Tottenham Hotspur earned another well-fought Premier League victory on Saturday, and five players in particular have made Thomas Frank’s next team selection very straightforward.
Nobody was giving Tottenham Hotspur a chance when they ventured to the Etihad Stadium, but the belief was there after a decisive 3-0 victory over Burnley. Despite City showing promising signs early on, Spurs stuck to their task and were already two goals up before half-time.
Brennan Johnson once again found the back of the net, taking his Premier League tally to two goals in two games. He was joined on the scoresheet by Joao Paulinha, who was delighted to open his account at Tottenham.
Every player did his job on the day, but there were five players who have surely guaranteed their spot in Thomas Frank’s next team selection. Of course, senior stars like Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, and Micky Van de Ven also fall into this category, but there are a few more unexpected stars so far this season.
Djed Spence should keep his Tottenham first-team spot for now
It was a solid performance from Djed Spence on Saturday. The left-back may not have got forward as much as usual, but he played his part in the victory with his defensive contributions.
Spence made four recoveries and clearances each and kept Oscar Bobb at bay. Spurs did make one or two mistakes passing it around at the back, but unlike a couple of pre-season fixtures, the 25-year-old was not the culprit.
Thomas Frank did get annoyed with Spence during the first-half, but this was due to his decision not to take a long throw-in, so nothing major. On the whole, it was another fine showing from Spence and it would be very harsh if he was replaced by Destiny Udogie as soon as the Italian is match fit.
Joao Palhinha was the standout player for Spurs
Palhinha may not have picked up the official player of the match award, but he won the supporter vote for a truly exceptional performance. Despite playing a more defensive role, he scored with his only shot of the match.
While he may not be the flashiest player, Palhinha provided a composed presence in the Tottenham midfield. He is still early on in his Spurs career, but there are signs he could be the type of player Yves Bissouma never managed to be.
Whether tackling, blocking or passing, Palhinha looks a very complete player, and his performance was just a step up from what the promising Archie Gray is currently able to offer. It would be a shock if Frank decides not to select the Portuguese maestro against Bournemouth.
What has happened to Pape Matar Sarr? His performances last season always left Spurs supporters wanting a bit more. He delivered the occasional moment of brilliance, but on the whole, he was just not good enough to be regularly starting matches.
Fast forward a few months and the Senegalese midfielder is simply ‘magic on the ball’, as his song goes. Sarr struggled to win his ground duels against Manchester City, but he did not put a foot wrong in whatever else he did.
One of Sarr’s key characteristics is his energy. There was no moment during Saturday’s game when he looked like he needed to take a moment to slow down. He is just ahead of Lucas Bergvall in the pecking order, but both players are electric in the Tottenham midfield, and Frank will make use of both throughout the season.
Rodrigo Bentancur is often the unsung hero at Spurs
Rodrigo Bentancur is one of the ultimate all-round midfielders, but he always looked a bit limited in his role under Ange Postecoglou. Under Frank, he looks good all over the pitch and he completed a midfield partnership which played a key role in stopping Man City.
The Uruguayan never looked like being dropped last season, regardless of whether he was playing well, or struggling for consistency. Even with the addition of Palhinha, his spot in the first-team looks safe and secure.
Tottenham must look to tie Bentancur down to a new contract. Replacing him with a player who matches him for quality would likely mean coughing up around £60m, which would be unnecessary. Any new midfielder joining should be an addition to the Tottenham first-team squad, not a replacement for a current player.
Mohammed Kudus is important even without his goal contributions
Mohammed Kudus did not have the same impact against Manchester City as he did on the opening day of the league season. However, it was still another encouraging display.
His dribbling is simply brilliant and a level above any winger Spurs have had for quite some time. One mistake Kudus did make was dribbling backwards when there were few options available to him, then holding onto the ball for too long. This does not take away from what was another good performance, where he also chipped in with plenty of defensive contributions.
Wilson Odobert had a very good cameo off the bench, even if it only lasted a little more than 10 minutes. However, despite Johnson’s goal, it is he, not Kudus, who is more likely to lose his place, should Frank decide to give the France U21 international his chance.
Richarlison is unlucky not to find himself on this list, but you suspect Thomas Frank will be extremely careful with the Brazilian, given his injury history. As such, routinely rotating him out for Dominic Solanke would be no bad thing.
READ MORE – Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 2-0 win over Man City as Joao Palhinha stars
Have something to tell us about this article?
