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Thomas Frank has lavished praise on two Tottenham young guns after their performance in the Champions League clash at Parc de Princes on Wednesday.

For several months now, Tottenham fans have been calling on Frank to break up the Joao Palhinha-Rodrigo Bentancur partnership, due to their shortcomings in possession.

The Dane decided to do just that against PSG, leaving Palhinha out of his starting eleven and handing starts to both Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

Sarr also found a place in Frank’s starting line-up, with the Lilywhites setting up in a 4-2-2-2 formation, with Randal Kolo Muani partnering Richarlison upfront.

Thomas Frank reveals what stood out about Tottenham duo Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall

Gray and Bergvall did not look fazed against the reigning European champions, showing bravery in possession and bursting forward whenever they got the opportunity to do so.

Frank admitted that he has always believed in the talent of the two teenagers, but confessed that their mentality and character stood out against PSG.

When he was asked about the fearlessness of Gray and Bergvall, the Tottenham boss told Football.London: “Very impressive. Two young players, said from the beginning, that I believe a lot in. Archie was there ready before Monaco and then unfortunately picked up the calf injury. So we’ve been waiting for him to be ready again.

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“Today, he showed a lot. The way the two of them set up the first goal was also joyful to watch, but the mobility, technical, ball handling, mentality, character, I liked it.”

Frank reveals reason for his midfield selections against PSG

Wednesday’s clash in Paris was just the second time that Sarr, Bergvall and Gray have started together this season.

Frank explained that he decided to play the trio since he wanted Tottenham to press PSG man-to-man and have running power in the middle of the park.

When asked about playing the three Spurs youngsters in midfield, Frank responded: “I think the main bit was a little bit the game plan that we wanted for running midfielders. Not a winger, just because of the dynamic to follow their man-man pressure.

“That was one thing. And then because I knew when we wanted them in these open spaces, they’re such willing runners, that definitely helped in the spaces they created from there.”

Luis Enrique has complimented Tottenham Hotspur for one key aspect of their game in the 5-3 Champions League thriller on Wednesday night.

It was not to be forTottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night as PSG sealed a 5-3 victory in a rematch of the UEFA Super Cup.

Spurs took the lead twice during the game thanks to two very well taken goals scored by Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani respectively.

However, Thomas Frank’s team began to struggle in defence and ended up conceding five goals, adding to the woes of the North London derby defeat.

Luis Enrique heaps praise on Tottenham Hotspur

Despite Tottenham’s vulnerability at the back being exposed, PSG manager Luis Enrique has praised them for the way they defended in the early stages of the game.

He has also commented on his own team’s defence, insisting it was not good enough on the night, despite PSG claiming all three points.

Enrique described Tottenham’s opening goal as “incredible” before adding (Football London): “We didn’t defend very well, [but the goal was] well played really. This was the first one. Second one a set piece and the third was Vitinha’s assist.

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“There are no easy games in the Champions League. Tottenham also played a really good game. Their defensive organisation in the first half was excellent.”

The Spaniard was asked whether this was a game to judge Ligue 1 champions PSG against the standard of the Premier League.

He said: “I’m not here to judge any teams. Teams in the Premier League are at a high level but it is a competition that’s very long and we will see in March which teams will be there.”

“I know Arsenal are first in both competitions, they don’t concede many goals and are at a very high level, but we must be careful.”

Spurs repeated the same old defensive mistakes

Some of the goals Tottenham conceded against PSG were giveaways, with Cristian Romero and Pape Matar Sarr guilty of mistakes.

Others were a result of brilliance from Vitinha, but Spurs should not have allowed the talented midfielder to have so much space to be able to get his shots away. It felt just like a re-run of Tottenham’s previous meeting with PSG, as Frank’s side backed off from the attacker.

Spurs were much braver against PSG than they were at the Emirates Stadium, but there has to be a willingness to close down. Otherwise, the good defensive structure Enrique has referred to does not count for anything.

Thomas Frank has confirmed that one of his best players against PSG in the Champions League is fit enough to start again for Tottenham this weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur’s last outing did not end in a win, but there were a few positives to take from their encounter with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Randal Kolo Muani’s display stands out as the most notable, after the forward scored a brace and grabbed an assist, which helped Tottenham score three against the French champions.

Spurs fans were left pleased with the forward’s showing, with many supporters even calling for Kolo Muani to start at the weekend against Fulham.

Thomas Frank reveals if Randal Kolo Muani will start for Tottenham against Fulham

Tottenham fans will be expecting a victory against London rivals Fulham, as they will want their side to get back to winning ways.

Thomas Frank has now revealed that Kolo Muani is in line for a start this weekend, which will delight supporters who were impressed by his midweek performance.

Speaking to the official Tottenham channel, he explained that the forward is ready to feature from the outset, while also touching on the challenge of managing the quick turnaround between fixtures.

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Frank said, “Yeah, he will be fit enough to start against Fulham. I think he performed well, his best performance so far.

“That is the challenge we are embracing, three days between games, how can we find the perfect balance between games in energy, intensity, the right structure on the pitch. It is a nice coaching challenge.”

Kolo Muani’s overall play earns praise from Thomas Frank

Frank also shared his thoughts on the forward’s overall performance against Paris Saint-Germain, and he highlighted the link-up play and sharpness the forward delivered in key moments.

Speaking about the Frenchman, he broke down the actions that impressed him most, from the awareness around Richarlison’s goal to the pace shown for his second.

He added: “It was exciting. You just see the link-up play last night. The exciting thing was around the first goal, the vision with the header towards goal for Richy.

“His first goal, quick reactions and finishing. Then showed the pace and clinical in the finish. Now it is about doing it consistently, every game.”

Thomas Frank has now provided an injury update on the fitness of Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s busy schedule.

Tottenham Hotspur are moving into the busiest stretch of the campaign, and the schedule is about to intensify for every club, which naturally means squad depth will be tested.

This is the point in the season where rotation becomes crucial, especially with so many matches lined up between now and March, and managers across the league will be relying heavily on the size of their squads.

Thomas Frank will be hoping that his group is robust enough to cope with the load as Spurs aim to navigate this run without losing ground.

Tottenham’s injury crisis has eased slightly, although several players remain unavailable. Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai are still sidelined, which continues to leave gaps in key areas of the pitch.

Given Spurs‘ struggles in the final third, many supporters are eager to know when Solanke and Kulusevski will return to action.

Frank touched on the situation and, while he made it clear that he is keen to have them back, he explained that he will not commit to any timeframe.

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Speaking to the official Tottenham channel, he said: “It is part of it. We get judged when we walk into a fantastic club like this. There are expectations every day, on every performance. That is part of the game.

“No problem with that. I would love to have them ready to play for us, but they are unavailable, other players need to step up. It is much easier to say they are in, when available, rather than put a timeframe on it.”

Spurs need others to step up while Kulusevski and Solanke recover

While Frank refuses to set a return date for Kulusevski and Solanke, reports have claimed that both players could be back in December, although even that will require patience as they will need time to adjust to the demands of Tottenham’s new manager.

It is now on those who are fit to shoulder the responsibility, and Randal Kolo Muani did exactly that against Paris Saint-Germain last time out, offering a reminder of what he can bring when trusted through the middle.

If he can deliver that level consistently, then the absence of Solanke and others will not be felt as sharply as expected.

Thomas Frank has now provided an injury update on the fitness of his Tottenham Hotspur players ahead of this weekend’s derby clash with Fulham.

Thomas Frank’s side has managed just one win in their last five outings in all competitions, and the pressure is mounting on the Dane to turn Spurs‘ fortunes around, especially with a London derby on the horizon.

Tottenham currently find themselves in ninth place, but only three points separate them from 14th-placed Newcastle United, which highlights how tight the middle of the table remains at this stage of the campaign.

A victory against Fulham will be crucial for Frank, who has suffered two defeats in his last two London derbies, including a heavy 4-1 thrashing against Arsenal that has left supporters demanding a response.

Tottenham injury news as Thomas Frank assesses his squad

Paris Saint-Germain made it nine goals conceded in two games on Wednesday night, putting five past Frank’s men in a difficult outing that exposed Tottenham’s defensive frailties.

But it was not all gloom, as Randal Kolo Muani grabbed a brace and an assist against his parent club, announcing himself to the Tottenham faithful.

Games are now set to come thick and fast as we head into the festive period, and Frank will need all his players to be fit and ready, which makes squad availability even more crucial.

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The Dane has now provided an injury update on his squad ahead of the Fulham clash. Cristian Romero is suspended after picking up five yellow cards in his opening twelve games.

Radu Dragusin continues to make progress after playing in a behind-closed-doors game after spending the last eight months sidelined, but it remains to be seen if he will make the matchday squad.

Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies and Kota Takai have their returns pencilled in for December.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has now revealed who he believes will go on to win the Ballon d’Or in the future.

It was yet another defeat for Tottenham Hotspur, who suffered their first loss in the Champions League league phase to cup holders Paris Saint-Germain.

That defeat made it two on the bounce for Spurs, who have also conceded a whopping nine goals in their last two outings.

Frank’s side is also with just one win in their last five matches, but Wednesday’s defeat was not all doom and gloom.

There were a few positives for Spurs, who witnessed deadline day signing Kolo Muani announce himself to the Lilywhite faithful with a brace and an assist, showing just why he was signed.

Thomas Frank praises Vitinha after European defeat

Tottenham also managed to grab three goals, and had it not been for some sloppy individual mistakes, it could well have been a victory for Frank’s men.

The Dane has claimed that he loved the response from his players on Wednesday, but he also made a bold claim, stating that Tottenham came up against a future Ballon d’Or winner.

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Vitinha was unplayable with the Portuguese proving to be a constant thorn in Spurs’ flesh, sealing his impressive display with a hat-trick.

As he reflected on the match, Frank highlighted the level of quality Tottenham faced and praised the midfielder heavily, telling the media, as relayed by GIVEMESPORT: “By the way, Vitinha, best midfielder in the world, he will be the next Ballon d’Or winner for me.”

Tottenham lack Ballon d’or stars like Vitinha

The Tottenham boss’s assessment is not over the top, given that Vitinha finished on the podium in the Ballon d’Or ceremonies last season.

The Portuguese was third, and there, of course, is a case to be made that he will have also been a worthy winner, just like teammate Ousmane Dembele.

Such is the quality in the Champions League, where world-class players can simply turn games on their head with their individual brilliance.

Tottenham lack such top-class players, although they did have some in the past with Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

Lucas Bergvall has now opened up on Tottenham Hotspur’s latest defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, highlighting the positives Spurs can take from the performance.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their first defeat of the Champions League on Wednesday night in Paris against Paris Saint-Germain, and it came in a match where the momentum shifted sharply after the break.

It was a mixed performance from Thomas Frank’s men, who played well in the first half but crumbled in the second, with individual mistakes proving costly and handing PSG the initiative.

That was not the sort of response Thomas Frank would have been expecting, although the overall performance was better than what was on display at the weekend, where Arsenal beat Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Lucas Bergvall reacts after Tottenham defeat to PSG

Speaking on the performance, Lucas Bergvall opened up on how the match unfolded and highlighted the contrast between both halves, telling the official Tottenham channel that he felt there were positives but also moments that cost them.

He said: “Tough game today, I thought the first half was really good, but in the end they were better, but still a step in the right direction from last Sunday, so I think I just need to keep moving forward.

“We played against one of the best teams in the world we need to take the good things, and perform on Saturday.”

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When asked about what had been discussed between Sunday and the match in Paris, he explained that the message was about resetting and responding, revealing that the group had a clear aim going into the game.

He said: “We need to turn this around. Everybody knows it was not good enough on Sunday we just need to keep believing in what we do and just keep going again and I thought we really did that in the first half and then in the second half I do not know what happened, but a few mistakes maybe not good enough we just need to see that back and do better.”

Spurs positives after defeat to Paris Saint Germain

On his own performance against PSG, Bergvall reflected on his return to the side and how he and Archie Gray were able to bring some energy back into midfield after a spell out of the starting lineup.

He added: “Yeah I thought it was good to be back me and Arch we have not played in a few weeks so yeah could definitely bring the energy. I thought it was good, but at the same time it is a loss we just need to be prepared for Saturday.”

Looking at the positives from the defeat, he emphasised the strength of the first half and how Tottenham must carry those elements into their next fixture.

He continued: “Yeah, as I mentioned the first half I thought was really good we can take a lot from it that we did not do last Sunday. We just need to keep moving and keep going. We have a new game in a few days so yeah.”

Tottenham Hotspur put on a much improved display against PSG, but it was still not good enough to secure any points.

Tottenham Hotspur were looking to bounce back after a shocking 4-1 defeat in the North London derby, but a visit to PSG was never going to be straightforward.

Spurs took the game to their opponent and even recorded a higher xG figure, but they conceded some cheap goals, resulting in a victory for the Champions League winners.

Here are the three winners and losers from Tottenham’s 5-3 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Randal Kolo Muani stunned his parent club

The worst has already been assumed of Randal Kolo Muani after he picked up a second injury since moving to North London. On top of this, he was yet to score a goal for Tottenham ahead of Wednesday’s fixture.

However, the striker was brilliant against PSG, assisting Richarlison in the first half and delivering two fine finishes in the second.

Muani has not had the easiest start to life at Tottenham, but he is in a good position to establish himself as a regular first-team starter. Dominic Solanke is still injured and despite his goals, Richarlison has been accused of failing to contribute throughout the 90 minutes. Therefore, the opportunity is there for Munai.

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Lucas Bergvall gave Tottenham some much needed energy

Lucas Bergvall can always be relied on to bring life to his team. The 19-year-old made a few poor touches early into the tie against PSG, but he warmed into the game and was electric for the most part.

The Swede’s standout moment was in the buildup to Tottenham’s first goal. He played a sensational backheel to Archie Gray which led to the visitors taking a surprise lead.

Bergvall’s impact lessened toward the end of the match, but it is clear that he needs to start in the Premier League. Had he played against Arsenal, perhaps Spurs would have got forwards more and displayed some positivity.

Archie Gray impressed for Spurs

It has been a rough season for Archie Gray, whose contributions last season appear irrelevant to Thomas Frank. The midfielder has rarely been needed to replace injured defenders, so his match time has been limited.

Despite this, Gray came into Tottenham’s team in a tough fixture and delivered a good performance. The England u21s international hit the crossbar and played a part in two of his team’s goals.

There is a generalisation that Gray is a defensive minded midfielder, but he has something to offer in attack too. In fact, there is an argument that he might be a more versatile option to Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from PSG 5-3 Tottenham…

Cristian Romero made far too many mistakes

Just days after Romero received a Premier League suspension, the Tottenham captain started against PSG only to drop a performance riddled with errors. Cristian Romero was responsible for the goal which put PSG ahead, playing a pass to Pape Matar Sarr who was surrounded, rather than simply clearing the ball.

The Argentina international was once again the culprit as he gave away a penalty for a blatant handball. Romero might not have intentionally handled the ball, but a player with his experience should know better than to raise his arm the way he did inside the box.

To make things worse, the centre-back was nowhere to be seen after the game and allowed Bergvall and Gray to be the ones talking to the media. This follows Sunday when Vicario was the one to address the press and some Tottenham supporters would prefer to see their captain taking this responsibility after consecutive defeats.

Rodrigo Bentancur offers Tottenham very little

It is simply incredible how Rodrigo Bentancur continues to get a free pass into Tottenham’s team when his displays this season have generally been quite poor.

The midfielder did step up and win some duels in Palhinha’s absence, including one which led to Muani’s second goal. However, he also appeared to intentionally move out of the way instead of blocking a PSG shot which ended up beating Guglielmo Vicario.

Bentancur is usually seen as the composed figure in the centre of Frank’s side, but he is lucky not to be watching matches from the bench based on the way he is playing.

Djed Spence has been poor for a while

It would be fair enough to name Sarr as the final ‘loser’, but Djed Spence has earned the unwanted spot for his repeatedly poor performances. The full-back has looked off the mark for the past couple of months and his display against PSG was yet another underwhelming showing.

Spence failed to make an accurate cross for the 84 minutes he spent on the pitch, despite four attempts, and he only won two of his seven ground duels.

The 25-year-old has a sense of humour and he often expresses this on social media. However, he can sometimes come across as arrogant and this will not go down well when he lacks the goods to back himself up.

Flashscore have provided a data point regarding chances created by various Premier League sides this season, which makes for sorry reading for Tottenham.

Since the start of the season, Thomas Frank has kept insisting that he wants Tottenham to be brave and aggressive, but Spurs fans have not seen any evidence of that so far.

The Lilywhites have struggled to create chances consistently, and that is a problem that the Dane has been unable to solve.

Pundits are now even questioning if Frank is capable of coaching a side to dominate and create chances, with the 52-year-old coming under immense pressure.

Tottenham have posted two of the worst xG scores this Premier League season

Journalist Tom Barcley has now relayed data from Flashscore regarding the worst xG scores posted by Premier League sides in any one match this season.

Interestingly, in the worst five xG scores of the season, three belong to Tottenham, including their two London derbies against Arsenal and Chelsea.

The other game to make the list was Spurs’ 1-0 loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to Bournemouth back in August, where the Lilywhites posted an xG of just 0.19.

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These numbers show why Spurs fans are extremely concerned

These xG numbers suggest that Tottenham’s results this season flatter them and that they could be much lower in the table if they had not had the rub of the green.

For Spurs to have three of the five worst xG scores of the season clearly indicates that the issue is structural.

Despite leading the game on two occasions, Tottenham conceded five goals in their latest dramatic 5-3 loss to PSG in the Champions League.

Coming off a disastrous 4-1 north London derby defeat at Arsenal, where Spurs somehow produced just 0.07 xG, it really could only go uphill. There’s simply no way to top that derby performance in terms of how bad it was, and thankfully, this one was marginally better.

Thomas Frank made 5 changes from the weekend, finally starting the midfield trio fans have been shouting for. Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr all started, while Kevin Danso, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha were rested.

First half: PSG 1-1 Tottenham

There was a bit of debate about the shape with four midfielders named in the line-up. Rodrigo Bentancur was the fourth, and the question was whether Gray would drop into a back 3 or operate as the deepest midfielder. Once the game settled, it looked like a 4-4-2 diamond with both Gray and Bentancur in midfield.

As expected, PSG saw more of the ball, but Spurs pressed high and with good energy. The first warning came when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia curled one just wide. A bigger chance followed soon after when Vitinha clipped a lovely ball over the top for Warren Zaire-Emery, whose heavy first touch gave Guglielmo Vicario the chance to punch clear.

Spurs’ pressing eventually paid off when Bergvall worked neatly down the left and slipped it inside to Gray, who whipped a cross towards the back post. Randal Kolo Muani cushioned a header across goal, leaving Richarlison the simple job of nodding in from close range.

Taking that lead into half-time would have done Thomas Frank’s side a world of good, but they let PSG back into it right before the break. Vitinha was left completely free on the edge of the box and, with all the time he wanted, let the ball run across his body before hammering a strike in off the underside of the bar to make it 1-1 at half-time.

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Second half: PSG 4-2 Tottenham

PSG made 1 change at the break and tweaked their shape, even swapping their wingers, but it didn’t help them in the opening minutes, as 4 minutes after the restart, Spurs were ahead again. Archie Gray was denied his first goal for Tottenham when his strike was headed off the line by Willian Pacho, but Kolo Muani reacted quickest and volleyed in the rebound for his first Tottenham goal.

That lead lasted all of 3 minutes. Almost every Spurs defender was dragged towards Kvaratskhelia, who slipped a tidy ball inside for Vitinha. Once again left unmarked, he dribbled into the box, shifted onto his left and curled home PSG’s equaliser.

Barely five minutes later, Tottenham handed PSG the lead for the first time. A deep Pape Sarr received the ball under pressure, was robbed by Lucas Hernandez, and the loose ball fell to Neves. The Portuguese midfielder backheeled it through for Fabian Ruiz, who steered it into the bottom corner.

After the hour mark, PSG doubled their lead from a corner. Tottenham failed to clear, the ball dropped to Pacho at close range, and he finished past Vicario from inside the six-yard area.

Just when PSG looked like they’d wrapped it up, Kolo Muani pulled one back against his parent club. Bentancur won the ball high up the pitch after dispossessing Vitinha, and it bounced into Kolo Muani’s path, who finished beyond Chevalier to make it 4-3.

But unlike Spurs, PSG rarely bottle a two-goal cushion, and they quickly restored it. Cristian Romero slid in to block a Vitinha shot, but the ball struck his raised arm, and the referee pointed to the spot. Vitinha stepped up and converted to seal his first career hat-trick.

PSG went down to ten men in stoppage time when Lucas Hernandez was shown a straight red for elbowing Xavi Simons in the face, but there was nowhere near enough time left for a comeback.

FT: PSG 5-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Spurs Web man of the match: Randal Kolo Muani

What’s next for Spurs?

There were more positives than negatives, which is not something we’ve been able to say often lately. One of the biggest was Kolo Muani getting off the mark with a brace and an assist, linking up nicely with Richarlison throughout the night.

Even more encouraging was the midfield pairing of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. Both were coming back from injury and thrown straight into a Champions League tie against the reigning holders, yet they handled it superbly. Their movement and link-up play helped Spurs create chances, and they’ll play a big role for Frank in the coming weeks.

The negatives are obvious. All five goals were avoidable. Spurs failed to close down Vitinha for both of his first strikes, switched off entirely for PSG’s third, and didn’t clear their lines for the fourth. These are basics, and Tottenham simply have to tighten up.

They now return home after three weeks on the road to host Fulham in the Premier League.