Tottenham Hotspur made quite the statement on the Premier League's opening weekend, lambasting newcomers Burnley 3-0 to take out their frustrations on the blown loss in the UEFA Supercup Final against reigning Champions League winners PSG.
Things are looking up for Spurs on the pitch, even as they were dealt a crucial blow off it with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze choosing loathsome rivals Arsenal over them. Spurs still need to reenforce the attacking elements of their squad, and one of their biggest transfer targets is actually a member of the opposition on Saturday afternoon, Manchester City winger Savinho.
Manchester City will be a much more appropriate test for a Tottenham team that looked very game for the champions of Europe, as they have a lot more quality than Burnley. They showed it, too, last weekend with an even more impressive 4-0 drubbing of Wolves
Ahead of the big match on Saturday at the Etihad, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank spoke about two formations he is thinking of running against Manchester City and beyond in the 2025/26 Premier League season, via The Spurs Express:
âI treat every game a little bit different, but itâs definitely in my mind the 3-5-2, itâs also definitely in my mind the 4-2-3-1, and I will take a decision on what we do and youâll see that tomorrow. I am always thinking, how can we tweak a little bit inside our principles. Then of course system can give us something, but principles are the most important thing. So, yeah I will be pragmatic, I will use different systems and different ways to win football matches.â
Tottenham went with three against PSG
Tottenham utilized a back four in the Premier League opener against Burnley with Pape Sarr, Archie Gray, and Lucas Bergvall anchoring the midfield three with the main back four, sans Djed Spence starting for Destiny Udogie, behind them.
But it's worth noting that in the game before that against PSG, Frank made use of a back three and had Pedro Porro and Djed Spence as wing backs. Kevin Danso drew a start in central defense alongside Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to form quite the enviable trio of center backs.
Frank can't go wrong with any approach, and, ultimately, against a stronger like like Man City, he may opt for the formation he used against PSG for more defensive solidity against the likes of Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Jeremy Doku, and new Man City superstar Tijjani Reijnders.
Going forward, Tottenham will be a flexible team with multiple formations that will be deployed depending on the situation. The fact that Spurs have such a versatile, young squad under Frank definitiely helps, and that tactical flexibility and squad versatility is exactly why it's so important for Spurs to keep signing good footballers before the transfer market ends.