Tottenham began their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Tuesday, a result that underlined Thomas Frank’s early impact at the club. While the performance was far from thrilling, it showcased a defensive discipline that has quickly become a hallmark of his tenure.
Spurs have now kept four clean sheets in five matches this season, conceding only once in the process. It marks a sharp contrast to the same stage last year under Ange Postecoglou, when Tottenham had already shipped five goals and were celebrated more for their attacking flair than for their resilience at the back.
The decisive moment against Villarreal came inside four minutes, when goalkeeper Luiz Junior made a costly error to gift Tottenham the opener. That proved to be the only goal of the night, but the hosts managed the game effectively from then on, shutting out a Spanish side that, despite enjoying spells of possession, rarely looked threatening.
“We talked a lot about a clean sheet mentality this year because we conceded a lot last year,” midfielder Lucas Bergvall told Amazon Prime. “They [Villarreal] did not have a shot on target, so we did a really good job.”
Central defender Micky van de Ven echoed those sentiments, crediting the collective shape and organisation instilled by Frank. “I think we are a difficult team to play against, for sure,” he said. “Structure-wise we are standing really good and we all know what to do, so we’re a difficult team to beat.”
Villarreal, despite registering 10 attempts, failed to test Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal. Much of that was down to Van de Ven, who was outstanding in shutting down attacks and ensuring Tottenham’s narrow advantage was never seriously threatened.
The victory, however, came at a cost in terms of entertainment. Tottenham managed just one shot on target all evening – the early goal – leaving the home crowd with little to get excited about beyond the clean sheet itself.
Frank acknowledged the imbalance between defensive solidity and attacking fluidity. “We defended really well and gave little away throughout the game against a really good Villarreal side,” the Dane said afterwards. “Offensively we didn’t hit the highest level. There was definitely a spell in the second half where we decided, let’s give it to the Villarreal guys and then we’ll sprint back. That’s a fun thing, but overall it was a very even game that we just edged.”
Tottenham’s defensive record is already much improved. Their only concession this season came in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth, and with three clean sheets in the Premier League, they are already closing in on last season’s tally of five across the entire campaign.
Still, the pragmatic style comes with trade-offs. The Villarreal match was the second time in three games that Spurs had managed only a single effort on target.
Frank accepts there is work to do. “We have a very good foundation to stand on in terms of our defensive organisation, and I think it’s good that we gave little away,” he said. “This is the Champions League against a good team. Offensively, that is the area we need to get better. We took a step forward against West Ham, and I’m confident we will find the balance.”
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