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Tottenham took all three points at Elland Road with a 2-1 triumph against promoted Leeds United.

Mathys Tel took advantage of a transition in the first half to score his first Premier League goal of the season before Mohamed Kudus responded to a Noah Okafor equaliser with a strike of his own.

It is the first time that the Peacocks have lost a battle at their ground in a domestic division since a 1-0 loss to Burnley in the Championship, ending an impressive unbeaten run that lasted for 384 days.

Here are four things we learned from this latest victory for Spurs.

Mohamed Kudus needs more central minutes

After a 2-2 draw at Bodo, Frank held no prisoners and put his key men back into the starting eleven. One of them was Mohamed Kudus, who hit the ground running again for the Lilywhites on the wing.

He might play from the right flank, but almost everything good that came for Spurs in the first 20 minutes of the match was because of his contributions in the middle of the field. Kudus treasures the ball, has the physicality and courage to drive through central areas, and rarely does he lose possession.

Yves Bissouma might not have been a lot of things, but at his best, he offered progression from the first phase that no one can mimic right now in this Tottenham team. It might require something unusual from Frank, but a different role for the £55 million man might produce major improvement.

To top off the performance, he produced the goods for the team in the final third. The Ghanaian got an assist for Mathys Tel to break the deadlock. He then blazed a shot over the bar on the breakaway after Destiny Udogie chose not to go it alone, but atoned for that moment and wrapped up the points after the break with a low driven effort outside the penalty area. It was an afternoon’s work well done.

Xavi Simons shows his sparkle

Xavi Simons is trying to settle into the structure at Tottenham as Frank focuses on stability and solidity. He has had to be patient for his opportunities, but flashes of his quality are getting clearer.

At times, things will go wrong for creative minded players, and the display from the Dutchman was by no means perfect. If the result had not gone in favour of the guests, many would look back to his failed rabona to release Cristian Romero or Wilson Odobert as a flashpoint early in the second half.

But by the same token, top tens will see pictures that no one else can imagine on the pitch. Twice, he set away fullbacks with creative chipped passes into the penalty area when no danger seemed to be present: unfortunately, neither Destiny Udogie nor Pedro Porro could apply the finishing touch.

The £51 million man also seems to benefit more from getting the ball in the final third to do damage rather than having to try and force the game forwards himself. So, there is even more food for thought about what Spurs would look like if they got Xavi and Kudus contributing together in central areas.

That is a risk that Frank could take with time once he is happier with the tactical framework of the team. But it is clear that Simons looks special much more when he leaves the left and lives in the 10.

Romero’s resilience leads the way

Like Kudus, Cristian Romero was not a starter for the trip to Norway in midweek. Frank decided not to take a risk with the fitness of the Argentine, leaving him out of the matchday squad as a precaution.

The attackers will get a lot of the plaudits in this performance, but the club captain continues to excel.

The absence of his progressive passing and personality in possession made it much easier for Bodo to stifle the buildup of their opponents, which was almost non-existent in central areas. Some of that is systemic, but the team could create more advances centrally with his presence on the ball available.

Most of all, Romero stood out with his defensive work. There were some classic cases of very tough tackling and aggression to take charge of situations where Anton Stach stood free between the lines. When Dominic Calvert-Lewin tried to throw his weight around, the defender stood his ground.

But he blends this attitude with the ability to calmly make adjustments and put out fires, of which there were a good few in the second half. It was another showing that signalled he is much more than the reckless individual that the narrative has suggested, and Romero rightly walked away victorious.

Tottenham take the spoils on the road

Spurs sit on 14 points, one behind defending champions Liverpool and two off league leading North London rivals Arsenal. The Thomas Frank era has started extremely strongly in terms of results.

But performances have not been the most convincing— especially in terms of fluid possession and chance creation. Stability, set pieces and marginal gains have been the name of the game so far.

Indeed, there has been a drastic difference between form at home and away. Only four of the 14 points collected have been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth was the worst showing of the season and a 1-1 last gasp leveller at Wolves would not dampen the disappointment of dropping points to an outfit that had zero points from their first five contests.

On the other hand, Frank’s men are top of the table in terms of points on the road, only dropping points across four fixtures in a 2-2 draw at Brighton, their best display in the Premier League.

The resilience to respond to setbacks has helped them constantly in these situations and the tools are present to make a lot out of a little in terms of genuine chances and dominance of the general play.

Tottenham took all three points at Elland Road with a 2-1 triumph against promoted Leeds United.

Mathys Tel took advantage of a transition in the first half to score his first Premier League goal of the season before Mohamed Kudus responded to a Noah Okafor equaliser with a strike of his own.

It is the first time that the Peacocks have lost a battle at their ground in a domestic division since a 1-0 loss to Burnley in the Championship, ending an impressive unbeaten run that lasted for 384 days.

Here are four things we learned from this latest victory for Spurs.

Mohamed Kudus needs more central minutes

After a 2-2 draw at Bodo, Frank held no prisoners and put his key men back into the starting eleven. One of them was Mohamed Kudus, who hit the ground running again for the Lilywhites on the wing.

He might play from the right flank, but almost everything good that came for Spurs in the first 20 minutes of the match was because of his contributions in the middle of the field. Kudus treasures the ball, has the physicality and courage to drive through central areas, and rarely does he lose possession.

Yves Bissouma might not have been a lot of things, but at his best, he offered progression from the first phase that no one can mimic right now in this Tottenham team. It might require something unusual from Frank, but a different role for the £55 million man might produce major improvement.

To top off the performance, he produced the goods for the team in the final third. The Ghanaian got an assist for Mathys Tel to break the deadlock. He then blazed a shot over the bar on the breakaway after Destiny Udogie chose not to go it alone, but atoned for that moment and wrapped up the points after the break with a low driven effort outside the penalty area. It was an afternoon’s work well done.

Xavi Simons shows his sparkle

Xavi Simons is trying to settle into the structure at Tottenham as Frank focuses on stability and solidity. He has had to be patient for his opportunities, but flashes of his quality are getting clearer.

At times, things will go wrong for creative minded players, and the display from the Dutchman was by no means perfect. If the result had not gone in favour of the guests, many would look back to his failed rabona to release Cristian Romero or Wilson Odobert as a flashpoint early in the second half.

But by the same token, top tens will see pictures that no one else can imagine on the pitch. Twice, he set away fullbacks with creative chipped passes into the penalty area when no danger seemed to be present: unfortunately, neither Destiny Udogie nor Pedro Porro could apply the finishing touch.

The £51 million man also seems to benefit more from getting the ball in the final third to do damage rather than having to try and force the game forwards himself. So, there is even more food for thought about what Spurs would look like if they got Xavi and Kudus contributing together in central areas.

That is a risk that Frank could take with time once he is happier with the tactical framework of the team. But it is clear that Simons looks special much more when he leaves the left and lives in the 10.

Romero’s resilience leads the way

Like Kudus, Cristian Romero was not a starter for the trip to Norway in midweek. Frank decided not to take a risk with the fitness of the Argentine, leaving him out of the matchday squad as a precaution.

The attackers will get a lot of the plaudits in this performance, but the club captain continues to excel.

The absence of his progressive passing and personality in possession made it much easier for Bodo to stifle the buildup of their opponents, which was almost non-existent in central areas. Some of that is systemic, but the team could create more advances centrally with his presence on the ball available.

Most of all, Romero stood out with his defensive work. There were some classic cases of very tough tackling and aggression to take charge of situations where Anton Stach stood free between the lines. When Dominic Calvert-Lewin tried to throw his weight around, the defender stood his ground.

But he blends this attitude with the ability to calmly make adjustments and put out fires, of which there were a good few in the second half. It was another showing that signalled he is much more than the reckless individual that the narrative has suggested, and Romero rightly walked away victorious.

Tottenham take the spoils on the road

Spurs sit on 14 points, one behind defending champions Liverpool and two off league leading North London rivals Arsenal. The Thomas Frank era has started extremely strongly in terms of results.

But performances have not been the most convincing— especially in terms of fluid possession and chance creation. Stability, set pieces and marginal gains have been the name of the game so far.

Indeed, there has been a drastic difference between form at home and away. Only four of the 14 points collected have been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth was the worst showing of the season and a 1-1 last gasp leveller at Wolves would not dampen the disappointment of dropping points to an outfit that had zero points from their first five contests.

On the other hand, Frank’s men are top of the table in terms of points on the road, only dropping points across four fixtures in a 2-2 draw at Brighton, their best display in the Premier League.

The resilience to respond to setbacks has helped them constantly in these situations and the tools are present to make a lot out of a little in terms of genuine chances and dominance of the general play.

A return to Norway means that Tottenham are back tackling questions about the conditions for their contest against Bodø/Glimt. For Thomas Frank, it is a topic with too much attention, conducting one aspect of his prep for this fixture in England purely for a "tactical reason" before the trip to Scandinavia.

‘I'm pretty sure they get that question’

Taking team training in North London, Frank clarified why the group had not gone away to Norway.

“We have one training session. If we have training and want to do a little bit of tactical work, I think it would be a bit obvious what we would do. That's a thing we like to keep for ourselves. Then, yes, you can say if we train for how long we are allowed, 45 minutes, is that going to make a difference?”

He knows that the differences in playing on artificial turf could only fully be overcome with time.

“I know the surface is different. If you really want to get used to it, I think you need to train here day in, day out as Bodo do. We are ready for that challenge but for me, mainly, it was a tactical reason.”

Based on his experiences, the Dane does not imagine that the pitch will play a big factor on Tuesday.

“Not really a tactical approach. Of course we are aware, it's the same in Denmark, when I was coach for Brøndby, we were facing Nordsjaelland at that time and it was also a different surface.”

It is a bit of a leveller, but Bodo would not have improved to this point without the work of Kjetil Knutsen and the quality of their players. It is where the Tottenham coach is concentrating the most.

“It's the same today. It's fine. They're good here, they're very good at home. For me, I think there's a lot of talk about the pitch. I rather want to praise the team, the Bodo team, and their coach for what they do, because they do it quite consistently, home and away, the way they play. I'm pretty sure they get the answer or the question sometimes, can they play on grass when they go away from home?”

In the same way that Spurs have to play on artificial turf, Bodo have had to prove that they can do it on natural grass on away days. So, for Frank, it is a question that can concern people far too much.

From missing in the penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain to exclusion from the Champions League squad, Mathys Tel has had a tricky time at the start of the season. However, his commitment is never in doubt, and his display in the Carabao Cup was a “step forward” to Thomas Frank.

‘You can see his ability to arrive’

Tired with a lack of playing time for Bayern Munich, Tel took the plunge with a loan to North London in the winter window and has since signed permanently for Spurs. Against Doncaster Rovers and West Ham, he has earned opportunities and shown Frank there is talent to work with.

“I don't think he has a bad run. I think he played striker against West Ham, which he did quite well. He worked very hard for him to arrive in the right areas. In terms of performance, it was a step up.”

The end product was not quite there, but the effort and intention were enough to please the manager.

“We can look at the end product to score the goal but the performance to arriving in the box, I was happy close on the first ball from Brennan Johnson for the cutback, second half. he got in there in a good two good situations. they had a nice shot. So I think it was a step up in terms of performance.

Tel has played as a wide forward and a nine for Bayern and Tottenham. Frank had said he sees the Frenchman as more of a central forward and he explained that he needs refinement in some areas.

“You can see his ability to arrive in the box and the pace he got to both running behind and also getting into the right areas I think is good. I think his pressing abilities is very good. I like the way he works in that situation and his link play is something at a good level but he can be even better at it.”

The reality is that goals will define discourse about many forwards and a strike could have made people more open to seeing the good things that the 20-year-old provided on the pitch for the hosts.

“I think that's fair to say that he really wanted to score and do well. Unfortunately as a striker is that you get measured on, exactly as a keeper you can't throw it into your own goal. The old performance was really a step forward, but I really wanted him to score. That'll make it a much even better story.”

Tottenham continue a strong start under Thomas Frank with a 3-0 win against Doncaster Rovers to move into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Opportunities aplenty went to new players or in unfamiliar roles and a fresh face on the scene was encouraged to go and make the "next step."

‘It was a fine performance’

Joao Palhinha, a consummate professional, played at the back for the hosts. An acrobatic finish got the scoring started for Spurs and he impressed Frank through his performance across 90 minutes.

“Very happy. He's been very good for us since he since he joined us. Again just stepping into that center back role and played very well and scored a very good goal.”

There was no involvement for Pape Matar Sarr, whom Frank is protecting from a slight niggle.

“This was just a minor precaution. A minor stretch to the thigh, so we just didn't want to take any risk today. There's a good chance that he could be ready for Saturday.”

It meant a chance for Archie Gray to go into midfield. Though his ability to play in a back four is appreciated, this is the area where Frank sees the teenager playing for him and he liked what he saw.

“We saw his running power. very willing to um to run in behind. He was very good when he has that drive with the ball and can go up the pitch. I think it was a fine performance. Archie can play centre back and right back, but I see him more as a midfielder. I like to see him today in that position.”

There was also a competitive debut for academy star Lucá Williams-Barnett in the 87th minute.

“The first step is very important. Very happy: always a pleasure to be part of a young player's debut.”

The Dane was delighted for the player, but the hard work begins here for Williams-Barnett.

“Over the years the focus on the talent development academies across the world is so big. So the talent pool is bigger. These talents coming through they're younger and younger. but one thing is the debut when you're 16. the next step and much more important is how Luca or other players take those steps forward where it's very tough to keep going and get in the first team as a really regular player.”

Tottenham Hotspur are kicking off their 2025/26 Carabao Cup campaign by hosting League One side Doncaster Rovers FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank sat down this afternoon for a press conference ahead of this League Cup opener, here is what he had to say.

Potential starting XI

In terms of a potential starting XI for tomorrow’s game, Frank said that every one available for Saturday’s Premier League match versus Brighton & Hove Albion, will be available again.

However, some players are going to miss out on selection, including Ben Davies and Kolo Muani, with Frank explaining it was a ‘minor injury for both of them’ but it was ‘just too short a turnaround.’

Tomorrow will also mark an appearance for goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, in a move which has seemingly solidified rumours surrounding his future with the Lilywhites.

Frank admitted it was a brave choice for Kinsky to make a move to Tottenham, but he expressed his support for the player, saying:

“I'm very happy with him as a goalkeeper, I think he's a very good goalkeeper with very good potential.

“The easy thing for Antonin would have been to stay at his former club – now it's a bigger stage, a bigger challenge.

“He has a great future here at Tottenham, I like what I see from him, he just has to keep training well and doing well."

Long-term injuries

Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski has not made an appearance yet in Frank’s squad, after undergoing knee surgery following an injury back in May – forcing him to miss playing in the Europa League final, and the start of the season.

Frank maintained that Kulusevski is a key player for his Spurs side, however an exact return date has not been decided as of late.

“Instead of putting an exact month on it – October, November, December – I just want him back as quickly as possible.

“The medical guys and Kulusevski are working really hard on that – so, it's not tomorrow, but hopefully not too far away.”

However, Frank did state that there could be a return on the cards for the winger before the end of the year.

The pressure to succeed

Tottenham last won the Carabao Cup in 2008, back when it was known as the UEFA League Cup – but the Lilywhites will be hoping to capitalise on their recent trophy success to push for more silverware.

Frank addresses the pressures he felt heading into tomorrow’s clash, after stating in his first press conference as team boss that he wished to make this Spurs side competitive in all four competitions.

“If you want to compete in all four tournaments, you need to be good enough to pick the right team every single time.

“And I promise you before I pick the team, it looks like an unbelievably good plan and also to be brave enough sometimes with the selection both ways to every single time we put a team out there, it's super strong.”

Alongside the Carabao Cup, Tottenham have also already began their Champions League campaign, and will be adding the FA Cup to that list in the new year.

Regarding this, Frank did not want to underestimate the impact of the amount of games on his squad, saying he is also aware that ‘no player can play 60 games times by 90 minutes’.

“It's that balance we need to hit throughout the season, not only because we are facing Doncaster.

“It could be Brighton, last week it was Villarreal, you know, we made some changes, and we need to hit that perfect number of players that rotate and a strong team.

“And it will be a strong team tomorrow.”

Brighton will be kicking themselves as Tottenham Hotspur had the spirit to take back a point from their trip to the Amex Stadium after going 2-0 down. It is a familiar feeling for fans of the side from the south coast: moments of clear quality could not compensate for issues at match management.

Threatening forwards find a way

The factory line on the south coast seldom disappoints for long. Joao Pedro put pen to paper to sign for Chelsea in July, but the futureproofing process had already taken place in the attacking roster.

Their most mercurial talent, and a player who had growing importance, is Georginio Rutter.

In the 8th minute, he picked the lock brilliantly. Brajan Gruda got hold of the ball, took it away from Rodrigo Bentancur, and fed it to the central forward. He held off Micky van de Ven and had the vision to hook a clipped ball behind for Yankuba Minteh to chase. His teammate finished the job.

The French forward has the drive, guile, and creativity to get the ball into the final third, and he can go to a greater level with a nastier streak in front of goal. That is where one of the wide men helps.

Minteh, whose manager said he is "always a threat" after this contest, left a mark again. Apart from his goal, his relentless running let him be an outlet for the likes of Rutter to try to hit on the break.

Indeed, there has been so much talent on the flanks and in the mould of a second striker that one can forget Kaoru Mitoma is still on the books. This team tormented Man City in the final half hour of a 2-1 triumph at the end of August, and their offensive talent in transition is a threat to be respected.

Baleba must dig deep to turn the page

Unfortunately, the day would not last long for the most coveted asset in the ranks of the hosts.

Carlos Baleba came off at half time to make way for Diego Gomez. He has not completed 90 minutes of a match at all in a stop-start season. Iy is a world away from where he was before.

Indeed, the summer has not been straightforward for the 21-year-old. He suffered a knee injury in preseason that complicated his prep for the middle of August. Most of all, he was caught in a saga that suggested Man United had earmarked him as the top target to move their midfield unit forwards.

Call it head loss, lack of rhythm, or something else: the Cameroonian has not been his usual self.

He has not dropped off a cliff. A former number 10 at Lille, he is not always the most switched-on defensively, so that is nothing new. Where he sets himself apart is with the incision of his progressive passing off both feet and balanced ball carries: the range of distribution at times was impressive

At his top level, he felt like a one-man midfield holding it together for the Seagulls. With only a half of football in his legs due to fatigue, there is still some work needed to get Baleba back to his best.

Hurzeler handles the second order problem

In the 75th minute, Hurzeler had an idea. He chose to take off Minteh and put on Diego Coppola in his place. The summer signing is a defender, and the switch signalled a reshuffle: the Seagulls sat in a back five where the substitute was an extra centre back next to the initial pairing in the lineup.

However, the plan would quickly fall foul of the known quantity present in the Tottenham ranks.

Ferdi Kadioglu had come back into the fiery furnace in this fixture after his absence with a toe injury. Three appearances off the subs' bench could never completely prepare for the challenge of defending Mohamed Kudus. The winger was a nightmare all day and continued to threaten the opposition.

The Ghanaian had the power, poise, and final ball to be an all-round package, and the changes around him never got to grips with his impact. Twice, he did the heavy lifting to help put Xavi Simons in scoring positions, and his devilish delivery deflected off a flat footed Jan Paul van Hecke.

There were late chances for the hosts. Danny Welbeck would profit from a loose Xavi Simons flick to try his luck at testing Guglielmo Vicario. Minutes later, he might have hit the back of the net if Yasin Ayari had not charged in front of him towards the penalty spot and fluffed his lines.

However, the Amex Stadium would have to stew on another lost lead that raises questions.

Brighton become their own worst enemies

Brighton finished eighth last campaign, but a sense of annoyance at the year was not unfair. With no continental football in midweek and a stacked squad of attackers, the dream was a return to Europe.

The fact that the team failed to achieve the goal is not the worst thing. However, their failings on the way to that outcome were clear and remain problems that are holding them back at the moment.

No Premier League outfit had dropped more than their 22 points from winning positions last term. Already, they have blown a lead in the last minute against Fulham in a 1-1 draw, cocked up countless chances at Everton in a 2-0 defeat, and again sacrificed a two goal advantage in front of their fans.

Even in the first half hour, Spurs showed that they can cut through the Brighton block with ease. Frank had laid out a clear plan for the day, with underlaps from Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall breaking through the lines over and again while Richarlison rolled off Jan Paul van Hecke in duels.

Tottenham Hotspur hustled to bounce back against Brighton from a two goal deficit and take away a point at the Amex Stadium. Although the team had dropped points, Thomas Frank felt that it had been the best overall performance of the campaign, and there were many reasons why it is the case.

Here are four things we learned from a valuable building block for Spurs.

Mohamed Kudus continues to dominate

Thirty seconds into the clash, and it was clear that a familiar freight train was on a wrecking mission.

Mohamed Kudus controlled a loose aerial ball with his chest to hold off Yasin Ayari, flicked the ball over the head of Ferdi Kadioglu, and then threw away Georginio Rutter from his vicinity. That is the Ghanaian in a nutshell: give him the ball and he will find a way to make it stick up the field.

At times, it was enough for Tottenham to just try to find the right winger, and he would do the rest. He relished the battle against a left back who had not started a Premier League fixture since November due to struggles with a toe injury and was a talismanic presence across the afternoon.

Blending bullish power with the poise in 1 v 1 situations, he had the end product to match. On a counter, he was willing to strike at the target, and Richarlison rewarded his instinct with a goal as the striker stood in the way of a shot and bundled the ball into the back of the net in the 43rd minute.

Then came the devilish delivery that caught Jan Paul van Hecke cold to produce a painful own goal.

The £55 million paid for his services from West Ham is quickly becoming something of a source of joy. At the expense of their rivals across the capital city, Spurs have a player who shifts momentum.

Xavi Simons sets alight

The transfer market might be wildly inflated, but there were the first great signs that the £51 million splashed on a creative force in the midfield might be fit to flourish in another man's absence.

There have been a couple of appearances for Xavi Simons in a Spurs shirt. He featured against West Ham and Villarreal, having to make do with a role where he drifted inside from the left as a winger.

It is not a role we should never expect to see him in again. Frank has clearly shown he wants to build a stable structure that can benefit from the presence of a Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr in the spine. However, the half hour from Xavi in his ideal role was a reminder of what is to be gained.

With three free shots in six minutes, he immediately identified the gaps in the Brighton structure.

To top it off, the Dutchman did his best James Maddison impression in the buildup to the equaliser. He dropped deep in front of the midfield, slalomed around Diego Gomez, and got the connections ticking from centrally to the men ahead of him, finding Kudus to cross into the penalty area.

There was the odd mistake in the cameo: just after the Jan Paul van Hecke own goal, the substitute steered a no-look flick straight into harm's way, and Danny Welbeck would try to test his luck after picking up the pieces. But in the right tactical framework, a little risk is exactly what can be needed.

Destiny Udogie underscores his quality

The start of this stalemate saw some excellent work from a familiar face in the ranks at Tottenham.

Destiny Udogie picked up a knee injury against Luton Town in preseason. Frank has been in no hurry to rush him back to full fitness with the fine form of Djed Spence setting the standard at left back. Yet, a return to the lineup for the Italian illustrated an option that the side had been missing.

Spence is a right footed player who has often relied on ball carries for progression to make up for the difficulties of passing on his 'wrong' side. On the other hand, Udogie is a left footed fullback, and the positivity of his touches, coupled with full-throttle energy, pulled apart Brighton in combinations.

Frank had set out clear principles to get into the inside channels with underlaps and Udogie, used to being in these zones under old management, fit in from the get-go. A hooked touch past Joel Veltman and a well-timed shift away from Yasin Ayari were a highlight from the first phase of the fixture.

Unfazed with the task of taking on Yankuba Minteh, Udogie should be proud of his performance. He has backed up the words of his boss about the strength of the talent pool at fullback with actions over words and highlighted how hard-hitting the team can be if the use of ball possession is intentional.

Heart and fight for the occasion

It is early days under Frank, so even in a case of dropped points, lessons learnt can mean as much— or even more— than triumphs to take the team to a more competitive level for the medium term.

Last campaign, Ange Postecoglou reached a point when the team went all-in on the Europa League and eased off their ambitions in the domestic tournaments. However, a 17th place finish will not be acceptable again and Frank has to find a way to balance agendas on the home front and in Europe.

So far, so good. The Dane has watched his men keep clean sheets in two of their last three fixtures, and they have remained undefeated since the return from the international break earlier this month.

What will please the head coach even more is the resilience and attitude of the players on the pitch.

At the end of a long, hard week, it would have been easy for the side to lose their way a little in frustration that their good work from the first half was going unfulfilled. But they stuck to the script.

Tactics, pragmatism, and routines can put the players in a position to pick apart holes in opponents, while a stacked squad should give them different looks in different phases of fixtures. Yet, none of it matters without having heart and courage to keep doing the right things: this was an informative step.

Brighton will be kicking themselves as Tottenham Hotspur had the spirit to take back a point from their trip to the Amex Stadium after going 2-0 down. It is a familiar feeling for fans of the side from the south coast: moments of clear quality could not compensate for issues at match management.

Threatening forwards find a way

The factory line on the south coast seldom disappoints for long. Joao Pedro put pen to paper to sign for Chelsea in July, but the futureproofing process had already taken place in the attacking roster.

Their most mercurial talent, and a player who had growing importance, is Georginio Rutter.

In the 8th minute, he picked the lock brilliantly. Brajan Gruda got hold of the ball, took it away from Rodrigo Bentancur, and fed it to the central forward. He held off Micky van de Ven and had the vision to hook a clipped ball behind for Yankuba Minteh to chase. His teammate finished the job.

The French forward has the drive, guile, and creativity to get the ball into the final third, and he can go to a greater level with a nastier streak in front of goal. That is where one of the wide men helps.

Minteh, whose manager said he is "always a threat" after this contest, left a mark again. Apart from his goal, his relentless running let him be an outlet for the likes of Rutter to try to hit on the break.

Indeed, there has been so much talent on the flanks and in the mould of a second striker that one can forget Kaoru Mitoma is still on the books. This team tormented Man City in the final half hour of a 2-1 triumph at the end of August, and their offensive talent in transition is a threat to be respected.

Baleba must dig deep to turn the page

Unfortunately, the day would not last long for the most coveted asset in the ranks of the hosts.

Carlos Baleba came off at half time to make way for Diego Gomez. He has not completed 90 minutes of a match at all in a stop-start season. Iy is a world away from where he was before.

Indeed, the summer has not been straightforward for the 21-year-old. He suffered a knee injury in preseason that complicated his prep for the middle of August. Most of all, he was caught in a saga that suggested Man United had earmarked him as the top target to move their midfield unit forwards.

Call it head loss, lack of rhythm, or something else: the Cameroonian has not been his usual self.

He has not dropped off a cliff. A former number 10 at Lille, he is not always the most switched-on defensively, so that is nothing new. Where he sets himself apart is with the incision of his progressive passing off both feet and balanced ball carries: the range of distribution at times was impressive

At his top level, he felt like a one-man midfield holding it together for the Seagulls. With only a half of football in his legs due to fatigue, there is still some work needed to get Baleba back to his best.

Hurzeler handles the second order problem

In the 75th minute, Hurzeler had an idea. He chose to take off Minteh and put on Diego Coppola in his place. The summer signing is a defender, and the switch signalled a reshuffle: the Seagulls sat in a back five where the substitute was an extra centre back next to the initial pairing in the lineup.

However, the plan would quickly fall foul of the known quantity present in the Tottenham ranks.

Ferdi Kadioglu had come back into the fiery furnace in this fixture after his absence with a toe injury. Three appearances off the subs' bench could never completely prepare for the challenge of defending Mohamed Kudus. The winger was a nightmare all day and continued to threaten the opposition.

The Ghanaian had the power, poise, and final ball to be an all-round package, and the changes around him never got to grips with his impact. Twice, he did the heavy lifting to help put Xavi Simons in scoring positions, and his devilish delivery deflected off a flat footed Jan Paul van Hecke.

There were late chances for the hosts. Danny Welbeck would profit from a loose Xavi Simons flick to try his luck at testing Guglielmo Vicario. Minutes later, he might have hit the back of the net if Yasin Ayari had not charged in front of him towards the penalty spot and fluffed his lines.

However, the Amex Stadium would have to stew on another lost lead that raises questions.

Brighton become their own worst enemies

Brighton finished eighth last campaign, but a sense of annoyance at the year was not unfair. With no continental football in midweek and a stacked squad of attackers, the dream was a return to Europe.

The fact that the team failed to achieve the goal is not the worst thing. However, their failings on the way to that outcome were clear and remain problems that are holding them back at the moment.

No Premier League outfit had dropped more than their 22 points from winning positions last term. Already, they have blown a lead in the last minute against Fulham in a 1-1 draw, cocked up countless chances at Everton in a 2-0 defeat, and again sacrificed a two goal advantage in front of their fans.

Even in the first half hour, Spurs showed that they can cut through the Brighton block with ease. Frank had laid out a clear plan for the day, with underlaps from Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall breaking through the lines over and again while Richarlison rolled off Jan Paul van Hecke in duels.

Tottenham battled back to a 2-2 draw with Brighton on a day that displaye more completeness on the ball. Thomas Frank spoke about his attackers, particularly one who "dominated" his domain.

‘He can do that and the 10’

Xavi Simons came onto the field as a ten and his display did exactly what the manager expected.

“I’m pleased with that. Xavi came in and did exactly what we thought he could do in in that 10 position and I think he had a good preseason and he played two games in Germany and all that.”

The finishing touches were elusive for the Dutchman, but his creative instinct shone through.

“He's still coming into a team and all that and I think on any other day he scores a goal. he got a great finish on the first one, then great save from Bart Verbruggen, the other one he mishits. I think he could have got an assist to Richarlison where Lucas Bergvall takes the ball and he doesn’t see him.”

The £51 million man moved from RB Leipzig as a ten in their standard 4-2-2-2 system and he looked a cut above from his work against Villarreal and West Ham as someone drifting in off the left wing.

Some of that has to do with the finetuning of the offensive elements of the system and time will tell where the presence of returning attackers shift his responsibilities. In any case, he is a great asset.

“I think he can easily play the left winger that can go more Sometimes the playmakers drift to the side because there's no space in the middle. He can do that but 10 obviously he can play that as well.”

‘He looked lively’

Across 90 minutes, the best attacker in the bunch was Mohamed Kudus. The £55 million man has been a revelation after his transfer from West Ham and the manager explained why he has excelled.

“His work ethic has been really good: how hard he worked in the counter, high pressure defensive side of it. But also his hold up play when he goes into him: it sticks. They can't get it off him.

“So he just keeps it. He doesn't lose 50/50 balls. 50/50 ball. The third thing his 1 v 1 ability is crazy. He's so strong. He's so explosive. He dominated that right hand side.”

There was a first Premier League start of the season for Wilson Odobert. The French forward featured from the left flank ahead of Destiny Udogie and his sharp movement caught Frank's eye.

“I must admit I thought he looked lively. It looked like um they were a little bit afraid of him. So he got time to turn and run forward and I think we drew some crosses, some good opportunities. He's also involved in a goal, worked hard. A good first start.”

His compatriot, Randal Kolo Muani, missed out with an injury, but he could debut in midweek.

“Hopefully. It was a dead leg. He’s been struggling with for four or five days. It was just not settling as we hoped for. So hopefully Wednesday.”