Ranking Tottenham's Top 5 Players for March 2016
After a perfect February, in which they won all four of their Premier League fixtures and bossed the Europa League tie against Fiorentina, Tottenham were less impressive in March.
The 1-0 defeat to West Ham, when a victory would have seen them go top, was a bitter pill. No less disappointing than the insipid round-of-16 exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
A north London derby, one which could equally be labelled frustrating and encouraging, followed the Upton Park reverse.
The Arsenal match followed the same script as the reverse fixture in November. Spurs were dominant but ultimately wasteful, and Arsene Wenger's side walked away thinking they could easily have won.
Fixtures against Aston Villa and Bournemouth closed out the month, but those were little more than training ground exercises as Tottenham cruised to both wins.
The unwelcome intervention of the international break does happily cleave off the final seven-game sprint from the busy late-winter period.
Spurs lost ground in the title race but strengthened their position in the top four.
For a club that began the season optimistically aspiring to qualify for Champions League football, it was a productive month.
Kevin Wimmer
1 of 5
Kevin Wimmer had made only a handful of appearances before Jan Vertonghen's injury thrust him into Tottenham's starting lineup.
He immediately flourished and, with Vertonghen finally returning to fitness, has given Mauricio Pochettino a selection difficulty.
Throughout February, Wimmer shone, but he struggled in the West Ham defeat.
It was a test of the young Austrian's mentality, and he recovered well.
He was heroic in the Arsenal draw, salvaging the derby with a last-ditch tackle on Aaron Ramsey.
The Welshman would have scored the winner if not for Wimmer's intervention.
Bournemouth and Aston Villa barely tested Tottenham's defence, but there were none of the costly concentration lapses that can often correspond with a one-sided affair.
Wimmer produced five clearances against the Cherries, helping to silence their attack entirely. Against Villa, it was four clearances and a further three interceptions.
Mousa Dembele
2 of 5
Mousa Dembele has been a quiet but solid performer for Tottenham throughout this superb campaign.
The big Belgian fills in all the gaps and allows his teammates to specialise.
His capacity to make his teammates better was sorely missed in Spurs' defeat to West Ham.
On that evening, Tottenham were overwhelmed in midfield. Dembele could have made the difference in a game that would have sent Spurs top.
According to WhoScored, Dembele produced three of his finest performances of the season in March.
In his return from injury against Arsenal, Dembele was a man possessed.
He pulled the strings as Spurs dominated in midfield, and his withdrawal with 10 minutes to play corresponded with Arsenal's best period of the match.
Against both Aston Villa and Bournemouth, Tottenham were in total control, and Dembele launched wave after wave of attacks.
Kyle Walker
3 of 5
This has been Kyle Walker's finest season since joining Tottenham in 2009.
The 25-year-old has always been a supreme athlete, but defensive lapses were all too common in previous years.
As is often the case with young, physically gifted defenders, his mentality and concentration were suspect.
This season has seen a vast improvement in his defensive qualities. Evidently, Walker is another beneficiary of Mauricio Pochettino's coaching.
The Argentinian is a willing teacher, and the likes of Eric Dier and Danny Rose have benefited similarly.
March particularly highlighted Walker's improvements on both sides of the ball.
Like Dembele, his absence against West Ham left a notable vacancy.
Against Arsenal, Walker was tested but he came out on top. His ability to seize possession from a full-speed Alexis Sanchez was particularly impressive.
His attacking qualities were on show against both Bournemouth and Aston Villa when he was a weapon on the right flank.
He assisted Harry Kane's opening goal inside one minute against the Cherries and produced three shots against Villa.
Walker won back his England place in March and has sprinted far beyond supposed rival Kieran Trippier.
Dele Alli
4 of 5
The teenage midfield wizard produced four assists in the month and is now fourth in the Premier League behind only Mesut Ozil, David Silva and Riyad Mahrez.
Alli appears to improve with virtually every match, and he was phenomenal in March.
He was suspended for the first-leg Europa League match against Borussia Dortmund. Without his hybrid midfield contribution, Spurs were overwhelmed.
Alli was below his effervescent best in the north London derby but still produced four attempts on David Ospina's goal.
His tireless running paid off when he embarrassed the lumbering Per Mertesacker to play Harry Kane in to score his wonder-goal.
After the free-flowing derby, Villa and Bournemouth provided a different obstacle. Alli was required to do less running with the ball and more thinking.
For his assist against Bournemouth he turned on halfway, advanced and played a perfect pass for Kane to double Spurs' advantage.
Alli was a constant source of attacking chances but played his constant pressing role simultaneously.
His capacity to do the hard work and still arrive for the crucial moments sets him apart as a hugely exciting teenager.
March gave the world many more examples of that.
Harry Kane
5 of 5
Two years ago, Harry Kane had yet to register a Premier League goal. In March, he scored five goals and carried his total past Gareth Bale's.
Kane is now the fifth-most prolific Spurs player in Premier League history.
He added to his derby highlight reel with a sensational goal that should have been the winner.
A match-winning brace against Aston Villa demonstrated the level of maturity that he has already achieved. It was a display of classic centre forward play.
For the opener, he chested down Dele Alli's quick free-kick and ripped his finish beyond Brad Guzan from a tight angle. His second was a well-timed run into the box and a perfect finish.
Against Bournemouth, Kane added another two to his total and moved into the top spot in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.
He also matched his league goals total from last season, all with seven games to play.
Kane scored his first Premier League goal on April 7, 2014.
In just two years, he has sharpened his game and developed to the point of being England's best striker.
His excellent goal against Germany in the March 26 friendly was just further evidence of that.
