Tottenham opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win against Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It wasn’t always pretty, but Thomas Frank’s side got the job done. Here are the main takeaways from the match.
Spurs’ right side looks a real weapon
The summer signing of Mohammed Kudus already looks inspired. Operating from the right, the former West Ham man stretched Villarreal from the opening minutes, linking well with Pedro Porro and repeatedly getting behind the visitors’ back line.
Tottenham’s early breakthrough came from that flank: a low cross forced an error from Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior, who bundled the ball into his own net inside four minutes. That avenue remained Spurs’ most dangerous outlet all evening, with Kudus’ pace and directness giving the hosts a cutting edge they sometimes lacked last season.
Defensive stability under Thomas Frank
Tottenham’s defensive progress under new head coach Thomas Frank was evident again. Last year’s leaky back line has been replaced by a compact, disciplined unit that mixes man-to-man aggression with clear organisation.
Spurs rarely overcommitted and were happy to sit slightly deeper when Villarreal pressed for an equaliser. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero marshalled the centre superbly, while Destiny Udogie impressed on the left. A second successive clean sheet is proof that Frank’s methods are starting to bed in – a far cry from the chaos that saw Spurs slump to 17th place only a season ago.
Begvall’s bright start continues
At just 19 years old, Lucas Begvall is fast becoming one of Tottenham’s most exciting prospects. Fresh from his first Premier League goal at West Ham last weekend, the youngster delivered another confident display here.
Begvall’s willingness to run at defenders and his clever movement gave Spurs an extra dimension in attack. He also showed composure on the ball, linking neatly with midfield and creating a couple of half-chances. Thomas Frank clearly trusts him, and if he maintains this form, the teenager could force himself into a regular starting berth ahead of more senior names.
A winning start in Europe – but room to grow
Securing all three points was Tottenham’s main objective, and they achieved it. A clean sheet, early lead and disciplined defending meant the job was done, even if the performance lacked fluency at times.
The own goal remains Spurs’ only strike in this year’s Champions League, underlining the need for sharper finishing. Villarreal were there for the taking in the first half, but Spurs didn’t make their dominance count. With tougher tests looming – notably a trip to Paris Saint-Germain – Frank will hope his forwards can soon translate possession and territory into goals.
Still, after such a poor league finish last term, Tottenham fans will be pleased to see their team combining resilience with attacking promise on the European stage.