Tottenham 6-1 Rochdale: Llorente’s Hat-trick Sends Spurs Cruising Into FA Cup Quarterfinals
Tottenham Hotspur may have been subjected to a lot of criticism after enduring a draw with Rochdale in the first leg of their FA Cup 5th round match but if there’s one thing Mauricio Pochettino’s men know, it is how to make a solid comeback. Last night, they thrashed Rochdale 6-1 in a match that saw Spurs perform together as a well-oiled machine. Heung-min Son, Fernando Llorente and Kyle Walker-Peters scored important goals to keep the club on top and there was nothing the visitors could do to minimise the damage.
In fact, Tottenham fans will remember last night’s performance for multiple reasons going forward. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how each player fared against Rochdale.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Michel Vorm – 6/10
Vorm was untested throughout the game but he failed to do much to stop Rochdale’s solitary goal of the night.
Kieran Trippier – 7.5/10
Trippier made some important attacking runs up front and he was quite solid even when it came to fulfilling his defensive duties. A strong show from the full-back.
Eric Dier – 7/10
Dier seemed shaky on certain occasions but he partnered the young Juan Foyth decently enough at the heart of the Spurs defence.
Juan Foyth – 6.5/10
Foyth put in quite an impressive display but he struggled at times when Rochdale pressed high up. He picked up a yellow card as well but this would have been a good learning experience for him.
Danny Rose – 6/10
Rose did not make as much of an impact in the first-half and after the break, he just about did the basics right.
Moussa Sissoko – 7.5/10
Sissoko was one of the hardest working players throughout the game and as time wore on, he kept improving. He was quite effective on the counter-attack as well.
Harry Winks – 6/10
Winks has a long way to go before he can reach match fitness and that was evident last night. The second ankle injury has taken a toll on him and affected his overall mobility and he failed to do anything impactful.
Erik Lamela – 9.5/10
VAR was back to haunt yet another football team last night as Lamela’s goal got ruled out. However, he created some crucial chances and provided an assist for Son’s second goal. He maintained the tempo throughout the game as well.
Heung-Min Son – 9/10
With 13 goals across competitions under his belt, Son is set to finish this season on a strong note. He put in yet another incredible performance last night and apart from scoring two goals, Son was also involved in two of Llorente’s goals.
Lucas Moura – 9.5/10
Moura was on fire last night and the fans loved him. He was constantly on the prowl, looking for chances and he created several chances for Spurs to capitalise on, which they did.
Fernando Llorente – 10/10
Finally, Llorente got it right. The 33-year-old scored his first hat-trick in English football and he displayed some stunning finishing skills as well. There is no doubt that this performance will restore his confidence for the games to come.
Subs
Mousa Dembele – 6/10
Came on in place of Winks and did a decent job at maintaining fluidity in the middle of the park.
Dele Alli – 7.5/10
Alli was extremely effective at maintaining pressure in the final third and was responsible for Kyle Walker-Peters’ goal.
Kyle Walker-Peters – 7/10
Despite coming on quite late, Walker-Peters linked splendidly with Alli to score the 6th goal of the night for Tottenham.