Tottenham Hotspur's season got off to a positive start this afternoon as Eric Dier scored a 93rd-minute winner to see off West Ham United at Upton Park.

The hosts missed a glorious chance to take the lead when Kyle Naughton was sent off for a handball inside the box, with Mark Noble putting the resulting penalty wide.

James Collins was also dismissed later in the match courtesy of a second yellow card for a block on Emmanuel Adebayor, before Dier netted the late winner on his debut.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who impressed and who didn't on the opening weekend of the Premier League.

© Getty Images

Goal

Adrian: Didn't have too much to do for large periods of the match. Made one or two eye-catching stops, but all were fairly routine. Was left isolated for the goal and couldn't really do much about it. (7/10)

Defence

Joey O'Brien: Didn't get forward often enough, particularly when his side had a man advantage. Struggled to make an impact on the match, but was solid defensively. (6/10)

Winston Reid: Kept the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor quiet for the vast majority of the match, but in truth was not tested too much. (6/10)

James Collins: Was solid while on the field but left his team in trouble with his second yellow card. Had only picked up his first caution 10 minutes previously so should have been more careful than he was. (5/10)

Aaron Cresswell: A good, solid start to life in the Premier League. Showed some nice touches here and there and was not afraid to get forward either. Had a minor scare with what looked like a twisted knee, but played on and finished the match. (7/10)

Midfield

Cheikhou Kouyate: An impressive debut from the midfielder, who showed strength, skill and athleticism in abundance. He also demonstrated his versatility by filling in at the back after Collins had been dismissed. (8/10)

Mark Noble: A typically solid performance in the middle of the park, but will be rueing his missed penalty now. Usually so dependable from 12 yards, he rolled his spot kick wide on this occasion. (6/10)

Kevin Nolan: Won the penalty for his side with an effort that led to Naughton's red card. Struggled to have a major influence on the match otherwise. (7/10)

Attack

Ricardo Vaz Te: Got himself into a couple of good positions in the first half but his finishing was poor. Squandered some good chances that could have given his side the lead. (7/10)

Stewart Downing: A handful all afternoon as he ran Danny Rose ragged down the flank. His final ball was usually reliable as well, causing the Spurs defence all sorts of problems. (8/10)

Carlton Cole: Was on the end of a few of Downing's deliveries but could never make the most of them. Struggled to get the ball out of his feet at times when there was a shot on the cards. (6/10)

Substitutes

Guy Demel: Offered a tiny bit more attacking threat than O'Brien, but was also the man playing Dier onside for the winning goal. (6/10)

Mohamed Diame: Replaced Vaz Te with 20 minutes remaining and showed a couple of flashes of what he can do. Didn't have too many opportunities to make a difference, though. (6/10)

Enner Valencia: Endeared himself to the home fans immediately by chasing what looked like a lost cause to win a corner. Didn't have enough time to make a huge impact, but made a solid start to his West Ham career. (7/10)

© Getty Images

Goal

Hugo Lloris: Had relatively little to do considering the amount of chances West Ham created. Did make one world-class save to deny Downing late on, allowing his side to push on and grab a winner. (8/10)

Defence

Kyle Naughton: Lasted just half an hour before he was dismissed for handball. It was a clear penalty, but the red card was harsh on the right-back. (5/10)

Younes Kaboul: Struggled to deal with the physical presence of West Ham despite his own imposing stature. Was especially shaky under the high ball, which led to a few chances for the hosts. (5/10)

Eric Dier: Also struggled with crosses into the box, but made his impact at the other end with an expertly-finish winning goal. A dream debut. (7/10)

Danny Rose: Had a torrid time against Downing for the vast majority of the afternoon. Found it tough to contain the winger, who seemed to have the beating of Rose. (5/10)

Midfield

Etienne Capoue: Solid performance in the middle of the park. He broke up attacks and managed to keep Nolan quiet, but didn't offer too much on the ball. (7/10)

Nabil Bentaleb: Another decent display from the youngster, who looks like making the central midfield spot his own. Like Capoue, it was a solid performance rather than a spectacular one. (7/10)

Aaron Lennon: Struggled to get into the game as was anonymous for large spells. Played in a freer role than normal, switching with Lamela and Eriksen, but still couldn't make an impact. (6/10)

Erik Lamela: Showed a couple of glimpses of why Spurs shelled out £30m for him last summer, but still didn't affect the match as he would have liked. (6/10)

Christian Eriksen: Is expected to be his side's key player this season but will need to improve. Gave the ball away often and only really threatened from free kicks. (5/10)

Attack

Emmanuel Adebayor: Didn't have much chance to test the defence with Spurs on the back foot for large spells. Drew the second yellow from Collins with some positive play, but otherwise was fairly quiet. (6/10)

Substitutes

Lewis Holtby: Came on for Lamela shortly after the hour mark but didn't really change the game. (6/10)

Andros Townsend: Introduced at the same time as Holtby and had more of an impact, coming close with a couple of efforts in quick succession. (6/10)

Harry Kane: Only had seven minutes on the field but used them well, sliding the ball through expertly for Dier's winning goal. (7/10)

Written by
Barney Corkhill