The right-back was handed a surprise start for Spurs in the Champions League.
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino made a somewhat left-field decision to start Kieran Trippier against CSKA Moscow.
Prior to the game Trippier had appeared just once all season, during last week’s EFL Cup win against Gillingham, but played the full 90 minutes as Spurs secured their first Champions League win of the campaign on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old arrived at White Hart Lane in summer 2015 from relegated Burnley and has featured on 21 occasions for his new employers, but has often found himself behind Kyle Walker in the pecking order.
Despite taking an already depleted squad to Russia, with Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Mousa Dembele and Moussa Sissoko all absent, Poch placed his faith in Trippier over Walker and was rewarded with victory and a clean sheet.
The Mancunian turned in a fairly solid display, completing roughly 92 per cent of his passes, as Spurs climbed to second in Group E courtesy of Monaco’s last-minute equaliser against Bayer Leverkusen.
| Blocked crosses | Tackles won | Accurate crosses | Successful take-ons | Passes | Accurate passes | Touches | Minutes played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kieran Trippier | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 68 | 101 | 90 |
And while some were impressed by Trippier’s showing, others remain unconvinced. Here’s what was said on Twitter:
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
