“With 100% duels won, 89% passing accuracy, 0.56 goals prevented, and 58 touches, the 9/10 Spurs star, alongside Johnson, stepped up to rescue Dragusin.”
Tottenham Hotspur began their Europa League journey with a home match against Qarabağ FK last night. Although the game ended in a comfortable victory, it could have taken a different turn.
In the seventh minute, the North London team was reduced to ten men when Radu Dragusin, filling in for Cristian Romero, received a straight red card for fouling Juninho Vieira as the last defender. This incident raised concerns for Ange Postecoglou’s squad, but they continued with their aggressive, high-pressing style and secured a solid win.
Brennan Johnson emerged as a key player, showcasing a performance that would have mitigated significant criticism for Dragusin had the match ended poorly. After a challenging start to the season, Johnson appeared to find his stride, scoring Spurs’ first goal just five minutes after the red card. Although the goal had a low expected goals rating of 0.11, it was not as simple as it seemed.
Despite only playing the first half, Johnson’s presence helped stabilize the team and reassert their dominance on the game, with praise from Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who rated him 7/10 and noted that his performance justified Postecoglou’s confidence in him.
Another standout was Guglielmo Vicario, whose contributions were equally impressive, if not more so. Anticipating a quieter match before the red card, the Italian goalkeeper was nonetheless busy, delivering several critical saves. He ended the game with a clean sheet, aided by a notably poor penalty from Qarabağ.
Kilpatrick rated Vicario 9/10, highlighting his series of outstanding saves. His stats support this, showing he made five saves, prevented 0.56 expected goals, completed one successful run, maintained 89% passing accuracy, and won all his duels.
Ultimately, Spurs transformed a potentially disastrous night into a strong victory. While several players shone, Johnson and Vicario stood out, and Dragusin can be thankful for their efforts over the coming week.
