our lack of midfield options. 6/10

Michail Antonio: After a woeful display at Brighton, this was more like the Antonio of old; direct running, brute strength and raw speed. Despite being on the pitch for a mere 15 minutes, the winger burnt past Tripper on a few occasions, and it’s a shame we had no outlet on the other side to negate the one-sidedness of our attacks. If Antonio could maintain these levels then the fans would be happy, but there’s just no knowing what you’ll get, infuriating for both Pellegrini and the supporters. 7/10