Tottenham Hotspur continued a busy preseason in Hong Kong, taking on Arsenal for the first ever preseason North London derby. A fractious and intense match for a supposed friendly, a stout defense and stunning goal from Pape Matar Sarr saw Spurs through to a one goal victory.
Sarr’s goal was impressive; stepping up to pressure a pass out of the back from David Raya, he won possession around the halfway line before coolly slotting the ball over Raya from around 40 yards out. It was a lone moment of magic that made all the difference on the day.
Here’s my top ten talking points from Spurs’ first match on their Asia tour.
Though Frank has played some version of a 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 in each preseason fixture, he has tinkered with the shape and lineup each time; and this match was no different. It was a classic 4-2-3-1 this time, but with Lucas Bergvall at the #10, and with more of the Brentford V2 split center backs, Romero and Van de Ven coming wide to create more passing angles through the middle. Maybe Frank isn’t quite sure of the best setup with this squad yet; or maybe it’s just an opportunity to drill the squad in different build-up patterns.
Hong Kong seems to have a fair few Arsenal fans. There’s no accounting for taste, I guess. It created a hostile atmosphere for Spurs though, with the Kai Tak crowd gasping and cheering every time Arsenal neared the Spurs penalty area. This, combined with the oppressive heat and humidity created something of a cauldron that the Lilywhites stood up to well.
Spurs often struggled to break into the penalty area through the match, lacking a creative presence around the box; however, they made up for that with some dangerous set pieces to create chances. Spurs hit the post more than once and came near to scoring on a small handful of occasions, and set piece routines were to thank, with the Lilywhites always looking a threat from dead ball situations. One chance in particular looked destined to be a goal, with Richarlison unluck to not quite reach the ball before it hit the post and ricocheted back off the Brazilian... but not into the goal.
Pape Matar Sarr struggled at times under Ange Postecoglou, but things are looking like they could be different under Frank. The Senegalese midfielder is more at home in Frank’s midfield structure, which has maximized his ground coverage and smart defensive interventions; plus there’s the fact that Sarr has now scored three of Spurs’ five goals so far this preseason. All of the above were on full display in his wondergoal in the first half, never mind the fact that there may have been a sneaky trip from Richarlison in there.
Early on in the match I was a little concerned that the referee may not be aware of the bad blood between the two clubs. Challenges were flying in right, left, and center, and the referee in general let a lot go that on any other day could have received more than just a whistle. The pace and quality of play, while not quite at the level you would see midway through a season, carried at the very least a modicum of excitement and focus about it that elevated the occasion.
Exploding into form midway through last season, Djed found his success largely playing on the left; however, when he switched back to his more “natural” right side, he seemed to struggle somewhat. This theme has continued in preseason, with Djed looking often unsettled in the matches thus far - but Destiny Udogie’s knee injury gave Spence a chance on the left once more. He was impressive, covering Bukayo Saka well in the first half and also getting forward to support the attack. Maybe he’s just more comfortable on that side?
One tactic we’ve seen more often under Frank than Postecoglou is the switch of play; even by players from whom you wouldn’t expect. Kudus, Sarr, and Odobert were among those outside of Spurs’ more natural passers of the ball who spotted an opportunity and quickly rocketed possession across the pitch - with surprising accuracy.
Mikel Arteta has been in trouble before for coming outside his technical area and encroaching on the pitch. You’d think he’d be more relaxed for a friendly, but no. Pedro Porro was having none of it. With Spurs having a throw in right on top of the Arsenal technical area, Spurs’ right back had no qualms about shoving the Arsenal manager back into his rightful position.
Brennan Johnson has both his supporters and detractors. It’s hard to deny his ability to get into goalscoring positions; but if Spurs aren’t in free flight, he can struggle to impact the match. This was no clearer than in this match, where he barely touched the ball. Frank was reportedly in for Johnson while the Welshman was still at Forest; maybe he can work some magic and help the winger round out his game a bit.
Thomas Frank seemed to take this match very seriously - both a good sign for Spurs’ preparation, and for his understanding of the club. While he could have used this match as an opportunity to blood further young players, he instead started a strong lineup that he pushed to spend as long on the pitch as possible, only making substitutes when players clearly tired or it made tactical sense. Not only did it push his players’ fitness, it also ensured Spurs got one over on Arsenal - a great morale boost heading into the season.
Screw it, we’re gonna win the league.
