Football Insider

Richarlison has been backed to have a successful season at Spurs after hitting two goals in their opening day victory over Burnley.

The 28-year-old showed his quality in-front of goal with two fine finishes, including an acrobatic effort, as Spurs comfortably saw of visitors Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Richarlison has been linked with a move away from Spurs, though the Brazilian has been taking his chance in the team amid an injury to Dominic Solanke.

Summer arrival Mohammed Kudus from West Ham assisted two of Richarlison’s goals against the Clarets and the pair have been tipped to develop a relationship in-front of goal.

Richarlison claim made after Burnley double

Speaking on talkSPORT [17 August], former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes that Richarlison and Kudus could develop into the next Harry Kane and Heung-min Son partnership.

O’Hara went on to make a bold claim amid Viktor Gyokeres’ stuttering start to life at Arsenal, although he stressed the need for consistency in Richarlison’s game.

“He’s got to do it consistently, O’Hara said.

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“He has been poor in a Spurs shirt and he’s not delivered but last couple of games, against PSG I thought he’d done well in a tough game.

“Today [against Burnley] I thought he was absolutely fantastic and he’s going to keep Solanke out of the team for now, but he’s got to do it week in week out.

“I think Richarlison scores more goals than Gyokeres this season.

“I think Richarlison is going to do business this year, what I’ve seen is he looks hungry, he looks fit, he looks like he has got a point to prove.”

Richarlison scored just four Premier League goals last season, and Thomas Frank will be expecting more from the striker this season.

Gyokeres has point to prove amid Richarlison declaration

Football Insider Verdict

Richarlison showed his capabilities in-front of goal against Burnley, though the Brazilian still needs to prove his worth at Spurs.

The opening day encounter was always going to be a perfect opportunity for Richarlison, and players like Kudus, to make a good impression in-front of the Spurs support.

There next match at Manchester City though will be where Spurs will want Richarlison to step up and show that he can perform in the biggest games.

Richarlison did impress against PSG in the Super Cup, although the Parisians were not on fine form due to just returning to pre-season training.

It is therefore quite the claim that the Brazilian can score more goals than Gyokeres, even if the Swedish striker needs time to adapt after joining from Sporting Lisbon.

Gyokeres had a ruthless goal scoring record in Portugal and Arsenal have made an abundance of chances for their striker’s in recent seasons.

Brentford could face a defensive crisis as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United join the list of teams pursuing Nathan Collins.

The Bees have endured a nightmare summer so far, with manager Thomas Frank, top scorer Bryan Mbeumo, captain Christian Norgaard and goalkeeper Mark Flekken all leaving the club.

It could get worse, with Newcastle and Liverpool chasing striker Yoane Wissa.

To compound matters, Brentford made a poor start to the new Premier League season, losing 3-1 away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday — going 3-0 down before half-time with some wretched defending.

Man United and Spurs join Collins race

Football Insider revealed recently (August 10) that Brentford are likely to dig in and keep Collins amid interest from Liverpool.

However, their resolve may be tested much further now, with the Mail’s Mike Keegan reporting that Man United and Spurs are now also targeting a move for the centre-back — who was named captain ahead of the new season.

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Thomas Frank will hope he has an edge in convincing Collins – who was slammed by ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett for his yellow card on Sunday — given their familiarity together at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Meanwhile, Man United have already spent over £200million this window — including signing Mbeumo from Brentford — and would need to offload a few players before doing further business.

Republic of Ireland international Collins is key to Brentford’s hopes of remaining competitive this season, having finished first among his teammates in the 2024/25 Premier League in a host of key metrics — including aerial duels won (117), blocks (77) and clearances (226, FBref).

Given how much Brentford have already received in transfer fees this summer, the club are under no pressure to sell, and it’s hard to imagine the 24-year-old pushing to force a move through after just receiving the captain’s armband.

Andrews looking for swift solution to Wissa saga

Football Insider verdict

Though from the penalty spot, Andrews will have been relieved to see Igor Thiago finally score his first Brentford goal on Sunday, following an injury-ravaged debut season at the club.

However, that effort’s 0.79 xG accounted for over half his side’s total (1.50, FotMob) at the City Ground, in a performance that was problematic at both ends of the pitch.

The Bees need clarity over the future of Wissa, who scored 19 Premier League goals last season and was second at the club only to Mbeumo.

Whether he stays and can be relied on to improve his side’s prospects, or leaves for a Champions League outfit and allows Brentford to find a replacement, there needs to be a swift solution.

Andrews has been open about that fact and addressed it once again at full-time on Sunday, when Wissa was left out of the Brentford squad due to the ongoing speculation.

“It’s a day-by-day one in terms of Wiss,” Andrews said (BBC). “As far as I know, nothing else has happened today.

“I have no idea what the situation will be, I have been up here since yesterday, so we will deal with that during the week. Hopefully, it can resolve itself sooner rather than later.”

‘For me’ – PGMOL insider reacts to crucial Burnley penalty incident in Tottenham defeat

Tottenham avoided a potential spanner in the works after Jaidon Anthony was not awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official Keith Hackett exclusively told Football Insider his verdict on a penalty that could’ve got Burnley back in the game as they were trailing 1-0 at the time.

Richard Keys thought Burnley were hard done by despite being ridiculed by Andy Gray, but VAR checked and quickly cleared the incident.

The Lilywhites put in a largely excellent performance against the Clarets as they got three points on the board straight away in the league opener.

Goals from Brennan Johnson and an acrobatic double from Richarlison saw Thomas Frank’s Tottenham side win 3-0 ahead of a huge game against Man City at the Etihad next week.

Moreover, Mohammed Kudus is proving to be a shrewd signing from West Ham after teeing up the Brazilian on both occasions.

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Penalty could have turned the tide in Burnley’s favour

This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official and former professional referee Keith Hackett.

After the Brazilian striker gave the north London club the lead in the 10th minute, the Clarets eased into the game as they began to get more on the ball as the first half progressed.

On the 44th minute former Bournemouth winger Anthony was put through on goal as he entered the 18-yard box, the ball avoiding the whole of the Spurs defence.

Yet, as the ball was about to arrive at his feet, the Englishman appeared to be barged over by the arriving Pedro Porro who threw his hands in the air to show his innocence.

If given the penalty, Scott Parker’s side could have gotten back into the game, potentially completely changing the flow of the game for the second half with the score at 1-1.

Referee correct in his huge call to not award Burnley a spot-kick

Despite Burnley fans adamant they should have been awarded a penalty, Hackett agreed with the match official’s decision on this occasion.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider the former referee Hackett said: “It was not a penalty kick for me.

“The referee got it right on this occasion.”

Tottenham breezed to a 3-0 victory over Premier League newcomers Burnley after shaking off their UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG.

Thomas Frank was delighted with his sides victory over the promoted Clarets as Scott Parker’s men could not keep out the motivated Spurs.

Sensational goals from Richarlison and a breakaway Brennan Johnson tap-in capped off an excellent performance from the Lilywhites as they look to push into the top six this season.

From Mohammed Kudus’ brilliance to Dominic Solanke‘s growing worries over his starting position, Football Insider looks at how every player did in their first match of the season.

Guglielmo Vicario crucial as defence stayed firm

Guglielmo Vicario – 8

Popped up with four big saves to keep the Clarets out, not putting a foot wrong the whole match, providing Frank with a reassuring presence in goal.

Pedro Porro – 7

The Spaniard was highly active up and down the line, delivering three key passes and whipping in eight crosses during the match. However, he let himself down on occasions by losing the ball – 23 times to be exact.

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Cristian Romero – 8

Another solid performance from the Tottenham captain as he ensured no one got past him on the counter-attack with him and Micky van de Ven part of a resolute central partnership.

Micky van de Ven – 8

Similar to his Argentine counterpart, the Dutchman was on top-form, racing across the pitch to win the ball back including a last man tackle in the first half to keep the score at 1-0.

Djed Spence – 8

After struggling in pre-season and against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup, the Englishman was far better suited today against Burnley.

Intricately turning players inside and out, the Danish manager must consider Djed Spence to play in games where Spurs expect to have the ball as this is where the youngster performs best.

Pape Sarr delights again

Archie Gray – 6

A safe and simple performance from the Englishman with nothing to rave about as he popped the ball around in the middle of the park. Although intriguing that Frank gave him a start today ahead of new man Joao Palhinha.

Lucas Bergvall – 6

Similar to his young midfield counterpart, the Swede was nothing special today, just kept the ball ticking over as required. More to come from the number 15 for sure this season.

Pape Sarr – 8

I’ve always been a huge fan of the Senegalese for his work rate and stamina to keep running from box-to-box and he delivered again today for the Lilywhites.

Grabbing an assist for Johnson’s goal, the African continued his fine work in the middle of the pitch, winning the vast majority of his duels.

Mohammed Kudus and co. dazzled in front of goal

Mohammed Kudus – 9

The former West Ham winger is looking better and better every time he puts on a Spurs shirt, masterfully turning defenders inside out as he teed up Richarlison for both of his spectacular goals. Definitely going to be a fan favourite moving forward

Richarlison – 9 – Player of the Match

With doubts over his starting role, the Brazilian got the nod ahead of Dominic Solanke and boy did he deliver. Two well-taken goals including an over-the-head second, take a bow o pombo [the pigeon] after an incredible outing in north London!

Brennan Johnson – 8

Ran up and down the line like a mad man all afternoon and grabbed a well-deserved goal to round off a spectacular day for the Lilywhites as the Tottenham fans chanted “Johnson, again ole ole.”

Substitutes

Rodrigo Bentancur – 4

Wasn’t afforded much time on the pitch to impact but did assist in seeing the game out.

Dominic Solanke – 3

Fitness issues prevented the Englishman from starting over the wonderful Richarlison today and the South American’s performance will certainly worry the former Bournemouth front man.

Joao Palhinha – 3

Came on late in the game and didn’t do much to add to an already comfortable end of the game, the Portuguese will be looking to push into the starting XI next match however.

Wilson Odobert – 2

With just four touches in 11 minutes, the Frenchman hardly got involved in proceedings for Tottenham nor was given the time to.

Mathys Tel – 2

Similar to his compatriot, the former Bayern Munich man could not get into the match in nine minutes, but Spurs fans did applaud him throughout the game after he suffered vile racial abuse online following his Super Cup penalty miss.

‘You’re getting soft’ – Keys and Gray clash over ‘ridiculous’ Burnley penalty incident at Spurs

Richard Keys and Andy Gray were passionately split over whether Burnley should have got a potential penalty against Tottenham.

In a match where Spurs dominated proceedings, Burnley also contested in the game, causing the Lilywhites some concern to their back line if it wasn’t for the speed of Micky van de Ven.

Strikes from Richarlison and Brennan Johnson put the north London side into a commanding lead as Thomas Frank grabbed all three points for a 3-0 rout.

Yet, there was still controversy when the Clarets hit on the counter-attack, causing a debate between Keys and Gray.

Pedro Porro risky against Jaidon Anthony

Near the end of the second half, with the score still at 1-0, Jaidon Anthony was put through on goal as Pedro Porro appeared to collide with him in the box from behind.

Reviewing the incident at half-time, the iconic duo clashed over the penalty shout with Keys stating (beIN Sports, 44th minute): “There is contact and it is clumsy.”

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To which Gray adamantly replied: “Right, sorry, is he getting the ball? [No], thank you. It was a coming together, come on. You’re really giving a penalty for that?

“Sorry, he’s [Anthony] not even in the shot, come on. I’ve seen some ridiculous claims for a penalty and that’s one.”

Keys then questioned his co-presenter’s view before being interrupted as Gray said: “No, sorry, come on, you’re getting soft.”

Tottenham looking far more resolute

Football Insider verdict

After a testing UEFA Super Cup final against PSG, the Lilywhites bounced back in some style to despatch of Burnley to claim all three points in their first outing of the season.

Defensively, Frank’s side looked far better than under his predecessor Ange Postecoglou with Spurs operating as a unit rather than frantically running around the pitch.

Kudus, in particular, stunned down the right, causing problems for the defender all day long with his agility and acceleration.

The Clarets were not expected to win this tie, but they certainly weren’t completely destroyed by any stretch of the imagination.

Parker, as expected, set up his side in deep-lying banks, a feature which will certainly be employed across the season as the club looks to stay up.

Next game is a major six-pointer against relegation rivals Sunderland and one Parker has to make sure he wins if he wants any hope of staying in the top division.

Tottenham target Eberechi Eze was among those to respond to Micky van de Ven’s message after Spurs suffered a heartbreaking defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup.

Thomas Frank’s side appeared just minutes away from lifting the Super Cup after racing into a 2-0 lead, but the match unravelled in dramatic fashion in the closing stages.

Van de Ven and Cristian Romero both found the net and were solid defensively for much of the tie, but could do little to prevent late goals from substitutes Lee Kang-In and Goncalo Ramos, which dragged the game to penalties.

The night went from bad to worse for the Dutch defender when he missed his penalty in the shootout, with Mathys Tel also failing to convert his penalty, allowing the Champions League winners to snatch victory away from Tottenham.

Despite the disappointment, Van de Ven shared a motivational message to the fans, prompting a reaction from Eze, a player who could yet become his teammate in the next few weeks.

Eberechi Eze joins Tottenham players to react after Spurs loss

Van de Ven addressed Tottenham supporters in an emotional message on Instagram, apologising for his missed penalty in the Super Cup defeat to PSG.

He captioned his post with: “Devastated about last night. Sorry that I couldn’t help the team in the penalty shootout. Proud of the team, we move on and focus on what’s ahead. See you Saturday.”

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The post drew plenty of reactions from his teammates, with Dominic Solanke leaving a heart emoji, while Djed Spence and Mohammed Kudus were among those to like the message.

One name that stood out among the likes was the Crystal Palace star Eze, who has been strongly linked with a move to Spurs in recent days.

Meanwhile, Van de Ven endured a frustrating campaign last season, with injuries limiting him to just 13 Premier League appearances after an impressive debut year in North London.

While Football Insider revealed Real Madrid had been interested in Van de Ven earlier in the summer, their attention turned to Dean Huijsen, leaving the Dutchman focused on making an impact with Spurs in the new season.

Tottenham step up Eberechi Eze transfer talks

While Van de Ven’s post was emotional, Eze may have fuelled speculation about a possible transfer by his reaction to the post.

Recent reports suggesting Tottenham are advancing negotiations to sign Eze, with the push to sign him coming after James Maddison’s injury in pre-season, leaving Spurs short of creativity in midfield.

Arsenal were once thought to be favourites for the Crystal Palace star, but it now appears their North London rivals are moving quickly in an attempt to hijack the deal.

Thomas Frank is facing important decisions in the transfer market to continue strengthening his Tottenham attack.

Amid their efforts to enjoy a significantly better Premier League season than last term, Spurs have signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.

Kudus impressed during his time with the Hammers, particularly in the 2022/23 season, when he notched 14 goals and six assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.

Despite the winger’s presence, Tottenham were beaten by PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, 13 August, via a penalty shootout.

Tottenham told to favour Eze move over Savinho swoop

As Frank continues to improve his squad, Eberechi Eze is keen to join Tottenham after helping Crystal Palace win the FA Cup last term.

The England international’s return of 14 goals and 12 assists for the Eagles last season suggests that he is capable of excelling at Spurs.

Meanwhile, Tottenham could make a second bid for Savinho amid their strong interest in the Manchester City winger.

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Playing ‘transfer Tinder’ live on talkSPORT [14 August], Gabby Agbonlahor said: “Do they need Savinho? feel like they need an Eze, a number 10 off the left.

“They’ve got Kudus to play on the right side. I’m going to swipe left (say no).

“I feel like they’ve got (Brennan) Johnson, they’ve got (Mathys) Tel, (Wilson) Obdobert, Kudus as wingers. Maybe they need a number 10.”

Eze can provide remedy to James Maddison woe at Spurs

Football Insider verdict

Tottenham’s summer transfer plans have already been altered by the fact that Nottingham Forest retained former Spurs target Morgan Gibbs-White.

Meanwhile, the North Londoners have been rocked by the news that James Maddison has suffered a long-term injury.

Maddison is an influential figure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium who scored 12 goals and produced 10 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions last term.

But the potential acquisition of Eze will help Frank’s men deal with life without the former Leicester City star.

Eze’s Crystal Palace career proves that he has similar creative abilities to Maddison, while the Eagles man can operate effectively on the wing.

Furthermore, as alluded to by Agbonlahor, the England international appears to be a more necessary purchase for Tottenham than Savinho.

While Savinho is a talented winger, the North London club already enjoy the services of players like Johnson, who performed well last term.

‘Not acceptable’ – Ex-FIFA ref hails prompt Tottenham action after shocking Mathys Tel abuse

Tottenham have responded promptly to the racial abuse suffered by forward Mathys Tel after their UEFA Super Cup defeat to PSG on Wednesday.

The North Londoners established a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from defender Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, but Lee Kang-In and Goncalo Ramos scored late on for PSG to send the game to a penalty shootout on 13 August.

Van de Ven and Tel both missed their spot kicks as PSG beat Tottenham 4-3 on penalties to kickstart their campaign with a trophy.

Spurs will now turn their attention to their first Premier League game of the season, which sees them host Burnley on Saturday, 16 August.

Tottenham respond to racist abuse aimed at Tel

This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official, and former professional referee Keith Hackett.

Tottenham missed an opportunity to claim their second piece of silverware in a matter of months, after beating Manchester United in May’s Europa League final.

Meanwhile, after directing his penalty off target, Tel was subject to racial abuse.

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Tottenham responded to the serious incidents via X on Thursday, 14 August as they wrote: “We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat.

“Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards – hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views.

“We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify.

“We stand with you, Mathys.”

Ex-FIFA ref praises Spurs for response to Tel abuse

Hackett exclusively told Football Insider: “All participants in sport make mistakes or do not achieve the outcome that they want or desire.

“This player in a tense situation goes through a great deal of pressure before taking a penalty kick to determine the outcome of the match.

“I have been close up in these situations and seen that pressure exposed on the face of the kicker, whilst placing the ball on the penalty mark and at the start of their run up.

“I have witnessed the joy of a kick been converted and the huge disappointment when the kicker fails.

It is something that the player has to live with for the rest of his life.

“In this instance the racial abuse to this player or any participant in the game of football is not acceptable.

The club to their credit have acted quickly.

Tottenham lost the UEFA Super Cup on penalties against PSG as Thomas Frank’s competitive debut as Spurs boss ended with a loss in Udine.

Spurs were unfancied by many heading into the tie, but they had the bulk of the chances in the early stages and soon found the breakthrough as Micky Van de Ven fired home a loose ball just before half-time.

Cristian Romero doubled Tottenham’s lead with a headed effort just after the interval, but the North London outfit soon let their advantage slip as Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos both struck late on to send the tie to penalties.

Vitinha handed Spurs the advantage as he missed PSG’s first spot-kick, but further misses from Micky Van de Ven and Mathys Tel put it into the French side’s hands, and Nuno Mendes soon stepped up to win it 4-3 and complete an almighty comeback for his side.

Spurs just came unstuck right at the end as PSG’s quality prevailed, and as with every game, certain players put a shift in while some failed to impress, so here are three winners and three losers as Frank’s side tasted defeat in Udine.

Richarlison among Spurs winners after battling performance

Richarlison

Richarlison has been mooted with a move away from Spurs this summer, but Frank will be thinking twice about potentially selling him anytime soon based on this showing.

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The Brazilian international worked tirelessly all night against a strong PSG backline, as he barely gave them a chance to breathe when they had the ball and then was dangerous when he had it at his own feet, despite still not quite having the end product to match.

Cristian Romero

Romero was named as Spurs’ new club captain prior to their first competitive outing since Son Heung-min’s departure, and he backed that decision up with a fantastic performance against PSG all-round.

His header for the second probably should have been saved by Lucas Chevalier, but it was a deserved goal all the same, and he was an absolute rock at the back all night as he ended the clash with four headed clearances, two out of two ground duels won and two out of three aerial duels won [Fotmob].

Djed Spence

Spence lined up on the left of a back-five in Udine rather than on his favoured right due to Spurs’ other injury concerns, but he rarely put a foot wrong all game and had the numbers of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi throughout, which is no mean feat.

He will feel somewhat disappointed not to have stopped Ousmane Dembele’s cross in the lead up to PSG’s equaliser, yet that was a small letdown in an otherwise outstanding performance as he looks to thrust his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans this season.

Tel among Spurs losers after penalty miss

Mathys Tel

Tel’s cameo was nightmarish, to say the least, as he almost immediately conceded a free-kick in a dangerous area and then went on to miss the target with his penalty to put PSG into the ascendancy on the night.

The young Frenchman is still learning on the job at his age, but it will be Thomas Frank who has learnt the most about his application and bottle here as Tel committed two fouls, did not complete a dribble from three attempts and had just eight touches in his 17-minute appearance, according to Fotmob.

Dominic Solanke

Solanke’s showing was night and day compared to that of Richarlison’s, as he seemed to exert much less energy than his Brazilian teammate when Tottenham arguably needed it most as they tried to hold onto their lead in the dying embers of the game.

The England striker did dispatch his penalty well in the shootout, but had he tried a bit more in the actual game then it may not have even got to that point, and he finished his 24-minute appearance with just five touches of the ball and no accurate passes completed [Fotmob].

Kevin Danso

Danso’s performance was not one that Spurs fans are used to seeing from him, as he understandably struggled to cope with the speed and trickery of Bradley Barcola throughout.

His long-throw was a decent weapon at times, yet rarely ever actually created a chance, and he was one of just two Spurs players that were booked on the night as he tried to time-waste to no avail.

Tottenham could not hold on to a 2-0 lead to PSG as they lost on penalties in a gut-wrenching turn of events in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Despite leading the UEFA Super Cup final for 85 minutes courtesy of two set-piece goals scored by Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, the Lilywhites could not hold on.

A late headed equaliser by super-sub Goncalo Ramos forced the game to penalties where Spurs unfortunately continued to fall apart.

Not the ideal result for Thomas Frank‘s side, yet we learnt a lot from the match which can be used going forward into the new Premier League season, despite the loss on the night.

Thomas Frank continues to flex his tactical versatility

Known for turning Brentford from a defence first side when they first came up to the Premier League to transitioning to a free-scoring attacking unit, the Dane is one of the most tactically astute managers in the English top-flight.

Setting up in a 5-3-2, the Lilywhites were compact and hard to break down, pressing the French outfit at precise times to step up the pitch.

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I’m a huge fan of how, even without much of the ball, Spurs still made found ways to be efficient with the ball when they had the opportunity in a clinical manner.

Set-pieces an area of significant improvement

Under Ange Postecoglou, goals for Tottenham from corners and free-kicks were a rarity, whilst north London rivals Arsenal were the kings from set-pieces last year.

Yet, the Dane has clearly brought his tactical knowhow to White Hart Lane with the Lilywhites looking much more prepared and structured from dead-ball situations.

Both goals came from these types of scenarios and were superbly taken by Romero and Van de Ven when the ball popped up.

Expect a greater number of goals from this source this season, adding another weapon to the Tottenham arsenal.

Romero calm and measured with new captain responsibility

Scoring on his “captain debut” as the official designated leader of the team, the Argentine put in a resolute performance at the heart of the Spurs defence.

He won the vast majority of his duels whilst maintaining a tight structure with Kevin Danso and Van de Ven either side of him.

I was unsure about whether the World Cup winner had what it takes to change his mentality and attitude for the better, but he certainly put the doubts to bed tonight.

The creative number 10 still remains a mystery

All the build up before the game focused on who would step up to fill in as the midfield maestro in the centre-attacking midfield role.

After Frank opted to play with three defensive midfielders, that question still remains unanswered as the Dane decided to go for defensive solidity rather than attacking freedom.

Mohammed Kudus did operate up top with Richarlison and was given licence to roam which saw him deliver three key passes, highlighting his potential as the creative hub.

The Wilson Odobert experiment had the potential to be reignited but clearly that was not to be the case tonight for Tottenham.

This means that we will have to wait until Spurs’ first game against Burnley to see who will fill the void of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, although the north London side didn’t struggle to trouble the PSG defence.

Mentality remains an issue for Frank to fix

With a 2-0 lead and looking defensively imperious, I genuinely thought my side were about to win another trophy, well and truly putting the “Spursy” term to bed.

I was wrong. Lapses in concentration gave PSG a way back in to the tie through Lee Kang-in after 85 minutes before Ramos’ 94th-minute leveller, when we confidently kept the French side out for large portions of the match, barely laying a glove on Guglielmo Vicario.

Yet, it is evident that the “bottle-job” mentality has not been fully shaken as missing two penalties was a huge punch to the stomach, especially after Vitinha’s miss had also put us ahead in the shootout.

There were positives in some of the players’ attitudes and application, but clearly, more work has to be done psychologically to ensure greater focus and belief to see out the big games.