Nine goals in five competitive matches is a pretty good pace, though most supporters still long for much more from the Tottenham Hotspur attack. However, four clean sheets — and four wins — in Thomas Frank’s opening five contests show that the page has fully turned. There are reasons for optimism, stemming from cohesion, familiarity, and strategic implementation, but there is also enough of a sample size to start drawing some early conclusions.
Primarily amongst those takeaways is that this squad
is going to take some time to look like any sort of well-oiled machine up front, though it can rely on its industrious back line. Brighton & Hove Albion will be a good test of those hypotheses, as the Seagulls should put some pressure on the defense, while also allowing the visitors some opportunities as well. A letdown after Tuesday’s win would not exactly surprise, but hopefully Spurs can keep the hot start going.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, September 20
Time: 10:00 am ET, 3:00 pm UK
Location: American Express Stadium, Brighton and Hove
TV: Peacock (US)
Table: Brighton (t-12th, 4 pts), Tottenham (t-2nd, 9 pts)
This always feels like a tricky fixture, especially at the Amex, where Spurs have won just two of the past six meetings. Brighton did the double last season, including a 4-1 win in North London that ended up closing out the Ange Postecoglou era. The previous encounter is what might have actually been the beginning of the end for the previous manager, with Tottenham infamously bottling away a 2-0 lead thanks to three straight Brighton second-half goals. For some happier memories from that closing match last season:
Three Big Questions
Is this what Frankball is for the time being? In perhaps the most obvious course correct of all time, the new Tottenham manger has chosen to start his project by cleaning up the squad’s biggest weakness, and has done so emphatically. Perhaps the four clear sheets slightly overstate the defense’s performance (Spurs are just eighth in xGA), but it should be no surprise that a healthy Micky van de Ven-Cristian Romero partnership has been excellent to begin the season.
The Brighton attack is having a tough start to the season, ranking 10th in non-penalty xG (below Spurs) and only scoring four times — twice via penalties. Regardless, expect the home side to show plenty of ambition and test Tottenham’s resolve, especially after its own lackluster effort against Bournemouth. I will speculate on Frank’s selections below, but would not be surprised to see him opt for a solid defensive lineup despite the Seagulls’ early struggles.
Is there a Phase 2 coming? If Frank has set out to fix the defense, does that mean eventually that transformation is coming for the attack as well? This appears to be the case, though it will take time given the sheer amount of turnover in the attacking positions (with a pair of signings potentially making their Premier League debuts this weekend). Still, there remains the question of if this is just a timing/acclamation thing, or if Spurs actually have the requisite personnel to produce a lethal attack.
The most generous way to state it is that Tottenham has genuinely founds ways to do enough to grab these early wins, though that posture feels tenuous over the course of the entire season. The Brighton defense is decent but attackable, and it would be nice to see the visitors show some directness and generate some consistent looks. Maybe the manager needs more time to put the attack fully together, but at some point Spurs need to show that there is reason to believe this could be a threatening side.
Is there any point is guessing rotation plans? Short answer: no, especially not with a new manager. The fixture list remains quite busy, though Brighton does feel like the toughest opponent remaining of the five left before October’s international break, so there may be a decent number of starters from the Villarreal win continuing on into Saturday’s XI as well, specifically in defense.
The other six positions feel very up for grabs. I would like to see more of Randal Kolo Muani sheerly for his newness, though Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel are clear candidates for any sort of rotation too. Just like the tactics on both ends of the pitch, each match provides an opportunity to learn more about how Frank views squad selection. With Doncaster Rovers up next, we will see if the manager feels like just rolling with his best XI, or if he is taking the long view with so much season remaining.
