Tottenham Hotspur were nowhere near good enough against Arsenal and Thomas Frank needs to make changes ahead of a Champions League tie with PSG.
Tottenham Hotspur were mauled by Arsenal in a 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, which saw ex-Spurs transfer target Eberechi Eze score his first ever senior hat-trick.
The result is difficult to take, but the performance itself was even more concerning, with Tottenham short on workrate and attacking intent.
Spurs must regroup and work to resolve their many issues quickly, because next up is a rematch against the Champions League winners. Here are three changes which Thomas Frank must make if his team are to have any chance of getting a result in Paris.
Tottenham must not invite pressure
The reason Spurs lost the UEFA Super Cup is because they allowed PSG to have too much time and space on the ball towards the end of the game. Tottenham stayed very deep which allowed PSG to show their quality and deliver moments of magic which were too difficult to defend against.
This idea of standing off and inviting pressure has become all too familiar and it was Frank’s plan from the get-go against Arsenal. The Gunners were allowed to play their game and there was enough attacking quality on show to tear Spurs apart.
Bravery is required against PSG and this does not mean Tottenham should go for an all-out-attacking approach. It simply means they must strike a fine balance between exercising caution and committing men forwards.
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Spurs need a midfield revamp
The midfield duo of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur has been heavily criticised this season, so it was bizarre to see Frank start them without a third midfielder on Sunday.
Palhinha deserves to keep his place in the starting lineup for being one of very few players to actually do something against Arsenal. However, Bentancur should be dropped to allow Lucas Bergvall to make his return after he suffered a head knock against Chelsea.
Spurs should complete a centralised trio with one of either Xavi Simons or Pape Matar Sarr. The Senegal international could be a safer pick, but if Tottenham want to be creating a higher number of chances, Simons is the player who is most likely to deliver.
Pedro Porro must be reinstated to the Tottenham first-team
Frank made the decision to start Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie in the North London derby and neither player impressed in their wing-back roles.
Pedro Porro is Tottenham’s best attacking full-back and it was a mistake not to start him in such an important fixture. The Spaniard is an excellent crosser of the ball and there was a clear need for more players who could go from one end of the pitch to the other.
Porro got an assist against PSG in the Super Cup and he has to be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday, most likely replacing Spence.
Switching up the attack is another option
Spurs could also make some changes in their frontline. Randal Kolo Muani could be handed another opportunity; however, Brennan Johnson is suspended.
However, the ball only reached Tottenham’s attacking players at certain moments during the Arsenal defeat and it seems harsh to penalise them.
Richarlison actually scored a very good goal and despite his faults, he is statistically the most likely striker at the club to be finding the net against PSG.
Frank could make switches in attack if he sees this to be necessary, but it is not one of the three essential changes required on the basis of the North London derby.