Tottenham first-half player ratings vs Slavia Prague as 8/10 livewire shines in front of Sonny

The whistle has blown for half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and it’s time for our Spurs player ratings vs Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

Guglielmo Vicario – Saw the ball flash past his post 12 minutes into the game after the defence was left open. Minutes later, he was called into action to push one away that looked destined for the bottom corner. Made a second routine save down to his right on minute 30. 6.

Pedro Porro – Tottenham didn’t build up down the right anywhere near as much as the left. We didn’t see much of Porro until midway through the half when he took up some more central positions. Beyond having a shot blocked and a couple of decent crosses, not much to report. 6.

Cristian Romero – Sent Kudus in behind with an incredible lofted pass – the kind of playmaking Spurs would expect from a James Maddison. Flicked on a header at the near-post to assist Tottenham’s opener from a corner. Broke the lines with some superb runs through the heart of the pitch. 8.

Micky Van de Ven – Got into a right tussle with his man throughout the first 45. Picked up the harshest of yellows for a rogue hand into the face when bursting past him. That means Micky is now suspended for the next game against Dortmund. 7.

Djed Spence – Involved in some nice interplay with Odobert down the left side of attack. Got stuck into more than one meaty challenge down the touchline too. Spurs will need him at his best with Udogie out until January now. 7.

Joao Palhinha – A solid linchpin for Tottenham under the lights in the first half. Knocked the ball around smartly, letting his creative teammates do their jobs while holding down the engine room relatively easily. Somehow got given a yellow for cleanly winning the ball. 6.5.

Archie Gray – Back-to-back starts for the former Leeds man, and he looks to be making the pivot role his own, especially when he is allowed to press forward and be more progressive than Palhinha. 7.

Xavi Simons – It’s amazing what a goal can do for you. Xavi looked a lot more lively, popping the ball around in the final third in that first half. A few times he could still be stronger on the ball and trust his weak foot, but he’s growing into his role at Tottenham. 7.

Mohammed Kudus – Had his shot saved from a tight angle after doing well to outmuscle the last defender. Sent his man for a hotdog on 20 minutes before driving a testing ball into the box that almost ended up as an own goal. Had a typical Kudus driving run through the heart of the pitch shortly after, but held onto the ball too long. Then took a heavy touch in the box when handed a glorious chance by Richarlison. A lively 45 minutes for the Ghanaian! 8.

Richarlison – Almost gave Tottenham the lead inside a minute when Odobert put a chance on a plate, but put the ball in the one place the keeper could save it. Had a pop from range shortly after, which was parried away. A willing runner down the channel all half and put a lovely cross in for Kudus, who should have scored. 7.

Wilson Odobert – Started strong by tying the Slavia right-back in knots before putting a peach of a ball into the box, which deserved an assist. Looked a real livewire every time he took his man on. Really begs the question why Frank hasn’t given him a consistent run in the XI on the left. 7.5.