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Brighton will be kicking themselves as Tottenham Hotspur had the spirit to take back a point from their trip to the Amex Stadium after going 2-0 down. It is a familiar feeling for fans of the side from the south coast: moments of clear quality could not compensate for issues at match management.

Threatening forwards find a way

The factory line on the south coast seldom disappoints for long. Joao Pedro put pen to paper to sign for Chelsea in July, but the futureproofing process had already taken place in the attacking roster.

Their most mercurial talent, and a player who had growing importance, is Georginio Rutter.

In the 8th minute, he picked the lock brilliantly. Brajan Gruda got hold of the ball, took it away from Rodrigo Bentancur, and fed it to the central forward. He held off Micky van de Ven and had the vision to hook a clipped ball behind for Yankuba Minteh to chase. His teammate finished the job.

The French forward has the drive, guile, and creativity to get the ball into the final third, and he can go to a greater level with a nastier streak in front of goal. That is where one of the wide men helps.

Minteh, whose manager said he is "always a threat" after this contest, left a mark again. Apart from his goal, his relentless running let him be an outlet for the likes of Rutter to try to hit on the break.

Indeed, there has been so much talent on the flanks and in the mould of a second striker that one can forget Kaoru Mitoma is still on the books. This team tormented Man City in the final half hour of a 2-1 triumph at the end of August, and their offensive talent in transition is a threat to be respected.

Baleba must dig deep to turn the page

Unfortunately, the day would not last long for the most coveted asset in the ranks of the hosts.

Carlos Baleba came off at half time to make way for Diego Gomez. He has not completed 90 minutes of a match at all in a stop-start season. Iy is a world away from where he was before.

Indeed, the summer has not been straightforward for the 21-year-old. He suffered a knee injury in preseason that complicated his prep for the middle of August. Most of all, he was caught in a saga that suggested Man United had earmarked him as the top target to move their midfield unit forwards.

Call it head loss, lack of rhythm, or something else: the Cameroonian has not been his usual self.

He has not dropped off a cliff. A former number 10 at Lille, he is not always the most switched-on defensively, so that is nothing new. Where he sets himself apart is with the incision of his progressive passing off both feet and balanced ball carries: the range of distribution at times was impressive

At his top level, he felt like a one-man midfield holding it together for the Seagulls. With only a half of football in his legs due to fatigue, there is still some work needed to get Baleba back to his best.

Hurzeler handles the second order problem

In the 75th minute, Hurzeler had an idea. He chose to take off Minteh and put on Diego Coppola in his place. The summer signing is a defender, and the switch signalled a reshuffle: the Seagulls sat in a back five where the substitute was an extra centre back next to the initial pairing in the lineup.

However, the plan would quickly fall foul of the known quantity present in the Tottenham ranks.

Ferdi Kadioglu had come back into the fiery furnace in this fixture after his absence with a toe injury. Three appearances off the subs' bench could never completely prepare for the challenge of defending Mohamed Kudus. The winger was a nightmare all day and continued to threaten the opposition.

The Ghanaian had the power, poise, and final ball to be an all-round package, and the changes around him never got to grips with his impact. Twice, he did the heavy lifting to help put Xavi Simons in scoring positions, and his devilish delivery deflected off a flat footed Jan Paul van Hecke.

There were late chances for the hosts. Danny Welbeck would profit from a loose Xavi Simons flick to try his luck at testing Guglielmo Vicario. Minutes later, he might have hit the back of the net if Yasin Ayari had not charged in front of him towards the penalty spot and fluffed his lines.

However, the Amex Stadium would have to stew on another lost lead that raises questions.

Brighton become their own worst enemies

Brighton finished eighth last campaign, but a sense of annoyance at the year was not unfair. With no continental football in midweek and a stacked squad of attackers, the dream was a return to Europe.

The fact that the team failed to achieve the goal is not the worst thing. However, their failings on the way to that outcome were clear and remain problems that are holding them back at the moment.

No Premier League outfit had dropped more than their 22 points from winning positions last term. Already, they have blown a lead in the last minute against Fulham in a 1-1 draw, cocked up countless chances at Everton in a 2-0 defeat, and again sacrificed a two goal advantage in front of their fans.

Even in the first half hour, Spurs showed that they can cut through the Brighton block with ease. Frank had laid out a clear plan for the day, with underlaps from Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall breaking through the lines over and again while Richarlison rolled off Jan Paul van Hecke in duels.

Tottenham Hotspur hustled to bounce back against Brighton from a two goal deficit and take away a point at the Amex Stadium. Although the team had dropped points, Thomas Frank felt that it had been the best overall performance of the campaign, and there were many reasons why it is the case.

Here are four things we learned from a valuable building block for Spurs.

Mohamed Kudus continues to dominate

Thirty seconds into the clash, and it was clear that a familiar freight train was on a wrecking mission.

Mohamed Kudus controlled a loose aerial ball with his chest to hold off Yasin Ayari, flicked the ball over the head of Ferdi Kadioglu, and then threw away Georginio Rutter from his vicinity. That is the Ghanaian in a nutshell: give him the ball and he will find a way to make it stick up the field.

At times, it was enough for Tottenham to just try to find the right winger, and he would do the rest. He relished the battle against a left back who had not started a Premier League fixture since November due to struggles with a toe injury and was a talismanic presence across the afternoon.

Blending bullish power with the poise in 1 v 1 situations, he had the end product to match. On a counter, he was willing to strike at the target, and Richarlison rewarded his instinct with a goal as the striker stood in the way of a shot and bundled the ball into the back of the net in the 43rd minute.

Then came the devilish delivery that caught Jan Paul van Hecke cold to produce a painful own goal.

The £55 million paid for his services from West Ham is quickly becoming something of a source of joy. At the expense of their rivals across the capital city, Spurs have a player who shifts momentum.

Xavi Simons sets alight

The transfer market might be wildly inflated, but there were the first great signs that the £51 million splashed on a creative force in the midfield might be fit to flourish in another man's absence.

There have been a couple of appearances for Xavi Simons in a Spurs shirt. He featured against West Ham and Villarreal, having to make do with a role where he drifted inside from the left as a winger.

It is not a role we should never expect to see him in again. Frank has clearly shown he wants to build a stable structure that can benefit from the presence of a Lucas Bergvall or Pape Matar Sarr in the spine. However, the half hour from Xavi in his ideal role was a reminder of what is to be gained.

With three free shots in six minutes, he immediately identified the gaps in the Brighton structure.

To top it off, the Dutchman did his best James Maddison impression in the buildup to the equaliser. He dropped deep in front of the midfield, slalomed around Diego Gomez, and got the connections ticking from centrally to the men ahead of him, finding Kudus to cross into the penalty area.

There was the odd mistake in the cameo: just after the Jan Paul van Hecke own goal, the substitute steered a no-look flick straight into harm's way, and Danny Welbeck would try to test his luck after picking up the pieces. But in the right tactical framework, a little risk is exactly what can be needed.

Destiny Udogie underscores his quality

The start of this stalemate saw some excellent work from a familiar face in the ranks at Tottenham.

Destiny Udogie picked up a knee injury against Luton Town in preseason. Frank has been in no hurry to rush him back to full fitness with the fine form of Djed Spence setting the standard at left back. Yet, a return to the lineup for the Italian illustrated an option that the side had been missing.

Spence is a right footed player who has often relied on ball carries for progression to make up for the difficulties of passing on his 'wrong' side. On the other hand, Udogie is a left footed fullback, and the positivity of his touches, coupled with full-throttle energy, pulled apart Brighton in combinations.

Frank had set out clear principles to get into the inside channels with underlaps and Udogie, used to being in these zones under old management, fit in from the get-go. A hooked touch past Joel Veltman and a well-timed shift away from Yasin Ayari were a highlight from the first phase of the fixture.

Unfazed with the task of taking on Yankuba Minteh, Udogie should be proud of his performance. He has backed up the words of his boss about the strength of the talent pool at fullback with actions over words and highlighted how hard-hitting the team can be if the use of ball possession is intentional.

Heart and fight for the occasion

It is early days under Frank, so even in a case of dropped points, lessons learnt can mean as much— or even more— than triumphs to take the team to a more competitive level for the medium term.

Last campaign, Ange Postecoglou reached a point when the team went all-in on the Europa League and eased off their ambitions in the domestic tournaments. However, a 17th place finish will not be acceptable again and Frank has to find a way to balance agendas on the home front and in Europe.

So far, so good. The Dane has watched his men keep clean sheets in two of their last three fixtures, and they have remained undefeated since the return from the international break earlier this month.

What will please the head coach even more is the resilience and attitude of the players on the pitch.

At the end of a long, hard week, it would have been easy for the side to lose their way a little in frustration that their good work from the first half was going unfulfilled. But they stuck to the script.

Tactics, pragmatism, and routines can put the players in a position to pick apart holes in opponents, while a stacked squad should give them different looks in different phases of fixtures. Yet, none of it matters without having heart and courage to keep doing the right things: this was an informative step.

Brighton will be kicking themselves as Tottenham Hotspur had the spirit to take back a point from their trip to the Amex Stadium after going 2-0 down. It is a familiar feeling for fans of the side from the south coast: moments of clear quality could not compensate for issues at match management.

Threatening forwards find a way

The factory line on the south coast seldom disappoints for long. Joao Pedro put pen to paper to sign for Chelsea in July, but the futureproofing process had already taken place in the attacking roster.

Their most mercurial talent, and a player who had growing importance, is Georginio Rutter.

In the 8th minute, he picked the lock brilliantly. Brajan Gruda got hold of the ball, took it away from Rodrigo Bentancur, and fed it to the central forward. He held off Micky van de Ven and had the vision to hook a clipped ball behind for Yankuba Minteh to chase. His teammate finished the job.

The French forward has the drive, guile, and creativity to get the ball into the final third, and he can go to a greater level with a nastier streak in front of goal. That is where one of the wide men helps.

Minteh, whose manager said he is "always a threat" after this contest, left a mark again. Apart from his goal, his relentless running let him be an outlet for the likes of Rutter to try to hit on the break.

Indeed, there has been so much talent on the flanks and in the mould of a second striker that one can forget Kaoru Mitoma is still on the books. This team tormented Man City in the final half hour of a 2-1 triumph at the end of August, and their offensive talent in transition is a threat to be respected.

Baleba must dig deep to turn the page

Unfortunately, the day would not last long for the most coveted asset in the ranks of the hosts.

Carlos Baleba came off at half time to make way for Diego Gomez. He has not completed 90 minutes of a match at all in a stop-start season. Iy is a world away from where he was before.

Indeed, the summer has not been straightforward for the 21-year-old. He suffered a knee injury in preseason that complicated his prep for the middle of August. Most of all, he was caught in a saga that suggested Man United had earmarked him as the top target to move their midfield unit forwards.

Call it head loss, lack of rhythm, or something else: the Cameroonian has not been his usual self.

He has not dropped off a cliff. A former number 10 at Lille, he is not always the most switched-on defensively, so that is nothing new. Where he sets himself apart is with the incision of his progressive passing off both feet and balanced ball carries: the range of distribution at times was impressive

At his top level, he felt like a one-man midfield holding it together for the Seagulls. With only a half of football in his legs due to fatigue, there is still some work needed to get Baleba back to his best.

Hurzeler handles the second order problem

In the 75th minute, Hurzeler had an idea. He chose to take off Minteh and put on Diego Coppola in his place. The summer signing is a defender, and the switch signalled a reshuffle: the Seagulls sat in a back five where the substitute was an extra centre back next to the initial pairing in the lineup.

However, the plan would quickly fall foul of the known quantity present in the Tottenham ranks.

Ferdi Kadioglu had come back into the fiery furnace in this fixture after his absence with a toe injury. Three appearances off the subs' bench could never completely prepare for the challenge of defending Mohamed Kudus. The winger was a nightmare all day and continued to threaten the opposition.

The Ghanaian had the power, poise, and final ball to be an all-round package, and the changes around him never got to grips with his impact. Twice, he did the heavy lifting to help put Xavi Simons in scoring positions, and his devilish delivery deflected off a flat footed Jan Paul van Hecke.

There were late chances for the hosts. Danny Welbeck would profit from a loose Xavi Simons flick to try his luck at testing Guglielmo Vicario. Minutes later, he might have hit the back of the net if Yasin Ayari had not charged in front of him towards the penalty spot and fluffed his lines.

However, the Amex Stadium would have to stew on another lost lead that raises questions.

Brighton become their own worst enemies

Brighton finished eighth last campaign, but a sense of annoyance at the year was not unfair. With no continental football in midweek and a stacked squad of attackers, the dream was a return to Europe.

The fact that the team failed to achieve the goal is not the worst thing. However, their failings on the way to that outcome were clear and remain problems that are holding them back at the moment.

No Premier League outfit had dropped more than their 22 points from winning positions last term. Already, they have blown a lead in the last minute against Fulham in a 1-1 draw, cocked up countless chances at Everton in a 2-0 defeat, and again sacrificed a two goal advantage in front of their fans.

Even in the first half hour, Spurs showed that they can cut through the Brighton block with ease. Frank had laid out a clear plan for the day, with underlaps from Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall breaking through the lines over and again while Richarlison rolled off Jan Paul van Hecke in duels.

Tottenham battled back to a 2-2 draw with Brighton on a day that displaye more completeness on the ball. Thomas Frank spoke about his attackers, particularly one who "dominated" his domain.

‘He can do that and the 10’

Xavi Simons came onto the field as a ten and his display did exactly what the manager expected.

“I’m pleased with that. Xavi came in and did exactly what we thought he could do in in that 10 position and I think he had a good preseason and he played two games in Germany and all that.”

The finishing touches were elusive for the Dutchman, but his creative instinct shone through.

“He's still coming into a team and all that and I think on any other day he scores a goal. he got a great finish on the first one, then great save from Bart Verbruggen, the other one he mishits. I think he could have got an assist to Richarlison where Lucas Bergvall takes the ball and he doesn’t see him.”

The £51 million man moved from RB Leipzig as a ten in their standard 4-2-2-2 system and he looked a cut above from his work against Villarreal and West Ham as someone drifting in off the left wing.

Some of that has to do with the finetuning of the offensive elements of the system and time will tell where the presence of returning attackers shift his responsibilities. In any case, he is a great asset.

“I think he can easily play the left winger that can go more Sometimes the playmakers drift to the side because there's no space in the middle. He can do that but 10 obviously he can play that as well.”

‘He looked lively’

Across 90 minutes, the best attacker in the bunch was Mohamed Kudus. The £55 million man has been a revelation after his transfer from West Ham and the manager explained why he has excelled.

“His work ethic has been really good: how hard he worked in the counter, high pressure defensive side of it. But also his hold up play when he goes into him: it sticks. They can't get it off him.

“So he just keeps it. He doesn't lose 50/50 balls. 50/50 ball. The third thing his 1 v 1 ability is crazy. He's so strong. He's so explosive. He dominated that right hand side.”

There was a first Premier League start of the season for Wilson Odobert. The French forward featured from the left flank ahead of Destiny Udogie and his sharp movement caught Frank's eye.

“I must admit I thought he looked lively. It looked like um they were a little bit afraid of him. So he got time to turn and run forward and I think we drew some crosses, some good opportunities. He's also involved in a goal, worked hard. A good first start.”

His compatriot, Randal Kolo Muani, missed out with an injury, but he could debut in midweek.

“Hopefully. It was a dead leg. He’s been struggling with for four or five days. It was just not settling as we hoped for. So hopefully Wednesday.”

Thomas Frank added experience to a youthful squad this summer, but he still sees the growth of his younger players as a big part of his mission, sharing how he is trying to nurture two talented teens.

‘We need all his energy and enthusiasm’

Lucas Bergvall was a steal for a fee of £8.5 million last summer as he set sail from his native Sweden for the Premier League. He is a promising player and Frank has felt that he is useful as a number ten.

"It's fair to say that he had a good season last year. He played a lot of minutes that laid foundation for this season, because in the beginning of the season, he came back from the ankle injury last year and he just needed time to go. You can see he's going from strength to strength and has extra confidence.”

Potential requires refinement to fully flourish, and work has gone on with coaches behind the scenes.

“We need all his energy and enthusiasm in driving the team, but also how does he need to be goal side when he marks in the man to man and how does he need to close the angles and stuff like that."

The attention to detail is already reaping rewards. Bergvall became the second youngest Spurs player to score and assist in the same Premier League game before making the difference again in midweek.

“He has got so much energy that sometimes you need to say, pause, stop, don't run when we have the ball and find the more dangerous positions. The deep run where he scored the goal against West Ham was a big thing. The deep run where he was involved in the own goal against Villarreal.”

‘I like flexible players’

The manager then talked about Archie Gray, who moved for £30 million from Leeds United last summer. Amid an injury crisis for Ange Postecoglou, he showed his intelligence and versatility in a number of positions at the tender age of 18. However, minutes have been harder to come by lately.

“He mainly played as a centre-back and full-back last season. I like flexible players, every coach likes that. I definitely like that. It gives a little more squad depth and more opportunities, different abilities for different games. I see him more as a midfielder, an eight or centre-back, I think he can play both.”

The teenager played 28 times last season in the Premier League: even if those displays came in unusual roles or defeats for a side that finished in 17th position, they are useful experiences. For now, Gray has to show his dedication to developing his craft behind the scenes under new management.

“Archie really impressed me. He played a very good pre-season friendly against Newcastle and he grew into the game against Burnley, he was very good in the second half and I like his mentality. He was not in the squad for West Ham and the day after he trained fantastically. Yesterday, fantastic.”

Frank was not too critical of Gray, but a stacked midfield makes his inclusion harder to justify.

“He can twist and turn to go forward, he is very mobile, reliable. I really like Archie. Unfortunately, you can only play 11. Can we change the rules? Get a few more on the pitch, it would help a bit!"

Before Brighton battle Tottenham, Thomas Frank filled in the press about his thoughts on his team for the weekend. As he works more with the group, the goal is to be "add layers" to their flexibility.

‘He’s back on grass’

Richarlison remains upfront in the absence of Dominic Solanke. The striker came off the bench in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain but suffered a setback with the old issue with his ankle.

"The positive thing is that he's back on the grass, he's been there for three, four days and progressing forward, slowly, but forward. It's too early for him at Brighton tomorrow, too early for Doncaster.”

Kota Takai has also been absent from action, and he is almost back after a case of plantar fasciitis.

"He is very close to training with the group - I'm pretty sure he will train with the group on Monday."

Destiny Udogie is in the mix after he picked up a knee injury in preseason against Luton Town. His return to fitness produced a discussion about the three fullbacks at the top of the plans of the manager.

“Destiny has done very well the last two seasons when he's been fully fit. Pedro Porro has been at just an unbelievable level, and Djed Spence just built last year, impressive how he lifted his level, and the way he started the season has been super impressive.”

‘They are a little bit similar’

The Dane declared that Udogie and Spence share traits but also have clear differences on the left.

“Destiny offers his left foot as a left-back. So, some things are a little bit more natural for him in that sense. He and Djed are a little bit similar. They have that fantastic physicality or ability to go all the time up and down. That's a fantastic thing to drive forward. It is a privilege to have good full-backs."

At times, the familiarity of Spence with his right foot has meant he prefers to carry the ball rather than look for the pass from that side of the field. However, he has advantages as a 'wrong-footed' fullback.

“To put it into perspective, Djed gives us something else because when you have a right-footer, like we did with Keane Lewis-Potter last year in Brentford, you can then cut in on your right and you can almost play as a winger sometimes. You can cut in and have the strong foot on the inside.”

‘Our strongest bit is the structure’

Xavi Simons is also settling into life in North London after his £51 million move from RB Leipzig. He has played from the left wing against West Ham and Villarreal is a calculated choice from Frank.

“Last year, it was Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min, James Maddison, Solanke. None of them are available, so it's a completely new front four. Xavi came in late to the picture. Mohamed Kudus came in in pre-season. Dom has not been fully fit. So, we're trying to add those layers game for game.”

As more of a pragmatist than Ange Postecoglou, he is preferring to build the stability of the side.

“Right now, our strongest bit in the team is the structure and the way we defend, which is also a very offensive way of defending with the high pressure, because we win the ball high, we keep initiative.”

Over time, the Dane declared that he is open to mixing and matching players in the ten position.

Tottenham opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win against Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It wasn’t always pretty, but Thomas Frank’s side got the job done. Here are the main takeaways from the match.

Spurs’ right side looks a real weapon

The summer signing of Mohammed Kudus already looks inspired. Operating from the right, the former West Ham man stretched Villarreal from the opening minutes, linking well with Pedro Porro and repeatedly getting behind the visitors’ back line.

Tottenham’s early breakthrough came from that flank: a low cross forced an error from Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior, who bundled the ball into his own net inside four minutes. That avenue remained Spurs’ most dangerous outlet all evening, with Kudus’ pace and directness giving the hosts a cutting edge they sometimes lacked last season.

Defensive stability under Thomas Frank

Tottenham’s defensive progress under new head coach Thomas Frank was evident again. Last year’s leaky back line has been replaced by a compact, disciplined unit that mixes man-to-man aggression with clear organisation.

Spurs rarely overcommitted and were happy to sit slightly deeper when Villarreal pressed for an equaliser. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero marshalled the centre superbly, while Destiny Udogie impressed on the left. A second successive clean sheet is proof that Frank’s methods are starting to bed in – a far cry from the chaos that saw Spurs slump to 17th place only a season ago.

Begvall’s bright start continues

At just 19 years old, Lucas Begvall is fast becoming one of Tottenham’s most exciting prospects. Fresh from his first Premier League goal at West Ham last weekend, the youngster delivered another confident display here.

Begvall’s willingness to run at defenders and his clever movement gave Spurs an extra dimension in attack. He also showed composure on the ball, linking neatly with midfield and creating a couple of half-chances. Thomas Frank clearly trusts him, and if he maintains this form, the teenager could force himself into a regular starting berth ahead of more senior names.

A winning start in Europe – but room to grow

Securing all three points was Tottenham’s main objective, and they achieved it. A clean sheet, early lead and disciplined defending meant the job was done, even if the performance lacked fluency at times.

The own goal remains Spurs’ only strike in this year’s Champions League, underlining the need for sharper finishing. Villarreal were there for the taking in the first half, but Spurs didn’t make their dominance count. With tougher tests looming – notably a trip to Paris Saint-Germain – Frank will hope his forwards can soon translate possession and territory into goals.

Still, after such a poor league finish last term, Tottenham fans will be pleased to see their team combining resilience with attacking promise on the European stage.

Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins from their first four matches, with the side only conceding one goal, a credit to the structure new boss Thomas Frank has implemented in his short time at the club so far.

Let's analyse how the Spurs players fared during this London derby...

Guglielmo Vicario - 7

The Italian shot-stopper has looked calm and composed for Spurs in their first few games of the season, and, for the first time in a long while, he's managed to have a stable back four in front of him, with the same players playing week-in, week-out.

After the Spurs' defensive woes last season, leading to a 17th-place Premier League finish, Vicario and his defensive unit have looked steady under new head coach Thomas Frank, and that continued today, with the goalkeeper keeping another clean sheet (three out of four games). Vicario had to make four saves during the match; most notably from Bowen in the second period, but aside from this, the goalkeeper remained untroubled.

Pedro Porro - 8

On his 26th birthday, Porro made his 87th Premier League appearance for Spurs, and it was one to remember; a 3-0 away win at a London rival. The attack-minded defender created the joint-most chances in the match (two), made five recoveries and kept a clean sheet as part of a defensive unit that kept the West Ham attack quiet on the whole. The Spaniard did well against an inform Crysencio Summerville, who won a penalty and registered an assist in West Ham's last game against Nottingham Forest.

Cristian Romero - 8

The World Cup-winning centre back was named Tottenham's new captain during the summer after the departure of Son Heung-min, and Romero has taken on the responsibility excellently so far. A martial at the back, Romero is always commanding in his approach and has built up an outstanding partnership with his centre-back partner, Micky Van de Ven. As far as the game went, the Argentinian registered a delightful assist for Bergvall's goal with a clever long pass over the top of West Ham's defence, made 93% of attempted passes and didn't commit a foul, slowly removing the "too rash" concept sometimes associated with his game. Romero controversially had a close-range header ruled out in the first half for a foul on Kyle Walker-Peters.

Micky Van de Ven - 9

Van de Ven rounded off an excellent second-half performance from Spurs with a sweeping finish into the far corner with his weak foot, and before his goal, he remained a threat from set pieces (13 corners and multiple long throws). Van de Ven (and co.) kept makeshift striker Lucas Paqueta quiet during the game, and it's no secret that Spurs are a better side when Van de Ven plays, so they'll be hoping to keep him fit for the entirety of this season, unlike last season, where he only featured in 13 of Spurs' 38 Premier League games.

Djed Spence - 8

After making his England debut earlier in the week, there is no doubt that Spence is one of Spurs' most inform players. As comfortable on the left as he is on the right, the 25-year-old kept West Ham's most dangerous players quiet in Jarrod Bowen and offered a good overlap option to Xavi Simons when Spurs drove forward, with Simons often wanting to come inside on his right foot from the left. Spence did pick up a yellow card for a mistimed foul in the second half, but this didn't take away from what was another solid showing from the full-back, who wants to play against "your favourite winger".

Joao Palhinha - 8

Joao Palhinha was a presence all game long, providing the kind of backbone Spurs needed in midfield. The Portuguese international dominated the defensive side of play, winning crucial duels and tackles that cut out West Ham’s attempts to build any sort of momentum. Palhinha was at the forefront of the biggest turning point in the game, which was Tomas Soucek's red card challenge. This highlighted his influence in midfield and sparked his team to go on and score two more goals. The signing has been brilliant, in terms of Palhinha 'letting' the other two Spurs midfielders roam in possession of the ball; he's the hard-tackling midfielder of the usual three.

Lucas Bergvall - 10

Lucas Bergvall scored Spurs' second goal of the afternoon with an excellent looping header over Mads Hermansen. However, beyond the teenager's first-ever Premier League goal, his all-around contribution was impressive. Bergvall pressed actively, made intelligent runs in behind the West Ham defence, and showed real energy both on and off the ball. Furthermore, the Swede also registered an assist for Tottenham's third goal, nudging the ball into the path of Van de Ven to secure the three points for the away side. For Spurs fans, this is hopefully the start of some promising things to come for the young, versatile midfielder.

Pape Sarr - 9

The Senegal international opened the scoring for Spurs after powerfully meeting an in-swinging Xavi Simons corner early in the second half; and constantly provides the engine that is necessary in the all-action Tottenham midfield. Sarr grew into the game: his presence in midfield helped Spurs gain composure and control in a fierce derby game. With West Ham still pressing early in the second half, he ensured Tottenham Hotspur were dangerous from set pieces, and his goal set the tone for what became a dominant second half.

Mohammed Kudus - 8

Facing his former employers for the first time, Mo Kudus did not receive the warmest welcome back at the London Stadium, it has to be said. However, the Ghanaian, who was signed for £55m in the summer, was an outlet on Spurs' right-hand side throughout the match, creating the most chances (two) and completing the most dribbles (four) out of any player for both teams. The 25-year-old potentially wasn't involved in the game as much as he would've liked, but played the full 90 minutes in a comfortable away win.

Xavi Simons - 8

Xavi Simons made his full Spurs debut after signing for the club two weeks ago from RB Leipzig for a fee valued at just under £52m, and showed some promising glimpses on the ball in the first half. The Dutchman's most valuable contribution came right at the beginning of the second half, curling in a corner that Pape Sarr headed in to begin the scoring for Spurs. The creative midfielder was willing to take risks to get his side on the front foot, completing 84% of passes before eventually being substituted with 20 minutes to go. More to come, for sure, from the 22-year-old.

Mathys Tel - 7

Tel came into the side fresh from scoring twice for France U21's in the most recent international break, but found it a little difficult to get into the game in the first half, especially. The attacker started his first Premier League game of the season and, after predominantly being used on the left in the past for Spurs, got given a chance up front with Richarlison and Kolo Muani on the bench. Tel was making the right runs in behind, but only had one shot and completed 75% of attempted passes in the 79 minutes that he played, eventually being replaced by fellow Frenchman, Wilson Odobert.

Subs:

Destiny Udogie - 6

The Italian international, who didn't go away with his country on international duty as he continued his recovery from a knee injury, played his first minutes of the season for Spurs and looked comfortable at left-back in seeing out the win for his side.

Richarlison - 6

The striker, who registered an assist in Spurs' last away game at Manchester City, came on with 20 minutes to go and made himself a presence in helping his side see out the impressive away win. Richarlison will be looking to get back into the Tottenham starting XI soon, potentially on Tuesday when the North London side face Villerreal in the Champions League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Wilson Odobert - N/A

Odobert played just over 10 minutes, and with the game comfortably at 3-0, he had no significant impact.

Kevin Danso - N/A

Danso played just over 10 minutes and with the game comfortably at 3-0, he didn't have any sort of impact.

Brennan Johnson - N/A

Johnson played just over 10 minutes, and with the game comfortably at 3-0, he didn't have any sort of impact.

New Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he expected to be sacked by Tottenham Hotspur following their UEFA Europa League triumph in May.

Despite a disappointing Premier League campaign, which saw the Lilywhites finish 17th, few expected Postecoglou to be sacked after winning Spurs' first trophy in 17 years.

But on 6 June 2025, Tottenham Hotspur confirmed that Postecoglou had been relieved of his duties after the club's board "unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place."

What came as a shock to the footballing world was far less surprising to Postecoglou himself, who revealed in his first press conference as Nottingham Forest boss that he saw his departure coming.

"It was tough, I'll be honest," he admitted. "Like I said, it [being sacked] had never happened to me before. Call it luck or whatever it was, everywhere I've been, I've had success.

"And I had success again [with Spurs], and for all intents and purposes, that's what the club was craving, the football club hadn't won something for a very long time.

"I knew it [being sacked] was coming, and I knew it a long way out that it was going to happen. So, it wasn't the actual decision [that was tough], it was things ending because then I was kind of like 'okay, well what do I do now?'"

The Australian continued to reveal that he chose not to dampen Spurs' Europa League celebrations despite knowing of his imminent exit

"I certainly didn't want to tarnish the night, or tarnish the parade or anything like that," he said. "I wasn't going to let that happen because it wouldn't have been fair on anybody else.

"[It wouldn't have been fair on] my family, if nobody else. I wanted them to enjoy it, and I did too. I enjoyed it too, I didn't care about the next day.

"We all work so hard and we know how hard it is to have success, and when you have it you kind of cherish it and celebrate it.

"There's moments there [in the celebrations] that will stay with me forever, with the players, the staff, our families, they were special moments, so you put that [knowing you will leave the club] to one side."

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