Tottenham Hotspur manager, Thomas Frank, praised his team’s defensive progress just three matches into his tenure after a commanding 2-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The victory not only showcased Spurs’ defensive solidity but also propelled them to the top of the Premier League, following a 3-0 clean sheet victory over Burnley on the opening weekend.
Frank, who previously managed Brentford, came close to a shutout against Paris Saint-Germain in his first game in charge, only to concede two late goals as the European champions prevailed on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup.
“The clean sheet makes me very happy. It is a big thing we’ve been working on, the defensive side of the game,” said Frank. “(With) clean sheets you are closer to win the game.”
Spurs’ Welsh forward Brennan Johnson opened the scoring, with Joao Palhinha adding a second before halftime, leaving City rarely threatening in the second half.
The Dane also highlighted how the team had learned quickly from the experience against PSG in Udine earlier this month.
“From every game you learn and games where you don’t get the result you learn even more,” he added.
“Defensive principles and the mentality is the key thing. We need this mentality to win games like this.”
Despite Tottenham’s encouraging start on the pitch, fans have expressed frustration over the club’s transfer dealings.
Eberechi Eze’s potential move from Crystal Palace fell through this week, with the player opting to join north London rivals Arsenal instead.
Frank, however, was full of praise for new signings Mohammed Kudus and Palhinha, confident in his squad’s ability to compete on multiple fronts this season.
“It is extremely important that we understand we have a good group of quality players that I am very pleased with.
“We brought in two good players to help. If we can improve it? Perfect.”
