PLAYER RATINGS: Southampton 2-3 Tottenham

Interim manager Tim Sherwood guided his Spurs side to an impressive offensive victory against the best defence in the league in his first league game in charge, with an inspired display from Emmanuel Adebayor, spearheading the 4-4-2 along with Roberto Soldado, helping the Lilywhites to all 3 points. Southampton took an early lead from Adam Lallana but Spurs fought back through Adebayor and a Hooiveld own goal, before Lambert levelled it up – but Adebayor scored again, from close range, to wrap up the points.

Hugo Lloris – 6 – A mixed performance from the Frenchman: made a couple of impressive stops although chose to punch questionably often and was over-eager to halt Lallana in the lead-up to Lambert’s equaliser.

Kyle Walker – 8 – Another excellent performance from Walker, who is improving game-by-game and has arguably been Spurs’ most consistent performer throughout this campaign. Got forward dangerously with regularity and defended extremely capably.

Michael Dawson – 6 – Considering the amount of goals in this game, it was a quiet performance from Dawson. Never at the centre of attention, but did conspire with Vlad to allow Lallana in behind on two occasions, with one leading to a goal.

Vlad Chiriches – 6 – His lack of pace was sometimes exploited by Lallana, as mentioned just above, and he perhaps should have been tighter to Lallana for the first goal, with no defensive midfielder playing. But overall, it was a decent performance against an aggressively-pressing team.

Danny Rose – 7 – A sloppy first-half but grew accustomed to the pace of the game in the second half and put in a good display. Defended well and created the own goal with a great bursting run.

Erik Lamela – 6 – Made a couple of good bursting runs, and impressively found Adebayor in the build up to our equaliser, but was quiet, deservedly subbed and overshadowed by his replacement Chadli. Just hasn’t adjusted to the pace of the Premier League yet, but the way he spot the runs of Soldado was encouraging.

Christian Eriksen – 8 – Well, he no longer plays for AVB, but at least he still wears number 23. And the little Dane put in an excellent, tidy performance today, tenacious in the centre of midfield and keeping the ball moving around. A nice little pass for Rose in the build-up to the own goal.

Mousa Dembele – 6 – Given the mammoth task of protecting our back-line and although he didn’t shine as he would have hoped, in general he prevented Southampton from seeing too much of the ball in the middle of the park.

Gylfi Sigurdsson – 6 – Hard-working but the Icelander (?) didn’t have too much of an offensive impact.

Roberto Soldado – 7 – Aside from his finishing, it was an excellent performance from the Spaniard. Ran the Southampton defence left and right, and provided an absolutely brilliant cross for Adebayor’s first goal. Could have had a second half hat-trick though, and he will be desperately disappointed that his finishing let him down.

Emmanuel Adebayor – 9 – He has a point to prove and today he began to prove it, with a brilliant target-man’s performance: he held the ball up; linked up with the midfield and Soldado; and scored with 2 excellent close range finishes. If Ade replicates this performance again and again, top 4 is not impossible.

Substitutes

Nacer Chadli – 7 – Deployed on the right wing for the first time, and the Belgian played very well, getting the ball forward and forging an excellent partnership with Adebayor.

Nabil Bentaleb – 7 – Alarm bells were ringing when the young French-Algerian was brought on instead of Capoue or Holtby, but Bentaleb was very composed and calm in the centre of midfield, recycling possession and marshalling the back 4 competently.

Jermain Defoe – 6 – Didn’t spend long enough on the pitch to have a proper impact.

COYS!