Tottenham Hotspur defeated Doncaster Rovers in a comfortable Carabao Cup victory and three players in particular stood out for their performances.
Tottenham Hotspur hosted Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup, and in a match which was special for two members of the Spurs academy. Damola Ajayi started against his parent club, while Luca Williams-Barnett came off the bench to make his debut, sealing the 900th legacy number at Tottenham.
It was a straightforward victory for Spurs, who were already 2-0 up after 17 minutes. As a result, Thomas Frank and his players will make the long trip to Newcastle for their fourth-round tie.
Here are the three winners and losers from Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Doncaster on Wednesday night.
Archie Gray made the most of his Tottenham start
Archie Gray started against Burnley on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, but had been warming the bench ever since. This remained the case until last night when he was named in Frank’s starting lineup.
Gray faced criticism for his display against Burnley because he did not offer the team anything going forward. However, that was certainly not the case during the Doncaster game.
The England U21 star made good runs and passes in a game where he was allowed more positional freedom. Perhaps he needs to be playing in a more forward-thinking role, rather than as a defensive midfielder.
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João Palhinha scored again
Some were surprised to see Joao Palhinha was named at centre-back rather than Gray, but he is the best tackler in the Premier League, so why not?
Palhinha fulfilled his defensive responsibilities to a satisfactory level, and this was just one aspect of his performance.
The Portugal international scored his second goal of the season and did so in superb style. Palhinha tried an overhead kick effort and gave the goalkeeper no chance of making a save. He showed once again that he is far more than just a defensive-minded player.
Brennan Johnson had a good game for Spurs
Whether it is temporarily deleting his Instagram account or being benched, a slight switch-up in the routine of Brennan Johnson usually has its benefits.
In this case, Johnson had been benched for three consecutive matches before making his start against Doncaster. It may have been the wake-up call the winger needed, because he was very effective in the Carabao Cup tie.
Johnson actually had the fewest touches of any starting outfield player, which is not unusual, but he was more involved than he has often been.
The 24-year-old was creative from the wing and was unlucky not to get an assist. He did have his moment at the end, making an excellent run behind the defence and finishing just as well just before the referee ended the match.
Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Tottenham 3-0 Doncaster Rovers…
Mathys Tel failed to threaten
Mathys Tel was handed a surprise start in the 3-0 victory over West Ham and he failed to have a single shot during the game. He managed two against Doncaster, but only one was on target.
Tel should have scored in the first half when Johnson drilled a cross which was delivered at a favourable pace. The striker missed the ball completely and had another disappointing performance.
When Randal Kolo Muani and Dominic Solanke return from injury, it is difficult to see where Tel will fit in at Tottenham. He is clearly not favoured on the left wing, despite the lack of natural options in the position. Right now, it looks like Tel would benefit from a loan move in January to help him do for Spurs what he has shown he is capable of for France U21s.
Dane Scarlett was left on the Tottenham bench
Will Lankshear got his loan move away from Spurs, and he is off to a positive start at Oxford United. However, Dane Scarlett has been kept at Tottenham, where he is likely to get zero opportunities.
Scarlett is the fifth-choice striker at Spurs behind Richarlison, Solanke, Tel and Munai. There is no point in him being at the club, so he can only hope a January loan move is on the cards.
Even if Scarlett gets to go out on loan, he has already had three spells away from Tottenham, and his 22nd birthday is next year. It does not look like the academy graduate has a long-term future at his boyhood club unless he undergoes a dramatic turnaround.
Ben Davies missed the Doncaster match due to injury
Tottenham have plenty of centre-backs, although keeping them all fit is proving to be a real problem. However, if they all become available at the same time, Ben Davies is unlikely to see much match action.
There is no Europa League this season for Tottenham, and it does not look like they will get to play another low-ranked team in the Carabao Cup. Therefore, it is difficult to see when Davies might actually be selected.
Frank was hopeful Davies would have recovered from a slight twist in his knee in time for Wednesday’s game, but this was not to be. As a result, the Welshman might have missed his final opportunity to start a match for the remainder of the calendar year.