Three winners and three losers from Tottenham defeat to Bournemouth - Opinion

3 days ago 29

Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten start under Thomas Frank came to an abrupt end at home against Bournemouth, and we have highlighted the biggest winners and losers from the latest defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur missed an opportunity to go top of the Premier League table after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.

That defeat ended Thomas Frank’s perfect start to life in the Premier League, as his side suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of a relentless Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side.

The international break curse continues for Tottenham, who now go into yet another break off the back of a defeat, after last winning a match before the break back in October 2023.

We have now picked out our three winners and three losers from Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

Xavi Simons – evident to see his creativity is desperately needed

It says a lot when one of the biggest winners from a clash is a player who did not even feature in the fixture on the day, yet that was the case with Tottenham as Xavi Simons came out of the weekend looking more important than ever.

During the match, Spurs struggled to carve out any meaningful chances and failed to hit the target throughout the first half, with their attacking play looking slow, predictable and without any real invention.

It was not until the second half that Tottenham registered their only shot on target, which only underlined their desperate need for more creativity, and with Simons signed for exactly that reason, he should very much go straight into the Tottenham team.

Guglielmo Vicario’s strong performance in the Tottenham goal

If there were any doubts in Frank’s mind about his first-choice goalkeeper, yesterday’s display from Guglielmo Vicario would have put them to bed, as the Italian was easily one of Tottenham’s brighter performers in what was a poor overall team showing.

Bournemouth dominated long spells of the game and the scoreline could easily have been stretched to three or four had it not been for Vicario’s interventions, with the goalkeeper making five saves, four of those coming inside the penalty box.

It was a commanding performance between the sticks and a timely reminder of his qualities, with his efforts the only reason Tottenham did not leave with a heavier defeat.

Destiny Udogie cameo offers competition at full-back for Spurs

Another winner from that clash was Destiny Udogie, who, despite playing only a short spell, offered far more on the left than Pedro Porro did across the ninety minutes on the opposite flank.

It was his first competitive appearance since the Europa League final, yet Udogie looked sharp, confident and physically ready, hardly resembling a player who had been sidelined for so long.

His return now puts pressure on the full-back positions, as Frank’s options are greatly improved, given Djed Spence’s ability to fill on the right, allowing him to serve as competition for Porro, while Udogie could slot in on the left.

And now for the three losers of the afternoon…

Pedro Porro looked shaky against Semenyo

As for the losers, Pedro Porro unfortunately was one, as it was not a game to remember for the full-back, who had a torrid time dealing with Antoine Semenyo down the right side of the Tottenham defence.

The Ghana international was direct and relentless, constantly running at Porro whenever he had the opportunity, and the Spaniard failed to contain him throughout.

To make matters worse, Bournemouth’s winning goal came from his side of the pitch, which is never a good look, and it was the kind of performance Porro will want to quickly forget.

Brennan Johnson – another ineffective performance

While Porro struggled defensively, Brennan Johnson was equally disappointing further forward, offering very little threat from the left wing and rarely beating his man in one-on-one situations.

His decision-making in the final third was lacking, often failing to pick out runners, while his passing was wasteful and short of the quality required at this level, which left Tottenham blunt in attack.

Johnson’s best attribute remains arriving at the back post to finish off chances, but when he is not scoring goals, it becomes difficult to see how he contributes to the overall play, which explains why he was one of the first to be substituted.

Daniel Levy – Pressure is firmly back on the Tottenham chairman

For Daniel Levy, the defeat served as another stark reminder of Tottenham’s shortcomings and the reality check that this squad is still some way off competing across all fronts.

There is a glaring need for more quality in wide areas, as Johnson and Richarlison were ineffective and struggled to hold possession, while the lack of creativity in midfield remains a pressing concern.

Simons may solve the number ten issue, but Spurs still require more attacking depth, and with the transfer window closing soon, Levy must deliver a winger of real quality to ensure Frank is not left short of options once the season gets into its decisive stretch.