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Thomas Frank has spoken about how far Tottenham can go this season and whether his side can be considered realistic title contenders.

At the start of the season, almost no one would have expected the Premier League table to look like it currently does.

While Arsenal sitting in top place is not a surprise, they are followed in the standings by Bournemouth in second, Tottenham Hotspur in third and Sunderland in fourth.

It is shaping up to be an extremely unpredictable campaign, and despite sitting so high up the table, Spurs have had very contrasting fortunes home and away.

Thomas Frank reveals how far Tottenham can go this season

The Lilywhites maintained their outstanding away record by emerging with another win and yet another clean sheet from their first visit to Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

It was a professional performance by Tottenham, who were without nine first-team players, but Frank does not consider his side to be title contenders at the moment.

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When asked how far Spurs can go this season, the 52-year-old said (via the club’s official website): “We are at the beginning of building something. I’m very happy with a lot of things. As I said, the defensive side of it, mentality, set pieces, but I think there’s a bit we need to work on, especially offensively, to be more free-floating still. And for me, it’s a long season ahead.

“I’m very happy going away from home after two away games in the Champions League. That’s a big part of it, but to continue performing day in, day out is a challenge, which we embrace and want to do. Who knows. I need to take it one game at a time.”

When asked if he sees his side as title contenders, Frank responded: “No. That, I think, is probably a few teams that are ahead of us. I think it’s fair to say that. I’m only thinking one game at a time, and let’s see where we are in April.”

The criticism of Frank from Spurs fans has been over the top

Tottenham’s home record has been shocking bad this season, and one can understand the frustration of the supporters, given the side’s inability to break down teams.

However, Frank is still at the start of his project, and he will need time to understand his players fully and get the best out of his squad.

In fact, even before Tottenham’s win at Everton, Frank’s record was identical to that of Mauricio Pochettino’s after 13 games at the club.

Spurs fans thus need to be patient and wait for more evidence before they make up their minds about the Dane’s fit for the role.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have made their feelings clear following a strong display at the back from Kevin Danso, who impressed in his latest Premier League outing against Everton.

Micky van de Ven was the star of the show in Tottenham Hotspur’s last Premier League game, with the Dutchman grabbing a brace to help Spurs secure their fifth win of the season.

However, while he would get a lot of the credit, Tottenham were also defensively solid at the Hill Dickson Stadium, dealing well with the threat Everton posed throughout the match.

One man who was at the heart of it all was van de Ven’s defensive partner, Kevin Danso, who stood tall and defended his box with real authority.

Tottenham fans react to Kevin Danso’s display

Danso has received praise from Jamie Redknapp and Ashley Young for his top performance against Everton, and the admiration has not stopped there, with Tottenham fans now handing out their own plaudits to the summer signing.

Following the match, when asked for their thoughts on Danso’s performance, many fans did not hold back in their praise for the Austrian defender.

One supporter said: “At this point I can say even without Romero we are still good defensively. Danso is absolutely good, a very decent performance in the past few appearances. Romero can take his time before coming back but he should come back soon because I miss his long passes.”

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Another Tottenham fan compared the defensive display to that of a club legend, saying: “Shades of the great Ledley. Calm, assured, smooth and composed. We finally, after about 15 years, have a very decent cover at centre-back. A seamless replacement for Romero when he eventually leaves for Madrid.”

One more added: “Is there an argument to say he could be the best back-up centre-back? I am not for one minute saying he starts for the top seven or eight teams but is anyone’s third centre-back better than him?”

The comparisons kept coming, as another supporter wrote: “He is too good to be a back-up. Absolutely solid and composed, Mr Reliable. Reminds me very much of William Gallas.”

A fan commented: “Romero who! Kevin Danso has been immense.” Another added: “So strong, such a solid back-up or rotation option, which is not something we have had at centre-back for a long time.”

A final fan concluded: “There is not much of a drop-off from Romero to him, even though Romero is our best defender by quite a bit compared to the others, maybe only arguable with van de Ven.”

Kevin Danso’s numbers highlight defensive dominance

It was a top performance from Danso, who was immense at the back for Tottenham, and the underlying numbers back that up.

Defensively, no one came close to the Austrian, whose aerial presence was the hallmark of his performance and a major reason Tottenham were so solid on the night.

He won four out of four of his aerial duels and two out of two of his ground duels. He also committed no fouls, while making one tackle and an impressive 18 clearances, 14 of which were with his head.

Considering that he was up against an Everton side who do have a tall presence leading the line with Beto and Barry, his aerial presence was very much needed.

Thomas Frank has provided an injury update on his Tottenham Hotspur squad ahead of their Carabao Cup tie with Newcastle United, including Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to pause their Premier League and Champions League campaigns as the Carabao Cup returns on Wednesday night, with Spurs eyeing a place in the next round of the competition.

Thomas Frank’s men will face the defending champions in round four, having previously cruised past League One outfit Doncaster Rovers in round three to book their spot in this stage of the competition.

Spurs come into this tie in good spirits after a hard-fought win over Everton in their most recent Premier League fixture, and they will be aiming to build on that result with another strong display to keep their cup hopes alive.

Thomas Frank has offered an injury update on his Tottenham squad ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting, with several key players still unavailable for selection.

Club captain Cristian Romero remains sidelined after sustaining an abductor injury during the warm-up against Aston Villa, and the Argentine’s situation continues to be assessed ahead of a potential return.

Destiny Udogie has yet to feature for Tottenham since the international break, despite Frank earlier suggesting that the left-back would not face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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The attacking options have also been hit, with Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison both ruled out alongside Kota Takai, Yves Bissouma and Radu Dragusin.

Defensively, Spurs continue to face issues, with Ben Davies also unavailable, leaving Kevin Danso and Micky van de Ven as the only recognised centre-backs, though Archie Gray remains an alternative option in defence.

Muani made his first start in a Tottenham shirt in their last outing, but Dominic Solanke is still out, although the forward is understood to be edging closer to a return to full fitness.

Thomas Frank has revealed what he told one Tottenham Hotspur star when he walked through the door in the summer, and the Spurs boss is delighted that the player has responded in the right manner.

Despite having nine first-team players out injured, Tottenham emerged with a comfortable away win from Everton, scoring three goals and managing yet another clean sheet.

That means that Spurs now have the best away record across the Premier League and are the only team to have not lost on the road.

Spurs also boast of the joint second-best defensive record across the division, having conceded just seven goals across nine outings so far.

Thomas Frank makes an admission about Micky van de Ven’s improvement at Tottenham

The Lilywhites not only have Micky van de Ven to thank for helping them keep a clean sheet, but he was also the hero at the other end of the pitch, heading home from two corner-kicks.

That means that the Dutchman has already scored five goals this season, and Frank has now revealed what he told the 24-year-old before the start of the campaign.

When asked about Van de Ven’s contribution in front of the goal, Frank said (via the club’s official website): “First and foremost, I think he’s really growing and taking some big steps. I’m very pleased with him overall. I think he’s taking more leadership. I think he’s defending better and better, not only using his pace but also in more clever positions. I’m very happy with that.

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“And then I said, actually at the beginning of the season, I said, it’s okay you score with your left foot and your right foot, but you need to score more goals with your head.

“We have worked with it and that’s a big praise to Micky, but especially to Andreas and the way he, how can you say, attack the ball, also get in there where it hurts, I think is key. Now, yeah, hopefully it will continue.”

Spurs have shown they have more defensive depth than many thought

Several pundits have said that Tottenham may struggle defensively if they do not keep Van de Ven and Romero fit throughout the season.

However, Kevin Danso has delivered three excellent performances in the absence of Romero and has shown that he is reliable whenever called upon.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are now all saying the same thing about Randal Kolo Muani after the Frenchman made his first start for Spurs.

Thomas Frank needed a reaction from his Tottenham Hotspur players at the weekend against Everton after his side struggled to impress in their last two outings.

The Dane rang the changes coming into the Premier League fixture against the Toffees, with Randal Kolo Muani one of those to have featured from the off.

That move saw Richarlison drop to the bench as Frank tweaked his tactical setup to get the most out of his players.

Tottenham fans react to Randal Kolo Muani display vs Everton

Those tweaks resulted in a 3-0 win over Everton, and now Tottenham fans believe that Randal Kolo Muani’s performance was much better than what they have witnessed from any of their starting centre-forwards this term.

When speaking on the Frenchman’s performance, one fan said: “Still dusting off the cobwebs after his injury layoff, you can see his ability every time he touches the ball though. He definitely needs to be started from here on out because the ball sticks to him. Looking forward to seeing more of him.”

Another stated: “Clear difference when the ball gets to him, it does not bounce off him like with Richie. He has pace to beat the man and he had the awareness to set up Xavi and Benta. Get him fit and he will bang.”

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One more added: “Proper striker. Occupied the Everton centre-halves throughout and looked good with his link-up play. Would start him against Chelsea next week.”

Another opined: “He is a much better target man than Richarlison and is actually able to hold the ball up, which we need badly.”

Another added: “When we actually start creating chances and find a bit of rhythm in the final third, I think he will do really well.”

Others still believed Richarlison was much better, with one saying: “I felt like Richy offered more when he came on, but that could have been because Bergvall and Sarr offered more.”

Muani shows promise in first Spurs start

It was a solid performance from Randal Kolo Muani, who has only just managed his first start for Tottenham since his deadline day move.

The early signs are good, with the Frenchman’s biggest quality being his ability to hold up play and bring his teammates into the game with neat touches and flicks.

His numbers do show this, as Kolo Muani had a 100% pass accuracy, completing seven out of seven passes against Everton, and also created one big chance in the game.

Of course, with more game time, his sharpness will improve, and when he is fully flowing, he could be a real handful for defenders.

Thomas Frank has made a clear statement about his senior Tottenham players after his selection was questioned over the past few weeks.

The biggest source of consternation among Spurs fans over recent weeks has been Frank’s midfield selections, with many wanting to see him move away from a double pivot.

The numbers were certainly clear on the matter, with Tottenham struggling to progress the ball when Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha play together.

However, Frank has maintained that Bentancur and Palhinha offer Spurs solidity defensively, and unsurprisingly, he stuck with the same pairing away at Everton.

Thomas Frank reacts to Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur’s performance for Tottenham

Spurs’ 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium demonstrated why the Tottenham head coach continues to play the Uruguayan and the Portuguese stars over the likes of Pape Sarr.

The pair constantly put out fires in front of the Tottenham back four, ensuring that the Lilywhites emerged from Merseyside with another clean sheet.

Frank was asked after the game if this is the type of game where the experienced midfield pair are most valuable.

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He responded (via Tottenham’s official website): “I think it’s very clear. I think both of them today were excellent. I think they were very good on the ball. I think they were excellent defensively and landed on the second ball when they needed to.

“I think we controlled the game more, I think the bounce passes and the bits and pieces to build up and control the game was very good. So, in a time where we are building and going to the next level, I think they are extremely important.”

Spurs fans should be mindful of general tactical trends while criticising Frank’s approach

The frustration of Tottenham supporters over the lack of creativity is understandable, but that conversation cannot be divorced from what we are seeing across the Premier League as a whole.

The team who are currently the best in the country, Arsenal, also do not create many chances and are heavily reliant on set pieces.

Due to the effect of PSR over the last few years, the Premier League now seems tighter and more equal than ever, with very little to separate most teams.

As a result, the teams that avoid mistakes and prioritise not conceding goals seemingly have an upper hand over those that are open and flamboyant.

Thomas Frank has singled out a senior Tottenham Hotspur man for praise following his side’s comfortable 3-0 win at Merseyside on Sunday.

Tottenham became the first team to beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Lilywhites delivering another solid performance away from home.

It means that Spurs maintain their brilliant away record, which remains the best in the Premier League so far, and move up to third place in the table.

It was a much-needed win on the back of the loss to Aston Villa and the draw away at Monaco, which led to many fans questioning Frank’s midfield selections.

Thomas Frank lavishes praise on Tottenham’s Kevin Danso

It was Micky van de Ven who was the unlikely hero in front of goal, with the Dutchman heading home from two corner-kicks in either half.

However, it was his centre-back partner, Kevin Danso, who has filled in for the last three games in place of the injured Cristian Romero, who was singled out for praise by Frank.

When asked how important Van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario have been in helping keep cleansheets in the last two games, Frank responded (via Tottenham’s official website): “Yeah, I agree and don’t forget Kevin Danso, maybe he was not as highlighted as the two others, but he has done very well to step into big, big shoes to fill out after Cuti.

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“Micky, man of the match, clearly defended well, two goals and good on the ball. And I think Vicario, man of the match in Monaco, but today I think his performance was more complete, good with the feet, very good in the box and two exceptional saves.”

Spurs have shown that their squad is much stronger than last season

It is easy to forget that Tottenham were without nine first-team players heading into the game against Everton.

For them to keep a clean sheet and emerge with a comfortable win away from home despite those absentees is a sign that this squad is much deeper than it was last season.

Danso has now shown that he is someone who can be counted on to deliver whenever called upon, and his performances should give Frank more confidence in resting his first-choice centre-backs when fixtures come thick and fast over the next couple of months.

David Moyes has selected his man of the match after Everton were destroyed by Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur wrapped up all three points against Everton and there is one player in particular who is gathering praise for his performance.

Micky van de Ven was unstoppable in the air for Spurs, scoring two headed goals which gave his team a healthy lead before half-time.

The defender also kept a second consecutive clean sheet, which is especially impressive considering he is without his main defensive partner in Cristian Romero.

David Moyes names Guglielmo Vicario as his man of the match

Despite van de Ven’s fine display, it is Tottenham’s goalkeeper who has caught the eye of Everton manager David Moyes.

Guglielmo Vicario was sensational against Monaco in the Champions League and he continued to make goal-stopping saves against the Toffees.

Moyes told the BBC: “Their keeper was probably their best player, and dealt with corners incredibly well.

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“We played some good stuff, but could not get the goal we needed.”

The Everton manager was not the only one impressed by Vicario, as James Tarkowski also commented on the good saves he made.

Vicario is not under threat at Tottenham

Even when Vicario has been far from his best at Spurs, it is clear that Thomas Frank trusts the Italian more than Antonin Kinsky.

After two highly impressive displays, Vicario’s position as a first-team player at Tottenham has become even stronger. He might not be the perfect goalkeeper, but it is hard to make an argument against him right now with the saves he has made.

Troy Deeney has included a Tottenham Hotspur player in his team of the week after their ‘huge’ 3-0 victory over Everton.

Tottenham Hotspur are back to winning ways in the Premier League and they did so in style, putting three goals past Everton. It is a big result for Thomas Frank, who has recently come under criticism for the performances of his team.

This victory means Spurs now have the joint third most clean sheets in the league. Better still, no other side has scored more goals than Tottenham in the English top flight.

The positives continue as Spurs now sit third in the Premier League table, just five points adrift of Arsenal. Had Tottenham been defeated by Everton, they could be as low as ninth place.

Micky van de Ven named in Troy Deeney’s team of the week

Troy Deeney has made his BBC Sport team of the week and it is unsurprising to see he has selected Micky van de Ven.

The multi-talented defender has been key to Tottenham’s success at both ends of the pitch this season. He continued to be important on Sunday, scoring two headed goals and fulfilling his defensive duties as his team kept a clean sheet.

Deeney said: “Any centre-half who keeps a clean sheet and gets two goals has to go in the team for me.

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“I wanted to put Gabriel in but I just thought van de Ven’s performance was very good in a game where I thought Spurs could struggle.

“They’ve been poor the last couple of weeks and it’s a huge win for them as well.”

Van de Ven is more than a defender

Obviously van de Ven’s main function is to defend and this is something he does incredibly well. However, he has shown himself to be a goal threat too.

The interim club captain scored three Premier League goals in his first season in North London, but failed to score during a difficult second campaign.

The Dutchman is now at full fitness and he is looking more dangerous than ever in front of goal. In fact, van de Ven is joint 11th for most league goals scored this season.

With 29 matches left to play, he could do something unprecedented as a centre-back and increase his tally to a seriously impressive figure.

Tottenham Hotspur became the first team to claim a victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and in the end, it was by comfortable margins.

However, not every player had their best game, despite the impressive result. Here are the three winners and losers from the joint biggest Tottenham Hotspur win this season.

Micky van de Ven scores again for Tottenham

What a signing Micky van de Ven has been since he switched the Volkswagen Arena for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium! The Dutchman reinforced this against Everton, earning a higher rating on Fotmob than any other player.

There was plenty of talk over the summer about Luka Vuskovic over the summer due to his ability to score goals as a centre-back. Well he might have some competition on that front when he returns next summer, because van de Ven already has five goals across all tournaments this season.

The 24-year-old scored two excellent headers from corner kicks and wore the captain’s armband once more. One standout moment was when he took no nonsense from Jack Grealish, who ran over to shove him in the back. Van de Ven certainly looks like a strong and passionate leader who will not back down.

Kevin Danso was solid for Spurs

Questions over the quality of Kevin Danso have been asked this season due to a few shaky performances. However, Spurs have now kept clean sheets in half the matches where he has started this season.

The Austrian was superb against Everton and did an excellent job covering for Cristian Romero, who remains out through injury.

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According to Squawka, Danso made 18 clearances on Sunday, the most by a Tottenham player in any Premier League game since Jan Vertonghen against Burnley in December 2016. He won all his duels and did not concede a single free kick, in what was a really promising performance.

Pape Matar Sarr is a Tottenham superstar

Pape Matar Sarr was one of the biggest talking points in the builup to the Everton fixture, because Thomas Frank kept benching him, despite his strong start to the campaign.

The midfielder was handed little more than 10 minutes against the Toffees, but he made every one of them count and scored the goal which put the victory beyond doubt.

Sarr played a key role in the attacking move which led to the goal and made a good run into the box, where Richarlison was able to find him with a pinpoint header. He is definitely due a start when Spurs travel to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

Now, let’s take a look at our three losers from Everton 0-3 Tottenham…

Xavi Simons must take the chances he is given

Xavi Simons was back in the starting lineup on Sunday and it makes sense considering Tottenham splurged £51m to bring him to North London. However, his performances up to this point have not justified him being selected by Frank.

The 22-year-old played a pass which could have proved costly in the first half, as it was intercepted and allowed Everton to get through on goal. He also ruined a promising counter attack with a pass which was equally as bad.

Simons failed to make any key passes, successful dribbles or land any shots on target, in what was yet another underwhelming performance.

No Instagram post for Djed Spence

Anyone who follows Djed Spence on social media will know how much he enjoys mocking wingers when he gets the better of them. This time around, he kept things humble with an Instagram story which celebrated three points and a clean sheet.

Spence had the fewest number of touches by any outfield player who remained on the pitch for the entire match against Everton.

The England international did not defend well against Iliman Ndiaye, despite what a clean sheet might suggest. In fact, he only won one of his seven ground duels throughout the match, a 14 per cent success rate which makes for grim reading.

Radu Dragusin may struggle to find Tottenham chances

Radu Dragusin is likely to have been out for almost a year by the time he returns from injury, but if truth be told, he has not been missed by Spurs.

This was especially true yesterday as Danso impressed with his display in defence. If the 27-year-old continues to play at that level, it is difficult to see where Dragusin fits in when he does eventually make his comeback.

For now, Danso will certainly be seen as a strong backup option to Romero. Plus, it is possible Tottenham will look to sign a new centre-back in January and that could be the nail in the coffin for the player who has never really got going in North London.