Tottenham secured a narrow victory over Villarreal on Tuesday night in the Champions League. Managing in the competition for the first time, Thomas Frank's side got off to a dream start, taking the lead after just four minutes. It was a moment to forget for Luiz Junior, as he palmed a Lucas Bergvall cross into his own net in spectacular fashion.
Eager to push on, Tottenham controlled first-half proceedings without posing any major threat in the final third. Pape Sarr stung the palms of Luiz Junior with a low strike, before Richarlison and Xavi Simons had brief VAR checks waved away.
With a commanding first half behind them, Tottenham failed to build on their momentum after the break. A string of loose passes gave encouragement to the visitors, who went closest courtesy of a late Nicolas Pepe free kick. Perhaps fortunate, Spurs found themselves on the right side of contentious calls late in the match. In the 84th minute, Mikautadze escaped the Tottenham back line. Thwarting the counter-attack, Micky van de Ven brought down the Villarreal forward right on the edge of the box. After a nervy VAR check, officials confirmed that contact was made outside of the box and that Van de Ven would escape with a yellow card.
Already booked, Xavi Simons then faced a tense wait after a clumsy tackle on former Arsenal man Nicolas Pepe. Fortunately for Tottenham, their marquee signing escaped the red mist on his home debut. Resolute and structured, Tottenham emerged 1-0 victors.
Thomas Frank's Post Match Reaction
Talking to the press, the Dane provided a considered reaction to the game. Reflecting immediately on the result, he acknowledged the importance of three points above all else. "In any competition it's good to get three points and get off to a good start", he said. Frank praised his side's defensive performance but was honest in his assessment of an offensive display that lacked conviction.
Tottenham's Strong Defensive Unit
On one side, a resolute defensive display from Thomas Frank's Tottenham limited Villarreal to very little over the 90 minutes. Despite having 10 shots, Villarreal failed to register a single shot on target and finished with just 0.53xG.
Frank praised his sides defensive quality. "I'm happy with the clean sheet. I'm happy the defensive side of the game. I think we were extremely good and limited Villarreal to very little throughout the game." Rather than singling out individual performances, Frank focused on the collective. "I think the big thing was that we needed to defend better. So we worked very, very hard on structure, key principles, recovery runs. Doing the tough job, that gives you the opportunity to win games, and we've proven that so far." The performance wasn't the most glamorous, but the hallmark of top teams is the ability to grind out results even when not firing on all cylinders.
With depth in numbers, Tottenham were able to lean on experience late on. Thomas Frank turned to his bench in the 69th minute, replacing Pape Sarr with Joao Palhinha. The experienced midfielder added composure and defensive solidity at the heart of the midfield, slowing the tempo and helping Spurs protect their 1-0 lead.
Frank emphasised the focus on defensive structure, and the stats back it up. In Tottenham's opening five fixtures of the season they've kept four clean sheets, conceding just one goal against Bournemouth.
Creative Spark Missing
Winning by just one goal on the night, Tottenham's opener came in fortuitous fashion early in the match. Taking the lead after just four minutes, many would have expected Tottenham to push on with further goals at home. Instead, what unfolded was a passive performance marked by a clear lack of creativity in the final third.
On unlocking creativity, Thomas Frank reassured fans that the players need time to gel. Referring to on-pitch relationships, he pointed to Kudus and Porro as well as Simons and Spence. Speaking about the relationship on the right side, Frank said: "Pedro and Kudus, they definitely have something going. I think Lucas came over to that side, it looks right." In contrast, the Dane was more critical about the linkup down the left side but called for patience. "On the left side Xavi and Djed, good against West Ham, but it's not 100% in sync yet, for example when things aren't flowing."
Is Tottenham's Lack of Penetration in the Final Third a Concern?
With Kolo-Muani making his Tottenham debut on the night, and Xavi Simons making just his second start, it feels like more a case of patience than concern. Players arriving from abroad often take time to adapt, and it will be no different for Tottenham's summer signings. While new arrivals are still building connections, existing players are also acclimatising to life under Frank, following a turbulent season under Ange Postecoglou.
Such a change in tactical emphasis is bound to take time to adapt, and after falling just shy of victory in the Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, it's been an exceptional start to life in N17 for Thomas Frank. With wins over Burnley, Man City, Villarreal and London rivals West Ham, there's plenty of promise for the Lilywhites.
