Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League campaign got off to a miserable start as they were beaten 1-0 by Everton in their own backyard on Sunday night. The one and only goal came from Dominic Calvert-Lewin who headed home from a free kick as Carlo Ancelotti got the better of his old friend Jose Mourinho in the capital.
Positives
It definitely felt as if Spurs' plan was to gift Everton most of the possession, and they never really seemed to panic even when they did get in behind the back four. They had a tendency to dispossess the opposition in key areas and even though it didn't last long, there was a sustained period of urgency midway through the first half that fans would have liked to see across the whole game.
Negatives
There was a definitive one-dimensional element to Spurs' play throughout the course of the game, and that was particularly evident when they tried to go forward. They were slow to react whenever Everton made their way into the final third and left gaps in their defensive structure on multiple occasions, and there was no end product to any of their attacks.
Manager rating out of 10
4 -- Jose Mourinho's gritty take on modern football may have worked 10 years ago, but his dated techniques are quite clearly starting to cost him. He did put out a strong starting XI and made some necessary changes to try and shift the momentum of the game, but there are absolutely no excuses for his side's lack of creativity and pressing.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Hugo Lloris, 6 -- The France international made several simple saves, but he was fortunate to avoid conceding when Richarlison rounded him and he couldn't do anything to prevent Calvert-Lewin's thumping winner.
DF Matt Doherty, 5 -- There was a real determination in the new signing's debut performance during the first half and he even came close to scoring, but as time went on, Richarlison was picking his pocket at will.
DF Toby Alderweireld, 4 -- Producing a small collection of important blocks can't make up for the clear and obvious lack of pace that Alderweireld now has.
DF Eric Dier, 4 -- Any kind of intricate play is always bound to catch Dier out with his spatial awareness costing Tottenham big for Everton's goal.
DF Ben Davies, 4 -- Davies was lethargic from the word go as he never really seemed to be in the right state of mind to get stuck in or fight for every loose ball.
MF Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 4 -- The former Southampton man didn't even really appear to know what role he was playing and even though his distribution was solid, there was no cohesion for him to work with in the middle of the field.
MF Harry Winks, 5 -- While he did find far more success when he kept the ball on the deck, it's hard to define Winks as a midfield general when his general play is just so overwhelmingly negative.
AMF Lucas Moura, 4 -- He certainly works better on the counter-attack but for someone who is tasked with creating opportunities for his team, Moura really leave a lot to be desired.
AMF Dele Alli, 4 -- It was another poor display -- from his questionable decision-making to his dull, uninspiring demeanour whenever he received the ball.
AMF Son Heung-Min, 6 -- Started off like a house on fire by cutting inside and making all sorts problems for the Everton defence, but that pressure faded away in the second half.
FW Harry Kane, 5 -- Tottenham's star man was simply marked out of the conversation in North London with the lack of service costing him the chance to make an impact.
Substitutes
MF Moussa Sissoko, 5 -- Didn't even remotely come close to causing any danger for Everton after another lacklustre showing.
MF Steven Bergwijn, 6 -- With a full 90 minutes under his belt he may have been able to unlock some opportunities for Spurs but his teammates weren't quite as motivated.
MF Tanguy Ndombele, N/A -- He can produce some true moments of magic when he's given space but his energy levels just aren't where they need to be.