Despite the defeat, a handful of Tottenham players stood out against Aston Villa, giving Ange Postecoglou something to think about ahead of Wednesday’s final. Here are four Tottenham players who impressed on Friday.
The Tottenham Hotspur starting XI against Aston Villa would not have surprised several Spurs fans.
With a big UEFA Europa League final set to come on Wednesday, it was expected that Ange Postecoglou would have to make some tough calls in what can only be described as a dead rubber league game for Tottenham.
Given that several of his key players have picked up knocks in the weeks leading to the final in Spain, Postecoglou decided to go with a team that had several fringe players in it.
Spurs suffered a 2-0 loss against Aston Villa, a defeat that marked their 21st of the season and the most in the club’s history in English football.
Yet, a few players did look good in the clash against Villa and have staked their claims for a spot in the final on Wednesday.
Kevin Danso was the standout in Tottenham’s defence
A defender rarely comes out as the best player in a game where his side concedes goals, but that is exactly what happened on Tuesday, as Kevin Danso was our highest-rated player for Tottenham.
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The defender played with a lot of passion, putting in blocks, making clearances, mopping up Djed Spence’s errors, while also covering for the full-back each time he was caught out of position.
Of course, Danso would not displace either Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven, but if Postecoglou is looking to try a back five at some point on Wednesday, Danso has proven that he is very capable of filling in.
In the game against Aston Villa, the defender made three blocks, six clearances, three recoveries and completed 12 defensive actions. It was a top performance.
Antonin Kinsky kept the scoreline respectable
While Guglielmo Vicario had been making errors in a few of his recent games, Postecoglou has since allowed Antonin Kinsky to start in goal in the last two League games for Spurs.
On Friday against Aston Villa, the Czech international was superb and had it not been for his performance, Tottenham could have lost 3 or 4-0.
His ability with the ball at his feet was impressive and his shot-stopping was just as good, with five saves on the day. His command of aerial balls was also evident, with the goalkeeper making five claims.
Indeed, Vicario would be in pole position to start against Manchester United in the Europa League final, but with performances like these from Kinsky, Spurs’ future is bright.
Heung-min Son was a bright spark
The mission for Tottenham against Aston Villa was to get Heung-min Son valuable minutes, and they did just that with the Korean playing for 74 minutes before he was subbed off.
The first-half performance from the Tottenham captain was very positive, as he looked bright and sharp each time he got the ball.
Son looked to drive at his man and did in fact take them on. He stretched the play well and also came inside when needed.
He was direct and inventive, but the final ball was just lacking. Perhaps it is rust, but the forward was one of the better players against Villa and is in pole position to feature on Wednesday.
Wilson Odobert impresses in the Tottenham ten role
Everyone’s eye was on how Postecoglou would set up against Aston Villa without his creative tens – James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.
We saw the Australian manager try something interesting against Aston Villa, opting to go with two up top in Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel, but Odobert was less advanced.
The Frenchman looked to drop into the pocket to receive the ball and he played well, showing intelligence and could have got on the scoresheet if not for Emiliano Martinez’s save.
He was one of the few good players on the day, and Postecoglou was quick to hand out praise to Wilson Odobert.
He said: “I thought Wilson was good. The issue with Wilson is that he has just missed so much of the season. You can see he lacks match sharpness, but he is an intelligent player.
“Now I thought at times tonight, in tight areas, he found his way forward, and a couple of things did not fall his way. He was unlucky with his finish, which I thought was an outstanding finish, but it fell straight at Emi Martinez.
“I think with Wilson, at least we have got him some significant minutes again. With the way we are in that midfield area, he might be one we need to rely on come Wednesday, so it is good for him to play.”
Whether the youngster starts from the off against Manchester United remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – he is an option for Spurs.