As Tottenham Hotspur reach the final stretch of their season it's worth taking a pause and looking back on what's come before.
Antonio Conte has picked up a fragmented club following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo and has taken Spurs to fifth place, three points off fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand. There have been disappointments, certainly in all of the cup competitions domestic and abroad, and Tottenham's players have certainly had some mixed performances under their two managers this term.
That mixed nature of the season is reflected in our player ratings for the campaign so far and it's worth noting that our ratings are based on those players' expectations for the season due to previous standards set compared to their current performances, rather than being a tool to compare them with other team-mates.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte's special trip, Paratici's big hug, Bentancur's Dembele moment and Romero maturity
We've looked at every single player who has played a minute for the first team this season. For some of the younger players who only have managed only a small amount of game time, we've not rated them but instead spoken about their performance and prospects, while some players in the ratings are now plying their trade elsewhere, temporarily or permanently.
Let's start with the goalkeepers.
Hugo Lloris
Another busy season for Spurs' captain, who committed his future to the club with a new two-and-a-half year deal in January. He has played 34 matches and has the third most minutes in the squad under his belt with 3,090. There have been a couple of mistakes dotted here and there, particularly in the match against Wolves in the weeks after his new contract, but he had more than earned that deal in the weeks and years before and overall it's been another consistent season for the Frenchman. He has kept 11 clean sheets in his 29 Premier League appearances this year and he isn't looking like being replaced any time soon. 7.5
Pierluigi Gollini
The Italian arrived with Fabio Paratici and Espirito Santo believing they had brought in Lloris' successor. However, he has struggled to show that in his 10 appearances this season and it remains to be seen whether Spurs will make his loan a permanent move now. 5
Emerson Royal
It took the Brazilian a couple of weeks to settle in before he started to put in some consistent performances under Espirito Santo, particularly with his defending. However, the move to wing-back under Conte really tested his attacking credentials which have been found wanting, with just one assist. The summer signing has played 32 times in his debut season for Spurs and is still just 23-years-old. However, he had a frustrating injury he was carrying, lost his place to Matt Doherty and his future at Tottenham will be decided by whether he can adapt to Conte's wing-back requirements. 6.5
Japhet Tanganga
One of the stars of the start to the season with a man of the match display against Manchester City, but then came that red card at Palace. Starts were then few and far between before a few mistaken-laden games and then a knee injury ended his season at the end of January. Needs to rid himself of this injury-prone tag before he can really progress. 5.5
Matt Doherty
A return to his natural wing-back role has revitalised him and the Irishman has four assists and his first goal for the club to his name since the dramatic win at Leicester and he's looked more and more comfortable as his confidence has returned. Has quickly struck up a partnership down the right with Kulusevski. Fits Conte's system well and might just have rescued his Spurs career in the past couple of months. 6.5
Eric Dier
An impressive start to the season which earned him a Premier League Player of the Month nomination. There were a couple of mistakes afterwards but his absence for a month from January into February reminded Conte and many others just how pivotal he had become as the organiser of the defence. The 28-year-old believes it has been his most consistent season for Spurs - including those years in midfield under Pochettino - and it's difficult to disagree. There's still the odd mistake but he's definitely maturing as a defender and a leader in the team. Conte, who has worked with some of the top centre-backs in the game, believes he's one of the best defenders in the league and stated that he can become one of the best in the world. 8
Davinson Sanchez
The Colombian had a great start to the season but that isolation following the international break disrupted his rhythm. He later became a regular again during Romero's time out and chipped in with a couple of goals, including the dramatic match-winner at Watford. Dier's absence did not help him as he had to fit awkwardly into the more passing playmaker central role in the back three, but this has been a season in which Sanchez has shown more consistency when given a run of games and Conte likes him. 7
Cristian Romero
A top quality signing for Tottenham and it's easy to forget that at 23 he's only going to get better. International duty has been the biggest problem for Romero this season. He's missed matches with the knee injury he arrived with the Copa America and then the serious hamstring injury suffered with Argentina which wiped him out for almost three months. There was also the isolation period after his early season Argentina call-up that descended into farce. There have been a couple of rash moments, not least the red card against Vitesse and the 10 yellow cards in all competitions, but with his ability on the ball and his aggressive defending, he's only going to get better. Conte has high hopes for him and is pushing him hard. This would be a higher mark but for all of that time out and a few mistakes. He's going to be the long-term future of this Tottenham defence though and as Conte says, there's plenty he can still improve on. 8
READ MORE: Son lavishes big praise on Antonio Conte and raves about Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur
Joe Rodon
It's been a tough time for the Welshman, hampered by an injury early in the season and thrown into the chaotic Premier League game at Crystal Palace. Rodon hasn't done much wrong in the eight games he's played in but it's difficult to see him at Spurs next season with his lack of opportunities and that lack of game time is reflected in his mark. 5.5
Ben Davies
The Welshman has started all but one Premier League match under Conte and all but one cup match. The left centre-back role has suited him well, bringing more attacking responsibilities than the version he plays for his country. Not a headline-maker and will probably never truly be appreciated for what he does for the club, but few can disagree that he's performed well this season. Conte has compared Davies' role to that of Cesar Azpilicueta in his title-winning Chelsea side. 7.5
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Just the one performance from Carter-Vickers before he headed off to Celtic on loan. He had a tough day at the office that evening in Portugal with some nervy moments on the deck and in the air before injuring his ankle late on. He's now making a huge impact for the Glaswegian side and they will face competition from Premier League sides to sign him in the summer. N/A
Maksim Paskotsi
The 19-year-old Estonia international made his competitive debut for Spurs in the final minutes at Pacos de Ferreira, replacing Carter-Vickers. It was a big moment for the teenager and he made the bench in the Morecambe FA Cup game and the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea under Conte. N/A
Sergio Reguilon
A mixed season from the Spaniard, who has struggled to adapt his role under Conte. He admits he has to learn how to play as a wing-back and he was facing a real challenge from Sessegnon before the latter's injury. Two goals and three assists is not awful but he's got the technical abilities to be much better than he has been if his decision-making improves. 6.5
Ryan Sessegnon
Fifteen appearances for the young wide man and the wing-back role has suited him naturally. Conte has high hopes for the 21-year-old, who he believes can be an important player for both Spurs and England. He was starting to really push on with six consecutive starts and good displays against Manchester City, Leeds and Everton before picking up another hamstring problem, albeit in a different one of the three muscles, in the latter game. He needs to get past these hamstring problems and not let them define him. 6
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
At first the Dane picked up where he left off at the Euros with some excellent all-round displays for Spurs in the engine room in the early games. He has played the second most amount of minutes in the squad, with 3,176, and he's got three goals and four assists to his name. However, some of his displays in the middle part of the season dipped - perhaps through being overplayed - and his passing can range from incisive to poor. On the whole his performances have been slightly less consistent than last year, but his partnership with Bentancur does look promising. 7.5
Oliver Skipp
Returned from winning the Championship title with Norwich and worked his way straight into Spurs' starting line-up. The 21-year-old has had a breakthrough season in a Spurs shirt with 28 appearances in the anchor man role and Conte loves him. He wins the ball back and quickly gets Tottenham on the attack. However, his recent painful Osteitis pubis problem has frustrated him and the Italian and seen him miss a month and a half so far. That should not detract though from how important he has become to Spurs at such a young age this season and they struggled without him in the side until Bentancur came along. That his mark is higher than some others is in relation to what he and most would have hoped for this season as he's probably exceeded that despite his current absence. A new contract is incoming for the young midfielder and there is now plenty of competition in Spurs' midfield. 8
Dele Alli
The 25-year-old started off well in a new role by Espirito Santo in the midfield three and he worked hard to try to impress, scoring twice with one assist, but his performances dipped and he never found his way back under the Portuguese or Conte before leaving permanently for Everton. 4.5
Harry Winks
Conte likes Winks and calls him a player he can count on, and he has one goal and two assists this season, but despite a run of starts to kick off 2022, the 25-year-old probably finds himself fourth choice in the central midfield slots when Skipp returns. It's been a better campaign than last for him and he has put in some good performances but he has struggled in some other games. 6
Nile John
The 19-year-old midfielder got 45 minutes against Pacos. We're not going to judge him on so little pitch time. Yet to play for Charlton's first team on loan after heading there in January but the experience of being around a first team each week should help him. N/A
Tanguy Ndombele
Wanted to leave in the summer and didn't appear on the pitch until September. He refocused and showed some flashes of what he can do, scoring good goals against both Wolves and Newcastle, but ultimately he never impressed Conte. A move back to Lyon on loan duly followed in January. 5
Rodrigo Bentancur
An excellent introduction to Premier League life and he's taken to the English game and Spurs with aplomb in his first nine matches. Occasionally too laid back for his own good with his passing, but he's brought a calming presence to the midfield and his team-mates trust him with the ball in tight situations. Only 24 and he can only get better as he continues to adapt to life in a new league. 8
Giovani Lo Celso
The Argentine never found his rhythm, not helped by that isolation period after the first international break and then a knee injury. One goal and two assist for Spurs but, like Ndombele, Conte never seemed to take to him and he was off in January to Villarreal on loan. 4
Bryan Gil
The 21-year-old summer signing from Sevilla never really got much of a chance to settle in. He showed glimpses of what he can do but was soon made an example by Conte of Spurs' recruitment process failing to spot which players were ready for the Premier League, which was then backed up by Kulusevski's quick adaptation. Gil has gone on to shine on loan at Valencia, with their fans keen for him to stay. 5
Lucas Moura
A difficult start to the Premier League season with no goals or assists until November but after Conte's arrival he recorded two goals and three assists in the Italian's first six league games. He has six goals and six assists in all competitions, half of those in the cup competitions, but has lost his place to Kulusevski and hasn't started a league match in more than a month. 6.5
J'Neil Bennett
Just nine minutes to his name but a big moment for the young winger when he came off the bench in Portugal. Went to Crewe Alexandra on loan before returning in January with an ankle injury. N/A
Dejan Kulusevski
A breath-taking start to life at Tottenham, with two goals and four assists in his first eight Premier League starts. Just 21-years-old but he looks completely at home in England and Conte's front three looks so much more balanced with him in the team. Kane and Son are profiting. Another who will only get better. Gets a high mark because of the sheer impact he's made at a crucial time for Spurs. 8.5
Dilan Markanday
Made his debut in the away game at Vitesse in the Europa Conference League, creating history as the first ever British Asian – as well as the first player of Indian descent – to play in a competitive game for Spurs' men's first team. He was superb for the development squad in the previous 12 months and more than deserved the opportunity, but now he is a Blackburn player and suffered a bad injury within days of joining. N/A
Steven Bergwijn
Three goals and three assists for the Dutchman, who started the season well and his match-winning dramatic display at Leicester will go down as one of the best moments of Spurs' season, while on a personal level his goal to send the Netherlands to the World Cup was a big occasion for him. Injuries have interrupted his season again, but Conte wanted to keep him amid interest from Ajax in January. Kulusevski's impact has caused him problems with game time but he's appearing in every match, albeit from the bench late on. Whether that's enough for him to want to stay next season is another thing. 6.5
Jack Clarke
The former Leeds winger got 45 minutes to his name after coming off the bench for the second half in Portugal. Left on loan for Sunderland in January. N/A
Son Heung-min
When Tottenham need Son Heung-min, he's there for them. Yes, the South Korean star has dipped in confidence at times this season but he's still come up with the goods and also when Kane struggled early in the season. Son is the joint second top scorer in the Premier League, with a better goal conversation rate than Mohamed Salah. In all competitions Son has 14 goals and seven assists, breaking records with Kane. He signed a new four-year deal this season and whatever his dip in form, the proof of his impact on the team is shown by the fact that since the start of December, there have been only four Premier League games when Son hasn't scored or assisted a goal for a team-mate. That's remarkable and in all he's been involved in 14 goals in the 15 games during this period, scoring nine and assisting five. 8.5
Dane Scarlett
The 17-year-old has made six appearances for Spurs this season with a couple of starts under his belt in Europe although it's too difficult to judge him with the service into him being almost non-existent in those games. Conte gave him huge praise this week and believes he has a "brilliant future" ahead of him, which suggests he's working hard and developing well behind the scenes. N/A
Harry Kane
It was a mess of a start to the season for the 28-year-old striker with question marks over his future and his performances reflected someone who had wanted to leave and was now playing in a team that was struggling to create for him. However, with the arrival of Conte so Kane got fitter, happier and had more created for him. The result is now a season with 22 goals and six assists and he has continued to develop as a world class playmaker striker, with the passing range of De Bruyne blended with the finishing of Lewandowski. He's played more minutes than anyone else in the squad with 3,440 to his name and broke records with Son. If he had started the season with Conte and the extra chance creation around him, his rating would be even higher, but he loses marks for those poor early months. 8.5
And the manager
Antonio Conte
With Tottenham sitting in fifth place and well and truly in the top four race, you can see the impact Conte has made at a club that was fractured when he took it over.
There have been disappointments in the cup competitions and Europe and the inconsistencies in the team's performances in 2022 have been frustrating.
Conte's own emotional rollercoaster after matches and his desire to continually remind everyone how he deserves better than Spurs has grated on the fans at times.
However, there's plenty of proof that he is improving the Tottenham players at his disposal and they are responding to him. He has been unfortunate with the injuries to Romero, Dier, Skipp, Son, Bergwijn and Sessegnon and not least the Covid outbreak that swept through the camp, but to be where Tottenham are now in the business end of the season shows what he's achieved in just four months.
The team feels closer to Antonio Conte's Tottenham now than ever before and that's testament to the work he and his coaches have been putting in on the training ground. 8
