A weakened team was fielded by Mauricio Pochettino against a weakened team fielded by Jurgen Klopp, but it was Liverpool who came out on top to progress into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

Daniel Sturridge fired Liverpool into the lead just nine minutes in, and doubled their advantage midway through the second half. Vincent Janssen pulled a goal back from the spot to set up a nervy last fifteen minutes, but Liverpool held onto their lead to dump Spurs out of the cup. Here are the Spurs player ratings.

Michel Vorm- 7

Our second goalkeeper made some good saves throughout the ninety minutes. Was a little unfortunate, appearing to slip prior to the first goal, but it could have been so many more.

Kieran Trippier- 5

Not a great night for Trippier. He struggled to have a real impact going forward down the right-hand side. Made a few unnecessary errors too.

Cameron Carter-Vickers- 5

A tough night for the defence against a skillful and pacy Liverpool attack, and in truth they were lucky not to concede more than two. The American should consider himself lucky perhaps not to give away a penalty on Sturridge.

Kevin Wimmer- 5

Tried to play the offside trap against Sturridge for the second goal, and got that horribly wrong. A tough night, but not the way to try and get yourself back into Pochettino’s plans.

Ben Davies- 6

Showed a little more intent going forward than Trippier did and threatened to put a few good balls into the box, but unfortunately, nobody was there to get onto the end of them.

Harry Winks- 6

Made a few too many errors in the middle of the park, so that is something for the youngster to work on, but looked comfortable on the ball and should have done better with his shot right at the end in stoppage time.

Eric Dier- 6

As the captain, I would have like to have seen a little bit more of Dier in the midfield. However, he did his job and put in a few strong tackles before being replaced by Victor Wanyama midway through the second half.

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Spurs return from the international break just one point off the top of the table and in great form as they prepare to visit West Brom in the hopes of another three points and remaining the Premier League’s only unbeaten side.

Harry Kane remains out, but could return as early at 6th November for the North London derby with his recovery going well. Mauricio Pochettino will make a late call on the fitness of Mousa Dembele.

GK: Hugo Lloris

The Frenchman has played well in recent weeks, and I see no reason why he shouldn’t start in between the sticks again to face West Brom.

RB: Kyle Walker

Walker has been in my opinion one of the most improved players over the summer, and provides a huge threat going forward as well as doing his defensive work well. He should start here.

CB: Toby Alderweireld

The big Belgian has been one of our best players this season, and has played a huge part in maintaing our unbeaten record and it is important that his partnership with Vertonghen stays strong.

CB: Jan Vertonghen

We have only conceded three goals in the Premier League this season, and the centre-back partnership has been one of the main reasons why we hold the best defensive record in the league. I expect both Vertonghen and Alderweireld to start here.

LB: Danny Rose

Rose returned from injury against Manchester City and I thought that he had a great game and kept Raheem Sterling quiet for the most part, which isn’t as easy as you think after the way he played against Celtic just days before. Rose should keep his place.

CDM: Victor Wanyama

Wanyama played as the only defensive midfielder against Manchester City, and did an excellent job working very hard, making some strong tackles and bossing that midfield. Off the back of that performance, I think that Pochettino will stick with a 4-1-4-1 with Wanyama as a sole defensive midfielder in this match.

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Spurs produced one of the performances of the season to beat league leaders Manchester City, and inflict the first loss of the Pep Guardiola era the table-toppers. 

Pochettino’s side pressed from the front, allowing City next to no time on the ball, and was a big reason why Spurs were able to grab the three points. Spurs move up the second following the 2-0 win and are just one point off the top spot going into the international break. Here are the Spurs player ratings.

Hugo Lloris- 7

Made a couple of excellent saves to keep a clean sheet. Maybe a little lucky with the shot that hit the post, and distribution wasn’t as good as expected, but still a solid game for the Frenchman.

Kyle Walker- 7

Looked a real threat when going forward down the right-hand side, and did his defensive work well, another great game from the England international.

Toby Alderweireld- 7

Another excellent display at the back from the Belgian, making some really important tackles. A clean sheet against City is a real achievement and our superb defensive record continues.

Jan Vertonghen- 7

Looked really solid at the back, there were a couple of times where City got in behind, but you come to expect that from a side that had averaged three goals per game. A great defensive display.

Danny Rose- 7

Got embroiled in a heated battle with Raheem Sterling down the left that threatened to turn sour a few times, but he kept the winger quiet for the majority of the game, Sterling looking nowhere as much of a threat as he did against Celtic in the Champions League.

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It’s a clash of the top two as Tottenham collide with table-toppers Manchester City in a mouth-watering clash at White Hart Lane this Sunday. Both managers have been full of praise for each other in a build-up to what should be an exciting fast-paced matchup. 

Spurs won their first Champions League match of the campaign against CSKA Moscow in midweek, whilst Manchester City played out a 3-3 draw with Celtic in a thriller.

Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele, Danny Rose and Moussa Sissoko are all players that Mauricio Pochettino will be making late calls on regarding fitness while Harry Kane remains out. Here is the Spurs predicted line-up.

GK: Hugo Lloris

Lloris has conceded just two goals this season in the games he has played, and has looked a confident man. He should start here.

RB: Kyle Walker

Was replaced by Kieran Trippier in midweek in the Champions League, and Trippier played well getting down the right, but I expect Kyle to make his return here.

CB: Toby Alderweireld

Played very well again in midweek, keeping a clean sheet, and I would think that Mauricio Pochettino will keep the centre-back partnership of Alderweireld and Vertonghen.

CB: Jan Vertonghen

Also played well in Moscow, and did very well in keeping a clean sheet and Lacina Traore quiet, which looked like a tall order at the start of the evening. Should keep his place in the team for this match.

LB: Ben Davies

It might be best not to risk Danny Rose with his hamstring injury for this weekend, and Davies has been played solidly anyway, so there would be no reason to replace him unnecessarily.

Having lost their opening group stage game of the Champions League, Spurs travel to Russia in desperate need of three points to get their Champions League campaign up and running following that bitterly disappointing defeat against Monaco just a couple of weeks ago.

Spurs will be without Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier and Danny Rose in Moscow, who are still recovering from injuries. Moussa Sissoko joins them on the injury table, with Mauricio Pochettino not ruling out the possibility of concussion affecting the Frenchman. Harry Kane however remains the only long-term absentee. Here is the Spurs predicted line-up.

GK: Hugo Lloris

Having played well since returning from injury, I expect Hugo to keep his place in the starting eleven in Russia.

RB: Kyle Walker

Has provided a huge threat over the past few weeks going down that right-hand side, and will be desperate to terrorise the left-back of Moscow on Tuesday night.

CB: Toby Alderweireld

In my opinion, the Belgian has been our most consistent player over the course of the season, and is probably one of the first players on the team-sheet at the moment.

CB: Jan Vertonghen

The 29-year-old has worked well with Alderweireld at the heart of the Spurs defence that has conceded just three goals in the Premier League this season.

LB: Ben Davies

Has provided first-class cover for Danny Rose, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury since the international break, and I expect the Welshman to put in another solid performance here.

CDM: Dele Alli

With Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko all out through injury, Dele Alli could be asked to play a deeper role alongside Victor Wanyama. We saw him play in this position against Monaco a couple of weeks ago, and he looked solid. For me, he provides more of a threat playing further forward, but the youngster can still do an excellent job from the deeper role.

CDM: Victor Wanyama

The Kenyan has made a solid start to life at White Hart Lane, and is in line to start again here. He has shown his strengths in breaking up the play in recent weeks, and he will certainly be the more ‘defensive’ of our two CDMs on Tuesday night.

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Team News:

Hugo Lloris is set to return, and is fit to make the trip to Stoke. Danny Rose and Mousa Dembele are set to be the only absentees from the squad, with Dembele serving his ban, and Rose out through injury.

Predicted Line-Up (4-2-3-1):

GK: Hugo Lloris

As revealed by Mauricio Pochettino on Thursday, Lloris is once again available for selection after recovering slightly ahead of schedule from his hamstring injury picked up in the first game of the season away at Everton. Michel Vorm provided good cover in the two-and-a-half games he played, and Pochettino has admitted he has a tough choice ahead of him.

LB: Ben Davies

Danny Rose is out for this weekend with a hamstring injury obtained away on international duty, with the extent of the injury yet to be revealed. Step forward Ben Davies, who was regularly used by Pochettino last season. More often than not, the Welshman put more than a good shift in, and should do the same here.

CB: Jan Vertonghen

Vertonghen and Alderweireld are in my opinion up there with the best centre-back partnerships in the country, and Pochettino would be stupid to leave either of the Belgian pair on the bench without good reason. Spurs conceded 35 goals last season in the Premier League, the joint best in the league, with Vertonghen and Alderweireld starting the majority of the games. Long may the partnership continue.

CB: Toby Alderweireld

Another excellent display from 27-year-old a couple of weeks ago against Liverpool. Where the rest of the starting eleven looked average or below-par, Alderweireld continued to keep solidarity at the back, making an excellent tackle in the second half to deny Liverpool a second. It would be a huge shock if he wasn’t to start.

RB: Kyle Walker

Walker went off injured in the game against Liverpool, but played for England during the international break, so there is no reason why he wouldn’t make an appearance again here. Walker has enjoyed a solid start to the season, both defensively and going forward, providing the assist for Erik Lamela’s equaliser at Everton.

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It wasn’t exactly a pretty victory, but we very rarely win well in the Europa League, but a 2-1 win gives the boys a good boost ahead of the always important North London Derby this coming Sunday.

Let’s talk about the player ratings, shall we?

Hugo Lloris: 7

A solid performance once more from the Frenchman, who is looking so good between the sticks as of late. Rarely troubled in this game except for the goal, but there was hardly anything Hugo could have done to stop it.

Kieran Tripper: 6

Again, a solid performance, which wasn’t entirely spectacular. Most of the team tonight just put in a good shift, and at the end of the day, these lads got the victory for us to send us top of the group.

Toby Alderweireld: 7

I said it the other day, but what a signing this boy is turning into! Every time he steps onto the pitch, he just oozes class, and his partnership with Jan Vertonghen is looking like one of the best in the Premier League. I’m sure Jermaine Jenas agrees me.

Jan Vertonghen: 7

I would love to comment more, but if you want to know how Super Jan played, see Toby Alderweireld.

Ben Davies: 7

A solid performance yet again from the Welshman, who played well, with one exception. If only he was alert on the Anderlecht goal, Ezekiel wouldn’t have snuck in around the back. With that one exception, Davies had a good game, but he will probably be back on the bench for Sunday.

Eric Dier: 6

Quiet is the word I’d use to describe Dier this evening. Not in a bad sense, but he just didn’t really do anything of note. We all know of the big news about Dier, so congratulations on a well deserved call up to the England squad.

Dele Alli: 6

Sloppy passes were littered all out for the Milton Keynes boy, but at 19, I think you can allow games like this, especially considering how good he has started his Tottenham career.

Erik Lamela: 6

He could have had a much better game and rating, but Lamela didn’t really connect with the flow this evening. I think he changed boots twice, but that didn’t work, and after having a decent looking penalty shout turned down, Lamela looked down and out.

Christian Eriksen: 6

A quiet game from the Great Dane by his standards. Not much to discuss for this one, except for the fact he subbed off early to give him some rest ahead of the North London Derby.

Ryan Mason: 6

Again, not much to talk about except that his return to fitness has put him back in contention for a spot against Arsenal this Sunday.

Harry Kane: 8

Scoring once more can only mean good things for Tottenham. If there was ever a time for Kane to come back to form, it would be before our three toughest games so far of the season. If we can feed Kane like we did against Bournemouth, then we could see the return of the HurriKane.

Subs:

Mousa Dembele: 8

My Man of the Match for this game, as his impact on the game, as well as the goal, won this match for Spurs. His thunderbolt was an absolute dream to see fly into the top corner, and if we can keep Dembele going in this vain of form, we could be finally seeing the complete attacking midfielder we all know he has the potential to be.

Josh Onomah: N/A

Heung Min Son: N/A

After a 0-0 draw at home to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, Tom Scholes takes a look at some of the Tottenham players who played the best, and some who weren’t quite as good.

Hugo Lloris: 3.5/5

It was a type of game for Lloris where he had to keep his focus every minute, as the lack of action meant that Hugo was rarely called upon. But when the Frenchman was called upon, he reacted well, whether it be sweeping up at the back or stopping the shots.

Kyle Walker: 3/5

Still an unconvincing performance from Walker once again, but at least he didn’t make any game threatening errors. Clearly the quickest defender we have, his pace is an important asset when a ball over the top comes in.

Jan Vertonghen: 3.5/5

Another great display at the back for the Belgian, who is so good on the ball he could probably play in central midfield. A clean sheet once more is a great sign that our defense is one of the best we have had in years. His partnership with Toby Alderweireld is potentially one of the best in the Premier League

Toby Alderweireld: 3.5/5

Exactly same as Vertonghen, as these two are quite simply fantastic together at the back. Not much more to say than that, but he can be a great player in terms of passing and aerial threats.

Danny Rose: 3.5/5

It may be worth giving Rose a run on the left hand side of the attack rather than at the back, because his ability to go forward is astounding, and his pace is such a threat to the opposition. Not a bad game today, but he could maybe have been just a slither better.

Mousa Dembele: 4/5

What a player this lad can be! The way that he moved on the ball, and how he broke up play has probably given Mauricio Pochettino a huge selection headache for future games. It’s not often that I agree with Michael Owen, but it’s hard to argue with his Man of the Match award.

Dele Alli: 3/5-

An average performance today, but not in a bad sense, because the boy from Milton Keynes didn’t really do anything wrong. His passing is still on point, and he never looks intimidated by the opposition.

Nacer Chadli/ Clinton N’jie: 3/5

With Chadli going off early on, N’jie was given the task of attacking down the left hand side. Sadly, the opportunity seemed to just pass him by. I didn’t dislike the performance today, but you could clearly tell that he may be more comfortable and effective in a more central role.

Christian Eriksen: 3.5/5

Again, Eriksen didn’t do much in terms of changing the game, but he was always a threat. Coming off the back of two goals away to Swansea, a lot was expected from the Dane, but unfortunately, he couldn’t produce. Mind you, he still played better than Coutinho.

Erik Lamela: 3/5

I don’t know about you, but did Lamela seem to only give away fouls today? Very quiet, but he is looking a lot more confident when on the ball, and that is always a good thing to see. Put that down to Pochettino and his style of man management.

Harry Kane: 3.5/5

Not a spectacular performance, but there were encouraging signs. No goal, a couple of chances, overall a good outing. Not much to talk about with Kane, other than he is starting to be more than just goals for Tottenham.

After taking the lead through Erik Lamela in the first half, this was a Europa League game that Spurs should have won. However, we travel back to England with a point, and here are our Spurs player ratings.

Lloris (2.5/5)- Didn’t look his usual composed self. Pushed a couple of shots back into dangerous areas and will feel he could have done better for Monaco’s leveller. A very rare off night for our captain.

Trippier (3/5)- Did well on the overlap but was caught sleeping on one occasion allowing an attack from the right. Final ball could have been better.

Alderwiereld (4/5)- Read the game superbly and was dominant in most aspects of his game; continues to impress.

Vertonghen (3.5/5)- Dealt with the massive Traore well enough, not allowing him much space. Was beaten once or twice in the air but they’d understandable considering the size of his opponent.

Rose (4/5)- Impressive. One superb run should have been finished off by Kane. Not much to do in defence due to Monaco lacking a real outlet on his side.

Dier (3.5/5)- Decent on the ball but struggled to cope slightly as Monaco grew into the match late on.

Alli (4.5/5)- Best player on the pitch by a mile. Was clearly on a high after his England call up and he showed exactly what he’s all about. Passed with intent and showed superb composure in the lead up to our opening goal. Another superb turn and pass should have been finished by Kane. Delightful player to watch.

Lamela (4/5)- Lovely skill in the build up to the goal which he finished off himself. Three goals in his last four games is a very good return for the Argentine, who is beginning to show some real consistency. Slowly but surely we may be seeing the real Erik Lamela.

Eriksen (3/5)- Neat and tidy in the final third, however wasn’t able to truly impose himself on the game.

Chadli (3/5)- His superb nutmeg set us on our way for the opening goal, and he’ll feel he could have had one himself with an open net to aim at midway through the first half, however the angle made it difficult.

Kane (2.5/5)- A real struggle. Touch and hold up play was poor and he should have had at least one goal after missing from 9 yards when set up by Alli.

Substitutes

Townsend (2.5/5)- Couldn’t provide an extra dimension in attack as Monaco grew in strength.

N’jie (2.5/5)- Similar to Townsend. Buzzed around with pace but any dangerous moments were snuffed out quickly.

What a game, what a performance, and what a way to start the weekend! Not many of us could have predicted the score line and the performance of Tottenham today, who fielded the youngest starting eleven in the Premier League this season so far. I, for one, found it hard to find faults individually with the team today, so here are the Tottenham Hotspur player ratings, and if you don’t agree with any ratings, remember to let us know.

Hugo Lloris- 7

As I noted in “Three key players for Spurs against Manchester City”, Lloris was very important in our victory today. He kept the defense solid, and when he was called upon at set pieces and even with shot stopping, he dealt with it with ease. Not only was his performance fantastic, but his leadership at the back is providing us with some great solidity, and giving us a voice in vital areas.

Kyle Walker- 6:

Not a great performance from Walker, but not a bad one either, so I guess you can say he was above average, which is exactly what Walker needed. Despite giving the ball away prior to the City opener (I know Eriksen played a part in that too), Walker recovered and, believe it or not, actually defended well. Let’s hope that this can be a springboard.

Toby Alderweireld- 8:

Grabbing a goal, and being so solid at the back, Alderweireld is slowly looking like the best buy of the summer for Tottenham. His partnership at the back with Jan Vertonghen is superb, and Alderweireld provides Spurs with confidence in the central position. Let’s not forget that he got on the score sheet too with a rising header to give us the lead!

Jan Vertonghen-7:

Very similar to Alderweireld, Vertonghen is looking like a new player as his partnership at the back is looking superb. Calm play, combined with safe defensive play is making him look like one of the Premier League’s best. Not much more to say about these two really except from the fact this (potentially) could be the best partnership we had since King and Dawson at the back.

Ben Davies-6:

Very quiet in terms of attacking, but Davies was solid when called upon, likewise with everyone else at the back. Davies has been keeping Danny Rose out of the side, and for good reason. He may not be as attacking as Rose, but he is quality nonetheless.

Dele Alli-7:

Yet another stellar performance from the man from Milton Keynes, as he showed he can handle himself in midfield against Yaya Toure, Fernando and Fernandinho. For someone so young, he seems like he has an experienced footballing brain, but the only blot on his performance today is the fact he picked up another booking.

Eric Dier- 9: (Man of the Match)

What a change Dier has gone through this season! Expected to be frozen out of the side as the center back position was chocked full, he must have done something to give Pochettino the idea to play him at holding midfield, and he is playing magnificently. Winning tackles, breaking up play and setting the attackers off with simple and controlled passing, as well as firing home like he did today, Dier is looking superb in recent weeks, with this week being another high point for the former Lisbon man.

Erik Lamela- 8:

The Michael Owen Man of the Match, Lamela played really well today, even scoring the 4^th goal, and the relief could be felt all around the stadium when you saw the smile on his face. He chased lost causes and he tried his hardest to create chances for the team, and whilst I gave the Man of the Match to Dier, I won’t argue the decision from Michael Owen (for once).

Christian Eriksen- 6:

A little bit off the pace today after starting in mid week, Eriksen could have played a lot better, but he nearly scored from his free kick which was eventually turned home by Harry Kane. He didn’t effect the game as much as he could have, but he certainly didn’t hide from the ball, and tried to create and to score. When the Dane gets to full fitness, expect to see him have a huge impact on games.

Heung Min Son- 7:

After his great start to life at Spurs, Son would have grabbed another if it wasn’t for the one time the linesman got an offside call correct. He played similarly to Lamela in terms of chasing the City players, and trying hard to get the ball forward and in the goal, but Son put his heart and Seoul into this performance (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Harry Kane-8:

Finally, our boy got off the mark for the season, and what a feeling! He finished a hard chance following Eriksen’s free kick, but not only the goal, but the performance as a whole was great, with the attack pressing together and moving together as a unit. It was great to watch, and what was even better was seeing the face of the fans, the players, and most importantly, of Kane himself after firing home to give the 3-1 lead at the time.