Gallery: Player Ratings – Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Red Star Belgrade

Sanchez – 7

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I was so pleased to see him give a composed, authoritative performance. He changed sides and looked the part as the senior partner to close the game out.

Supporters had waited with some sort of belief that this was still the team that had entertained royally in recent years. Along came an obliging side and finally the players responded.

They did so largely because there was hunger and ambition in the side. It was about the front four who ran all game, ran into space, ran back, ran selflessly, ran in support, interchanged positions, looked up and played incisive passes with imagination.

Behind, in a not very challenging night, there was the discipline to keep a clean sheet.

It gives the team not just confidence that they can carry forward but confirmation that playing with a high press and rapid transitions is the Spurs way. Whether all this will wither against ten men who sit back remains to be seen but for now let’s finally bask in success and the distinct possibility of qualifying from the group stages once again.