The 2025-26 Premier League season is officially underway for Tottenham Hotspur as the Lilywhites made their debut under Thomas Frank in style, drubbing Burnley 3-0 on Saturday.
Following the Super Cup penalty shootout defeat to PSG on Wednesday, Frank has already seen changes to his Starting XI, rotating the midfield with the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray joining Pape Sarr. Kevin Danso was on the subs bench to start the match as Frank went back to a back four with Djed Spence still at left back, with Destiny Udogie recovering from his muscle injury.
With the excitement and buzz entering the new season as Champions of Europe, Spurs almost bagged the opening goal 30 seconds into the Frank era as Bergvall had a shot inside the six-yard post that had Martin Dúbravka sprawling out to force an early corner.
Only making matters worse for the newly appointed No. 1 keeper for the Clarets, Dúbravka became the first keeper of the season penalized for the new eight-second rule that awarded Spurs a corner kick. It will be interesting to see how refs dictate the counts after a few weeks into the season. Will they forget about it or punish teams more for time wasting?
Spurs scored their first goal of the game nine minutes into the season after Pedro Porro released a driven ball down the right touchline for Mohammed Kudus to chase. Unable to get to the ball, Kudus and Sarr kept the high press on the Burnley defense as a poor clearance allowed the two to connect on the right wing before Kudus dribbled the ball onto his right and whipped a cross into the penalty spot for Richarlison to connect on a half volley and bury his first of two highlight goals on the day.
Quickly becoming a fan favorite for many reasons before touching the pitch, Kudus backtracked to stop a Burnley counterattack down the left wing and would later prove why he is a force on the wing in the second half.
At times in the first half, the Spurs’ defense was shaky as Cristian Romero misplaced easy passes in the midfield that were typical easy passes for the Argentine defender. But the defense stood firm as the side closed gaps and put in strong tackles and blocks to stop the Burnley attack.
Leading 1-0 after 45 minutes into the new season, Spurs had to fight an early barrage of Burnley attacks before putting the nail in the coffin in the 60th minute.
Once more, it was Sarr and Kudus connecting down the touchline as the two played quick passes that allowed Kudus to run onto the ball and whip a corner into the box. Already connecting with Richarlison 10 minutes into the contest, the two connected yet again as the acrobatic display from Richarlison showed glimpses of the 2022 Qatar World Cup goal against Serbia.
Health is the most significant factor for the Brazilian striker, but when he is healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with, as his skills are one thing. Still, his ability to lead the high press will be a significant factor for this upcoming season.
Tottenham added a third and final goal six minutes later as Richarlison’s hold-up play near midfield allowed Sarr to collect the touch and release Brennan Johnson down the left channel. Beating the Burnley defender on his first touch, Johnson tapped the ball past Dubravka. He continued the celebrations inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Johnson Again, Johnson Again, Johnson Again Ole Ole Ole rang through the stadium with Champions of Europe echoing around the ground.