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Joao Palhinha has revealed what the feeling is in the Tottenham dressing room following the draw against Brighton, and has mentioned one aspect of their performance that the Lilywhites can be proud of.

Tottenham Hotspur’s game at the Amex Stadium was very unlike what we have come to expect under Thomas Frank so far.

Frank has emphasised defensive control and keeping clean sheets, and the Tottenham boss would thus not have been happy with the goals that his side conceded in the first half.

However, the Spurs head coach has praised the resilience his side showed against Brighton to come back from 2-0 down to salvage a draw, and Palhinha has now made a bullish claim about Tottenham’s performance.

Joao Palhinha admits Tottenham players are disappointed with a draw

The Portugal international, who came back into the starting eleven against Brighton after being used as a substitute against Villarreal, admits that he and his teammates are disappointed not to walk away with all three points from the Amex Stadium.

The 31-year-old hailed the spirit that his side showed to fight back, but insisted that they did enough to win the game.

Palhinha told Sky Sports: “We leave this stadium feeling really, really sad because in my opinion we completely deserved to win the game.

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“What we showed from the first minute, we dominated the game, created a lot of chances and arrived to the last third in a good shape. We suffered two goals against the run of play, but that’s football.

“At least what we can take is the mentality that we had fighting for the result. It’s not easy, losing 2-0 away and after you get a draw in a tough stadium like this, against a tough team like Brighton.

“Again we leave with the feeling that we could have taken the victory. But now let’s move on and focus on the cup.”

Palhinha lauds one aspect of Tottenham’s play against Brighton

Even though the Lilywhites conceded twice, Palhinha pointed out that Tottenham did not allow Brighton to counter-attack them on many occasions.

The experienced midfielder was pleased with how Spurs controlled the transitions and the chances they fashioned.

The on-loan Bayern Munich man added: “What I felt on the pitch is that we controlled the most part of the game. We did not suffer too many counterattacks, which is good against a team like this because they like to have the ball and create really good chances. We controlled the transitions, not the first one, which resulted in a goal, but in the end, we did a good game and we showed what we can do.

“This mentality needs to be there always, regardless of the result. There are a lot of things for this team to keep improving, but these improvements have come week by week.”

Thomas Frank was mightily impressed with one Tottenham Hotspur star who made his first start of the season against Brighton.

While the Tottenham Hotspur boss has mixed and matched in midfield and in attack over the last few games, he has stuck with the same defensive line.

That changed against Brighton, with Destiny Udogie coming into the starting eleven in place of Djed Spence at left-back.

The Italian served everyone a reminder of the qualities he possesses, getting up and down the pitch all game, being solid in defence, and menacing going forward.

Thomas Frank says Destiny Udogie was ‘unstoppable’ for Tottenham against Brighton

Spence has been extremely consistent for Tottenham at left-back this season, but Udogie showed against the Segaulls what he can offer, particularly with the advantage of being left-footed.

Frank was mightily impressed with how the Italy international performed, describing him as ‘unstoppable’ going forward.

When asked what he made of Udogie’s return to the starting line-up, the Dane responded (via Football.London): “Exceptional. He was exceptional today. He was unstoppable, almost, going forward. And I think also it was a bit unfortunate.

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“It was Wilson who had to track him on the situation, because it was a little bit of a high-pressure situation, the Brighton wonder goal. But he just completely took him out going forward. Very good, just top.”

Frank reveals why he waited so long to give Udogie his first start

Udogie had been nursing an injury in pre-season, and in the meantime, Spence had made the left-back spot his own.

Frank admitted that he has a good problem on his hands with the competition for places at full-back, explaining that Spence’s form meant that he had no reason to rush Udogie back.

When asked if he had been waiting for the former Udinese man to get up to speed physically, the 51-year-old responded: “Yeah, but I must admit, I’ve got three extremely good full-backs. I think Djed’s been fantastic for us. So when another player is doing so well, then there’s no reason to throw Destiny in too early. And I’m pretty sure we need all three throughout the season. That is crucial.

“We are playing, hopefully, around 60 games this season. That’s a lot. I think Liverpool changed both their full-backs from midweek to today. So it’s a big thing. We want fullbacks to come bombarding up and down. So we need everyone. But I’m very happy with Destiny.”

Thomas Frank has explained why he is over the moon with what he saw from the Tottenham players against Brighton, and admits that one aspect of his side’s play gave him ‘goosebumps’.

Spurs will be happy to have salvaged a point from the clash against Brighton, given that they were 2-0 down within the first 31 minutes.

However, on the balance of play, the Lilywhites will feel that they had the chances to come away with all three points from the Amex Stadium.

That is certainly the opinion of Thomas Frank, who admits that he cannot have asked more from his players in terms of intensity.

Thomas Frank was delighted with the mentality of the Tottenham players

The North Londoners were coming off a physically and emotionally draining Champions League clash against Villarreal in mid-week, but one would not have guessed that from the intensity they showed against the Segualls.

Frank claimed that it was his side’s most complete performance of the season, revealing that he got ‘goosebumps’ when watching the recovery runs that his players were making.

When asked if he is happy with the resilience his side showed after going 2-0 down, the Dane told Football.London: “I’m very, very pleased with it. I think there was also a situation the first half, the way we sprinted back on our recovery runs.

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“That’s goosebumps, that’s bread and butter. But you want to be a resilient team because we play against good teams and it will be difficult sometimes. But it’s a good group of players. They want to perform. They are disappointed after the game. Even when we come back, they wanted to win, of course.

“I also think the overall performance played in – I think maybe this was our most complete performance so far in the season. I know we made, you can say we conceded two goals, but I think actually there were so many positives overall in the game.

“Also the high pressure, the man-to-man, very aggressive. But as you say, that resilience in the group, that mentality, is good.”

Frank lauds Tottenham players for the way they pressed

It was Spurs’ first draw of the Frank era, and given that the Tottenham boss has emphasised the importance of clean sheets, he may have been disappointed with the goals that this side conceded.

However, the 51-year-old emphasised the positives, lauding his players for how they pressed the Segulls high up the pitch and counter-pressed when they lost the ball.

When asked why he felt it was Tottenham Hotspur’s most complete performance of the season so far, Frank responded: “I know we conceded two goals, and it’s never that black and white. So one where we will say I should take it. The second one is, OK, we conceded a goal, that can happen. It’s just the Premier League, it’s good. But besides that, I thought we defended well.

“Overall, I think the high pressure was very aggressive, and we were winning the ball back more or less all the time, which we like to do. I think in phase one, we got out every time, more or less. We controlled it up there.

“We created so many good opportunities, and had to counter-press and rest defending crosses. So there was a lot of the bits we like to do, because of that. And then on top of that, the mentality to come back from 2-0 down is so important.”

Tottenham Hotspur have set their sights on a highly-rated La Liga midfielder, but the North London club will face competition for the player from three of their Premier League rivals.

According to several sources, Tottenham’s transfer strategy is expected to change after the exit of Daniel Levy, with the Lilywhites eyeing ‘elite’ signings who can take the team to the next level.

Based on the reports over the last few weeks, it would appear that planning is already underway at N17 over potential January additions.

It has now emerged that a Spanish midfielder has shot up to the top of the Lilywhites’ wishlist ahead of the winter transfer window.

Tottenham express interest in Athletic Club Bilbao star

Fichajes have now said that Athletic Club star Oihan Sancet has come to the attention of a number of clubs on the back of his rise over the last two years.

The attacking midfielder is set to be ‘one of the most coveted targets’ of the January window, with Tottenham Hotspur being one of the clubs to express an interest in the player.

The report explains that even though Spurs have several attacking midfielders in their squad, they are big fans of Sancet, whose creativity and ability to cause ‘imbalance’ have seen him shoot up their wishlist.

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The outlet adds that the Spain international’s contract at San Mames contains a release clause of €80m (£70m).

Tottenham face competition from Arsenal and two other clubs

However, Fichajes make it clear that Tottenham are not the only ones eyeing the Athletic Club star, with their fierce rivals Arsenal identifying him as a ‘priority target’.

Mikel Arteta believes that Sancet is he perfect playmaker to complement Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice in the middle of the park.

The Gunners are willing to ‘make a significant financial commitment’ to sign the Spaniard, while Aston Villa and Manchester United are also circling over the player.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are dreaming of a Harry Kane return next summer, but it turns out that they may have to battle one of the biggest clubs in the world for the England captain’s signature.

The Spurs legend may have his eyes firmly set on winning the Bundesliga title and the Champions League with Bayern Munich this term.

However, there is already plenty of speculation on what next summer could have in store for the 32-year-old, whose current deal at Bayern runs until 2027.

Spurs Web has covered on a number of occasions that Kane’s contract at Bayern has a release clause which will drop with each transfer window, and it turns out that it has attracted the attention of a European giant.

Barcelona want to sign Harry Kane amid Tottenham return rumours

According to El Nacional, Barcelona are interested in Harry Kane, as well as his Bayern Munich team-mate Dayot Upamecano.

The report says that the Catalan club see the former Tottenham Hotspur man as the ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski, and they value his experience, goalscoring ability, and leadership

Their head coach, Hansi Flick, is said to be a big fan of Kane, and he believes that the striker will fit perfectly into his system, which uses vertical wingers.

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Kane wants Premier League return

According to several sources, the Bayern hierarchy fears that this will be Kane’s last season at the Allianz Arena.

Reports in the British press have said that the England captain wants to return to the Premier League next summer after the 2026 World Cup.

An out-of-favour Tottenham Hotspur man is quickly emerging as one of the most hotly contested signings ahead of the January transfer window.

The summer window may have only shut a couple of weeks ago, but planning is already underway across Europe for the January window, which opens in a little over three months.

According to various reports, Yves Bissouma appears certain to leave Tottenham in January, with the midfielder now in the final year of his deal.

Over recent days, it has emerged that West Ham have overtaken Everton in the race for Bissouma, but the Premier League duo are set to face competition from Italy for the Tottenham man’s signature.

Four Serie A clubs circling over Tottenham outcast Yves Bissouma

According to a report in Calciomercato.it, Tottenham were unable to shift the Mali international out on loan in the final days of the transfer window and the player is not in Thomas Frank’s plans.

The report says that despite strong interest from West Ham and Everton, Spurs would prefer to sell Bissouma to a club outside the Premier League.

AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and AS Roma have all expressed their interest in a January deal for the Brighton man.

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All four of these clubs are eyeing an opportunity to land the Spurs star on a cut-price deal, given that he will have just six months left on his contract when the transfer market reopens.

One Serie A club has an advantage in Bissouma race

Some outlets have said over recent days that Milan seriously considered a move for Bissouma during the summer window before deciding to prioritise the signing of Ardon Jashari instead.

This has been backed up in the latest update by Calciomercato.it, who say that the Rossoneri had even offered the midfielder a deal, but were ultimately unable to strike an agreement with Spurs.

The publication adds that Milan are now the front-runners to land Bissouma, with Igor Tare’s men already preparing for a January deal for the midfielder.

After he was released by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season, Sergio Reguilon may be in line for a near instant return to the Premier League.

Tottenham had an extremely busy summer, with seven new faces arriving at Hotspur Way during the transfer window and many leaving.

While the likes of Heung-min Son, Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon left in the later stages of the transfer window, a few also headed out of the door at the start of the summer.

Fraser Forster, Sergio Reguilon and Alfie Whiteman were released by Spurs at the end of last season, and one of them has been backed to return to the Premier League.

Sergio Reguilon is on the radar of Premier League clubs after Tottenham exit

The transfer market may have closed, but journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that clubs are still looking at the free-agent market to reinforce their squad.

He claimed that Sergio Reguilon’s name will be on the wishlist of several top-flight sides who are looking to add an experienced full-back to their team.

O’Rourke told Football Insider about Reguilon: “Yeah, obviously, he’s had probably a disappointing couple of years, Reguilon, after he couldn’t establish himself in the Spurs team.

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“He had a couple of loan spells away at Man United and Brentford, but again didn’t really rip up any trees on those loan moves. A lot will depend on whether any Premier League clubs are in desperate need of reinforcements at the back due to injury issues.

“Reguilon might then figure on their wanted list because he is a free agent and would be an ideal option to add experience and cover at left-back. Being a free agent, it would be a low-risk investment for any Premier League clubs because there would be no fee involved for him.”

Pundit is surprised that another former Tottenham man has not found a new club

Another man who may soon find a new club is Fraser Forster, and one former Premier League goalkeeper is surprised that he has not been picked up yet.

Ben Foster has said that the former Spurs goalkeeper would be the ideal third-choice goalkeeper for many clubs, given the experience he possesses.

Tottenham Hotspur may have a potential buyer for one of their unwanted players in the January transfer window, months before it even opens.

According to various reports in Turkey, Galatasaray pulled out of an agreement to sign Yves Bissouma due to the midfielder’s fitness issues

It subsequently seemed like the Spurs man would head to Gala’s fierce rivals, but Fenerbache also decided against finalising a deal for Bissouma.

It was later confirmed by Fenerbahce that they were keen on landing the Tottenham man, but decided to pull out of a deal after he got injured.

Fenerbahce president sends Yves Bissouma transfer hint

Some sources have also indicated Fenerbahce decided against signing Bissouma due to the midfielder’s disciplinary issues, but the previously mentioned communication from the club suggests that was not the main reason.

Now, the Turkish club’s president, Ali Koc, has said that they might try again to sign a number eight in January, although he did not specify the Tottenham Hotspur man by name.

Koc said (via journalist Yagız Sabuncuoglu): “The number 8 transfer was a need, but not an absolute necessity. We will sign a number 8 in the mid-season transfer window based on our needs.”

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Premier League duo want Bissouma

Thomas Frank has hinted that Bissouma is part of his plans, but it is hard to see the midfielder forcing himself into the Dane’s starting eleven, given how well several Spurs midfielders have started the season.

Over recent days, we have heard that West Ham and Everton are already plotting a January move for Bissouma, whose deal at Tottenham runs out next summer.

It thus appears that Fenerbahce will not have a free run at the Mali international even if they decide to come back for him in the winter.

Thomas Frank has offered a fresh fitness update on one of Tottenham’s newest signings, and he could finally join in with first-team training this week.

Thomas Frank has managed to integrate several of his summer arrivals into the Tottenham squad, with Joao Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons all settling into life in north London and already making their mark on the pitch.

Others, however, have required a little more patience, as Randal Kolo Muani has only just been handed his first minutes in the Champions League, while another arrival, Kota Takai, is still waiting for his Tottenham debut.

The Japanese international, who joined from Kawasaki Frontale, has been sidelined with a foot injury since completing his move to Tottenham, which has delayed his introduction to English football and left fans eager to finally watch him in action.

It was confirmed yesterday that Takai had stepped back onto the training pitches at Hotspur Way, although his work was limited to individual sessions, which is still a clear sign that his recovery is moving in the right direction.

Tottenham fans are yet to see Takai feature in a competitive match, but Thomas Frank has now provided a timeline on when the centre-back could finally join full training.

Speaking to the club’s official channel, the Tottenham manager revealed: “He is very close to training with the group. I am pretty sure he will train with the group on Monday.”

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Spurs could hand Takai his first minutes against Doncaster

If Takai does return to full training on Monday, then it opens the door for him to potentially make his first appearance later in the week.

Tottenham are set to face Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday, 24 September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which looks an ideal fixture to ease him into competitive action and allow the Japan international to build up valuable minutes.

Guglielmo Vicario has explained that Tottenham Hotspur are much better in one aspect tactically under Thomas Frank than they were under Ange Postecoglou.

The difference between Tottenham last season and this season could not be more obvious, with Frank having implemented a completely different structure than that of his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou.

The Lilywhites are a lot harder to break down defensively, as evidenced by the fact that they have conceded just three goals in their opening six matches of the season, which is not something that many would have seen coming on the back of their defensive struggles last season.

However, this Spurs side is still a work in progress, with Frank admitting that Tottenham have not clicked as an attacking force just yet.

Guglielmo Vicario says Tottenham are doing one thing differently under Thomas Frank

Vicario has remarked that Tottenham now have a much better understanding of when to press and how to deal with different phases of play in and out of possession.

However, the Spurs number one confessed that the Lilywhites did not deal with transitions the way they wanted to in the win over Villarreal.

Vicario told Gazzetta dello Sport: “Our ability to recognise the different phases of the game has changed – understanding when to press hard and when to cover the pitch better.

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“In general, we’re more focused on defending the penalty area, also because we have a clearer understanding of the different phases without the ball.

“Against Villarreal, we allowed too many transitions, and we need to take away some of our opponents’ hope when they go on the counterattack, but overall, it was an excellent defensive performance, and we need to continue like this.”

Vicario admits Tottenham’s mentality has changed since the Europa League win

Spurs had to wait 17 years to taste silverware, and Vicario has said securing the trophy in Bilbao has lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of everyone at the club.

The 28-year-old admitted that, having tasted a trophy, there is now a hunger within the squad to win more silverware.

When asked how lifting the Europa League impacted him and his teammates, the Italian responded: “Winning definitely gives you a different dimension, probably even in the eyes of others. And a bit of healthy respect: we had this thing, even within the club, of being the ones who always got there but then didn’t win, but now we’ve done it.

“This has unblocked us a bit. We’ve lifted a weight off our shoulders, so now we can move forward, aware of our strengths. And also with goals, which we keep to ourselves and which we absolutely want to achieve.”