Though both Newcastle and Chelsea are quality sides, the pair of losses last week spells trouble for Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur. The 0.1 xG from Saturday has been hard to tune out, but the defensive effort over the past four matches cannot be ignored either as there have been more than a few instances of Spurs being flattered by the actual numbers of goals conceded.
The fanbase is getting restless and it seems to have made an impact on the players as well. The good news is that a visit from Copenhagen Tuesday offers the perfect opportunity to get back on track and restore some of the optimism. The challenge of a match like this is that any sort of slip-up against this level of opponent is going to throw fuel on the flames that are rapidly expanding.
UCL League Phase MW4
Date: Tuesday, November 4
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: CBS Sports Network (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
Table: Spurs (15th, 5 pts), Copenhagen (t-31st, 1 pt)
Tottenham has little competitive history against Danish opposition. The only instance I see is against Aalborg BK in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup Group Stage, a 3-2 comeback win at White Hart Lane after falling behind by two goals early. It has been the opposite for Copenhagen and English opponents, with a loss and draw against City in the 2022/23 Champions League Group Stage and a defeat in the 2023/24 Round of 16, as well as a loss against Chelsea in last season’s Conference League knockout stages.
Three Big Questions
Who is going to score?! It is debatable if it is the players or the tactics at fault for Spurs rapid descent into threatlessness, but when Micky van de Ven is leading the team in goals (5) there is plenty of blame that falls on the attackers. The absence of Dominic Solanke is really an issue with neither Richarlison or Randal Kolo Muani inspiring any confidence (let alone Mathys Tel), but it is going to be a long season if all we do is lament injuries, especially while Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison remain out.
No, someone needs to step forward as the primary attacking threat. Whoever Frank selects should relish their chances against a Copenhagen defense that has allowed eight goals in three League Phase contests so far. Simply put, Tottenham must figure out how to score in open play. Mohammed Kudus seems like a key factor here, but he will need someone to finish off the attacking moves. I have no answers, but there better be goals in this one.
Do home tactics need a revamp? When the manager says that they have never seen a team create as little as Spurs did over the weekend, it would be wild to see the same approach tried again the very next match. While only so much can be done between one fixture and the next — and certainly Frank is never going to set up as reckless as his predecessor — this is a good chance for something new.
Copenhagen has scored four goals during this Champions League phase, with an average of 1.2 xG per outing. If there ever was a time to show some ambition and throw caution to the wind a bit, this is the time. There is no reason to act like cement mixers and wait for set pieces on Tuesday; with even the defense starting to show some cracks, it is time to help out the back line by forcing the issue up the pitch.
Is it getting late early? I hate how reactionary sports fandom has become, but after watching Forest sack Ange Postecoglou instantly (and seeing the turnstiles at Stamford Bridge, among other places), supporters can feel justified because clubs are willing to be impatient too. Still, the Frank discourse feels so rushed and even bringing up the potential of his dismissal seems extremely shortsighted.
Admittedly, there is plenty of frustration in North London and this match has the potential to really cause some commotion. Frank will surely feel some emotions facing a side from Denmark and will endure the extra weight following the minor fiasco following the Chelsea tunnel incident. Everyone should give the new regime some patience, but I know that the dissent will only get louder if Spurs fail to take all three points as heavy favorite Tuesday, regardless of home form.