Patched-up Spurs’ greatest 45 minutes of the season relieved among the mounting stress on Thomas Frank with a 2-0 win over 10-man Borussia Dortmund.
Regardless of having solely 11 outfield gamers accessible and with ongoing questions over their head coach’s future, Tottenham produced 45 minutes of essentially the most free-flowing soccer they’ve managed since Frank’s appointment – and now look set to safe a top-eight end within the Champions League league section.
“I’ll have two big glasses of red, that’ll be necessary,” a clearly relieved Frank – whose facet have been booed in a poisonous ambiance following defeat to West Ham final day trip – joked after the sport.
“The players are giving everything, that is a good sign about the coach. An extremely good sign that they want to do everything. We were down to the bare bones with available players.
“It was extraordinarily good to expertise the way in which the followers pushed us ahead. That power between the followers and the gamers was magic.”
Spurs have reserved a lot of their greatest performances for European competitors this season however this nonetheless represented the decide of the bunch and got here towards essentially the most high-profile opposition they’ve hosted on this event underneath Frank.
In an ideal instance of necessity being the mom of invention, makeshift left winger Djed Spence was their greatest participant in that opening interval however noticed the headlines go to the goalscoring duo of captain Cristian Romero and the returning Dominic Solanke.
Spence did at the very least win the nook resulting in Romero’s opener, recycled by Wilson Odobert and fired dwelling by the centre-back 14 minutes in, which gave Spurs a lead that even by then they genuinely-earned.
After watching 5 months of insipid soccer, the house followers have been commonly off their seats as Spurs minimize aside their guests at will, taking full benefit of their clear bodily edge, threatening with each assault and missing solely an all-important second aim.
Their job was given a lift with lower than half an hour performed when Daniel Svensson was despatched off for a excessive problem on Odobert following a VAR evaluate, and 11 minutes later Spurs lastly had their cushion because the French winger’s cross was bundled dwelling – although not with out ricocheting off his personal calf first – by Solanke on his Champions League debut.
Spurs went in on the break with out freely giving a single shot although there was nonetheless a fear there could possibly be one other sting within the tail their followers have turn out to be accustomed to witnessing. A half-time double change did enhance Dortmund, however Julian Ryerson’s free-kick minutes after the interval was as shut as they got here to inspiring a collapse from the hosts.
As an alternative, the one frustration for Frank on an in any other case vastly encouraging night time was an harm suffered by Lucas Bergvall, which did at the very least herald the arrival of 17-year-old debutant Jun’Ai Byfield to turn out to be Spurs’ youngest ever Champions League participant.
{The teenager} slotted in comfortably at right-back as Spurs celebrated an unfamiliarly comfy victory to provide Frank a couple of days out of the highlight – at the very least till the weekend journey to Burnley.
Frank: We should construct on this consequence
Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank:
“The big thing is to build on this with a performance and a win against Burnley on Saturday. It’s a big skill to be able to produce in the Premier League and Champions League every week from the players.
“We’re working very arduous on that. I hold saying it however that is the eighth sport in a row the place we have now constantly carried out fairly properly, however have not been in a position to get the margins with us.
“Today you can say the margins may have been the red card, instead of the one against Liverpool which went the other way. Of course, the triple contact of Dom’s goal going in, whereas we didn’t get that against Sunderland, Bournemouth and West Ham where we could have won all three.
“We have to maintain doing the identical issues, hold believing and we all know issues will flip.”
Analysis: Sterner tests to come – but a near-perfect night
Sky Sports’ Ron Walker at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium:
“That consequence was about all the things Tottenham and Thomas Frank wanted this night.
“A win, first and foremost, but also a performance of quality and excitement. Something hugely lacking this season.
“Regardless of the chilly and rain a lot of the South Stand remained to applaud the gamers off – and even Frank, this time.
“There are of course caveats about the physicality of Dortmund and that Burnley will offer a very different challenge to break down on Saturday.
“However these are issues for one more day. For a welcome change, it was smiles all spherical on the pitch from Frank and his gamers.”
Solanke: Hopefully this can be a turning point
Goalscorer Dominic Solanke to TNT Sport:
“I hope [this can be a turning point]. We have performed fairly properly within the Champions League and should you look again to final season and the way properly we did within the Europa League, it positively gave the group confidence.
“We know we haven’t been good enough in Premier League this year, so hopefully this gives us the extra boost, we can improve in the league and continue in the Champions League.
“After we’re all collectively – gamers, workers, followers – that is key. We’re all one membership, all of us need the identical factor. We have to put the performances in on the pitch like we did tonight and hopefully we are able to keep it up the momentum.”
