'clean Sheet Mentality' - Pragmatism Proving Key For Tottenham

Outscoring nan guidance was nan mentality astatine Tottenham past play but now nan attraction is connected keeping retired goals astatine nan different extremity of nan pitch.

Tuesday's 1-0 triumph against Villarreal successful Spurs' Champions League opener was nan 4th cleanable expanse they had kept successful 5 games truthful acold this play nether Thomas Frank.

In contrast, they had kept conscionable 1 astatine nan aforesaid shape of past season, erstwhile nan much attack-minded Ange Postecoglou was successful charge.

"We talked a batch astir 'clean expanse mentality' this twelvemonth because we conceded a batch past year," Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall told Amazon Prime.

"They [Villarreal] did not person a changeable connected target, truthful we did a really bully job."

Defender Micky van de Ven added: "I deliberation we are a difficult squad to play against, for sure. Structure-wise we are opinionated really bully and we each cognize what to do, truthful we're a difficult squad to beat."

The style of Frank's Tottenham broadside against Villarreal was successful stark opposition to nan swashbuckling shot played nether Postecoglou.

They were overmuch much cautious, moreover aft being talented a fourth-minute opener acknowledgment to a calamitous correction by Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

But their defence was excellent, pinch Van de Ven successful peculiarly halting astir of Villarreal's attacks.

Even though nan visitors had 10 shots, Guglielmo Vicario didn't person a prevention to make throughout.

The value for that level of pragmatism was that Tottenham themselves only had 1 changeable connected target - very small for nan location fans to get excited about.

"We defended really good and gave small distant passim nan crippled against a really bully Villarreal side," Frank said.

"I deliberation offensively we didn't deed nan highest level. There was decidedly a spell 2nd half wherever we decided let's springiness it to nan Villarreal guys and past we'll sprint back, that's a very bully nosy thing.

"It was a very moreover crippled that we conscionable edged."

Tottenham person conceded conscionable nan 1 extremity truthful acold this play - successful nan 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Bournemouth.

That is simply a large betterment connected really they started nan erstwhile campaign, erstwhile they conceded 5 successful their first 5 games.

In nan Premier League they person kept 3 cleanable sheets already - meaning they are conscionable 2 distant from equalling their full for nan full of past season.

The much coagulated level is perchance coming astatine a cost, however, pinch their 1 changeable connected target against Villarreal nan 2nd clip successful their past 3 games they had managed truthful fewer efforts connected goal.

Frank knows this is an area that has to improve.

"We person a very bully instauration to guidelines connected successful position of our protect organisation and I deliberation it's bully and we gave small away," he said.

"This is nan Champions League against a bully team. Also, I knew we took a measurement guardant against West Ham, offensively is nan area we request to get better."