Opinion: Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Ipswich Town

Tottenham Hotspur recorded an impressive 3-0 victory over Ipswich Town in their first pre-season game this afternoon, with Ryan Sessegnon and Heung-min Son on the scoresheet.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the game:

Debuts for Hojbjerg and Hart –

Jose Mourinho handed Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg his first Tottenham start today, while Joe Hart played around 20 minutes in the second half. Both were very vocal on the pitch, which I suspect is part of the reason they have been brought in this summer. Hojbjerg also won the ball high up the pitch to make Tottenham’s second goal and looked very tidy indeed on the ball.

A first-team role for Dennis?

Perhaps the most impressive academy player on show against Ipswich was young Dennis Cirkin, an 18-year-old left-back who has appeared on the Spurs senior benched in the past. Cirkin looked extremely comfortable on the ball and didn’t shy away from a tackle. With Danny Rose’s future still unclear, I would not be surprised to see Cirkin become Davies’ understudy at left-back next season.

Give youth a chance, Jose!

For those who say that Mourinho doesn’t give chances for young players to impress, that certainly wasn’t the case today. The likes of Dennis Cirkin, Harvey White, Jamie Bowden and Jack Clarke all played a part in the second half. The Special One even gave some minutes to two 16-year-olds in Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett!

Players left at home – 

While people can look into Jose’s starting line-up today and analyse whether it will be close to his first-choice XI this season, it is important to note that many were left behind today. The likes of Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko, Serge Aurier, Danny Rose, Davinson Sanchez, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Erik Lamela, Eric Dier, and many more were not in attendance.

Son and Dele looking sharp –

Perhaps the most important first-team note to take from this match was that both Dele and Sonny looked razor-sharp today. The former grabbed two assists and was the focal point of most attacks, while the latter tucked home two goals, including a rather delightful chip.

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