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Just days after The Athletic reported that Tottenham Hotspur had agreed a fee with Crystal Palace for the sale of forward Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace, the forward’s move across London has been finalised.

The 24-year-old, signed from Nottingham Forest in 2023, has not scored in the Premier League since August, having been restricted largely to a bench role as Tottenham’s first season under Thomas Frank has unfolded. He started just three of Tottenham’s last 16 league matches, although he did start a further four matches in the League Cup and Champions League in that time.

Despite that, only Richarlison and Micky van de Ven have scored more goals for Spurs this season, with Johnson having been the club’s top scorer in 2024-25, a season that ended with him scoring the winning goal in the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao.

Spurs are clearly in the midst of a rebuild, but was this the right time to sell?

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke and Elias Burke address the two sides of the argument…

Yes, it was time to cash in

Thomas Frank knows the importance of selling well. His Brentford tenure was built in part on selling players for the right price at the right time, a lesson that Tottenham could clearly learn.

Speaking at his press conference ahead of the Brentford game, Frank was asked about the importance of being “good sellers”. He could not have been clearer. “That’s key,” he said. “There are a lot of elements that we need to do well to be able to compete at the highest level. Part of it is being able to sell. The other top clubs… they are quite good at selling.”

Tottenham have rarely been good at selling. Traditionally, they have been good at extracting big fees in very specific circumstances: when they have a world-class player who is being pursued by one of the richest clubs in Europe. Take Dimitar Berbatov going to Manchester United in 2008, Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in 2013, Kyle Walker to Manchester City in 2017, or Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023. In all four cases, they were able to negotiate a big fee.

What Spurs have struggled with is sales that are not like that: when they have a prized asset and all the leverage in negotiations. In recent years, they have repeatedly clung on to players for too long, missing the moment to move them on, leaving them with players who have lost their edge and their market value.

So much of Spurs’ struggles in recent years were down to the fact that they hung on to players such as Dele, Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld, Lucas Moura and Christian Eriksen for too long, rather than selling them when they were hot.

Which leads us to Brennan Johnson. He is a good player who has done well at Spurs. He joined at the age of 22, a few weeks after Kane was sold to Bayern. Johnson had big responsibilities from early on and scored five league goals in his first season. In his second year, he was the club’s top scorer, with 11 in the league, two in the cups, and another five in Europe. The last of those was the goal that will seal his legacy forever, turning in Pape Matar Sarr’s cross at the near post to win Spurs the Europa League.

But the fact is that Johnson has not been in the starting XI for much of this season. Mohammed Kudus is the clear first choice on the right wing. Johnson does not get much of a look-in on the left either.

Of course Spurs could have kept him and he could still have been useful when called upon, just like he was from the bench at Crystal Palace on December 28. But this is precisely the sort of situation where Spurs have tended to hang on to the player in the past, when they would be better off taking the money and reinvesting in someone better suited to their system. This time they have done well to take a different option.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

No, they still needed his goals

Brennan Johnson will not be easy to replace.

He’s the scorer of Tottenham’s most important goal in at least 17 years, and finished last season as the club’s top marksman across all competitions. While he’s not the same flying winger Spurs signed from Nottingham Forest in 2023, he’s developed into a reliable goalscorer with a rare and valuable ability to arrive in the right place at the right time in the box. In a squad short on goalscorers, Johnson’s ability to put the ball into the back of the net should not have been overlooked.

Having mostly seen him from the bench since the opening matches of the season, it’s easy to forget he started this term in a similar vein of form to that with which he finished the last. His goal on the opening day of the season, where he timed his run to perfection before calmly lifting his finish over Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, exemplified his progression into a bona fide goalscorer from out wide. The following week, he opened the scoring in the 2-0 win away to Manchester City, getting on the end of a wide cross from a quick attacking transition, the kind of football that suits him best, and that he will be hoping to play at Crystal Palace.

There has not been much to crow about for Spurs fans this season, but just the sight of Johnson has been enough to bring choruses of “Johnson again, ole ole”, including when he came on towards the end of Sunday’s win at Selhurst Park. In fact the travelling Spurs fans even sang his name (along with those of several former Spurs players) during Thursday evening’s 0-0 draw at Brentford as news of his imminent departure broke. The little reminders of that night in Bilbao may not put points on the board this season, but they are also not without merit.

With better squad construction, Johnson would have been an important squad player. He may not have played every week, but across four competitions, there would be plenty of opportunities for him to start and provide important contributions from the bench from both wings. He’d also be crucial injury cover for Kudus, who will now only be supported by Wilson Odobert (at least until Dejan Kulusevski returns from his long-term injury), a player who has produced his best displays from the left.

But with so many players in the squad capable of playing left wing (without entirely convincing), the evidence suggests Johnson, who is coming into his prime at 24, would not get the minutes he wants under Frank.

Unless Spurs invest in a top winger to immediately take the starting spot on the left, or Odobert translates his exciting cameos from the bench into consistent displays from the start, it could be a move that the club rues in the second half of the season. Having also lost Son Heung-min, Tottenham can ill-afford to not replace his goal threat.

Elias Burke

Tottenham Hotspur defender Kota Takai has joined German side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Takai joined Spurs on a five-year contract from Kawasaki Frontale in July for a J-League record fee of around £5million, but he is yet to make his first appearance for the north London side having dealt with separate foot and knee injuries since the summer. He was included in the matchday squad for the first time by Thomas Frank as an unused substitute in the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The 21-year-old returned to first-team training in November, and played 45 minutes in a behind-closed doors friendly against National League South side Dagenham and Redbridge in early December.

He joins the Bundesliga club until the end of the season, where he will be initially viewed as a back-up but should find opportunities in the German top-flight due to Gladbach’s lack of defensive depth. The four-time Japan international will be supported by countryman Shuto Machino, who will help him integrate into the squad.

Like with fellow Spurs central defender Luka Vuskovic, who signed for Hamburg on a season-long loan in the summer window, there is no buy clause in the agreement.

Tottenham remain fairly well-stocked in the centre-back department, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero arguably the club’s best and most important players. They’re supported by Kevin Danso, Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin, who has recently returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in January 2025.

There is a limit to what fans will put up with, and no one knows precisely what that limit is until it is reached.

On Thursday night at Brentford, that breaking point was hit. One thousand, seven hundred and 23 Tottenham Hotspur fans had travelled out to west London in the bitter cold. And they had watched Tottenham yet again do absolutely nothing, create nothing, threaten nothing, imagine nothing, score nothing, and achieve nothing but a clean sheet and a point that moves them up to 12th.

Speaking afterwards, head coach Thomas Frank hailed a “very, very strong defensive performance”.

This was not the first Tottenham attacking no-show under Frank. There have been far too many already, given he is only halfway through his first season. And so when he went over to the away fans to applaud them at the end, they could not hide their feelings about him. This was not just booing this result or this performance. It was specifically directed at Frank himself.

You could sense that a reaction like this was coming. All game, the mood of the away end had been bubbling, rising towards that invisible limit of patience. The fans had sung ‘Boring, boring Tottenham’ and ‘We want our money back’. They had pointedly sung the names of plenty of former players — including Brennan Johnson — warming themselves up around the glow of memories of happier times.

In the final miserable minutes of this appalling game, the end of their tether had been reached. They were increasingly aghast at every missed opportunity to make something happen, whether Richarlison bungling a simple pass or Guglielmo Vicario taking his time before launching it. And then Frank walked over and bore the brunt of it.

This was not the first time that Spurs fans booed this season. But it felt like the most pointedly personal booing so far. Nor can this be taken in isolation. This was not disappointment at a mistake, or frustration over another bad day at the office. There was nothing random or unfortunate about Spurs’ badness here. Because Spurs were bad in precisely the ways that you would expect them to be bad, the ways in which you have seen them be bad too many times this season already. This was some of the worst football you will ever see. But you could never call it a surprise.

The problem was that Spurs were set up with no capacity to move the ball forward. Frank reunited Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle, but with the added twist of Archie Gray playing at 10. Spurs’ options for ball progression included Pedro Porro hitting the ball down the line and Spurs’ centre-backs going back to Vicario, who hurriedly hacked the ball downfield. That was essentially it. Their best moments were Gray having a shot blocked from the edge of the box and Richarlison swinging wildly at a volley from a difficult angle. After that, there was little.

Brentford shaded the second half and had chances to win it. But in truth, it would have been a travesty if either team had scored here or left with three points. Frankly, it feels a bit much that both teams went home with one point. This was a game to make you wonder what you are doing with your life, how many mistakes have led you up to this point. We must all hope that this is the worst game of football played in 2026. Anything worse than this would suggest that something, somewhere, has gone seriously wrong.

The highlight, the one moment that will stay with those who saw it, came when Vicario was booked for time-wasting with more than 20 minutes left of normal time. He had been taking so much time over a goal-kick, it was as if he thought it was added time in a cup final and his team was 1-0 up. Keith Andrews said afterwards that it was a sign of respect from Frank to his old team, because he was so desperate to stop their momentum.

Maybe that is right. When Frank gave his own post-match press conference, he explained how good Brentford have been at home, how they have already beaten Aston Villa, Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United here this season. Which is true. But probably not what Spurs fans want to. Fans prefer it when their team takes the initiative.

There is no question that Frank has tightened Spurs up, moving them away from the era of 22 league defeats, 17th place and all that. With 18 points from 10 games, they still have the best away record in the league this season. It was only on Sunday that Spurs went to Selhurst Park, kept it tight, scored from a corner and won 1-0. That did not feel like a classic at the time, but compared to this game, it was the 2022 World Cup final. That is the problem with playing this football, offering nothing in terms of entertainment. Your only option is to win. Fail to do that, and there is nothing for fans to invest in or get behind.

Frank admitted afterwards that Spurs still need to improve on the ball. “We need to add the next layers,” as he routinely puts it. And with Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison injured, and Xavi Simons suspended, this is a group short on attacking quality. There is more pressure on the January window than ever before.

The problem is that for this to work, fans have to believe in the direction of travel. They must want to be on the journey with Frank and the players. And that means aiming for some lofty goals, sharing the aspirations, if not the records, of great Spurs teams of the past. Tightening the defence, restricting Brentford’s shooting opportunities, and maximising set pieces — these alone will not cut it.

At some point, Frank has to offer something grander than efficiencies and marginal gains. Or else there will be more games like this. And more fan reactions like this, too.

Thomas Frank’s first return to Brentford since leaving last summer ended in an underwhelming draw as his Tottenham Hotspur side were unable to find a creative spark in a game of few chances.

After victory at Crystal Palace on December 28, Spurs were hoping to register back-to-back Premier League victories for only the second time this season and the first time since August.

Archie Gray had their best chance of a drab first half at the Gtech Community Stadium but his header was blocked.

Brentford’s Vitaly Janelt forced Guglielmo Vicario into a diving save midway through the second half but, in truth, neither side really offered much threat for long periods.

Spurs would have moved above Brentford and up to eighth with victory, but instead they are 12th at the halfway point in the league season.

Elias Burke and Jack Pitt-Brooke analyse the main talking points.

Why were Spurs so underwhelming again?

The 1-0 win at Crystal Palace four days ago eased immediate pressure on Frank, but sections of the fanbase remain divided about the head coach. The lack of development in turning Spurs into an exciting team to watch is the main complaint, and the performance at Brentford showed few signs that he is any closer to achieving that aim.

Marrying the desire to play attractive football with a solid defensive foundation is not easy. In fact, possibly only league leaders Arsenal and the recently improved Manchester City are convincing in both departments.

Frank is also dealing with injuries to star creators Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, while Xavi Simons — the record summer signing who was brought in to help address their creative issues — is suspended. And with Lucas Bergvall also on the physio’s table, a glance at the bench made clear how limited his options are at the moment.

Still, Tottenham were second best for much of the game, with Brentford looking much more assured in possession. Even the Brentford support remarked on their opponents’ performance, singing “boring, boring Tottenham” in the second half, a chant which the travelling support later joined in with.

Frank will be pleased with another clean sheet in front of a home support which adores him, but a performance like that will not have earned him much more favour within Tottenham followers, some of whom booed when he went over to acknowledge them after the full-time whistle.

Elias Burke

How did Gray do in a more advanced role?

Gray was Tottenham’s standout player in December, establishing himself for the first time under Frank as a consistent starter.

He has spent most of that period playing as part of the midfield double pivot, and opened his account for the club against Palace from that position.

But after Bergvall went off injured near the hour mark at Selhurst Park, Frank shifted Gray into the No 10 position, where he provided an extra body in midfield and allowed Wilson Odobert to thrive ahead of him.

With Bergvall still out injured and Simons unavailable after he was sent off against Liverpool, Gray brought in the new year playing as the No 10 from the start.

He might have added to his tally in the opening minutes, firing a curling shot from the edge of the box which was blocked by Brentford defender Nathan Collins. While he was neat in possession, he was on the periphery for most of the first half, but went close again shortly before half-time, heading a Richarlison pass goalwards, only for Collins to clear his effort away near the line.

Those nearly moments were his most notable contributions in an attacking sense, with the 19-year-old defending well in the second period but ultimately failing to contribute with the ball.

Elias Burke

What did this game tell us about Spurs’ January plans?

The travelling Tottenham fans spent more of the evening singing about former players than the current team, which is perhaps understandable given what the XI on the field served up.

One of the players whose name they sang was Brennan Johnson, who is on the brink of a move to Crystal Palace after two and a half years in north London.

Clearly Johnson still has a special place in the hearts of Spurs fans after his winner in the Europa League final in Bilbao last May. But his departure — and the bluntness of Spurs’ attacks here — indicate the importance of the January window.

The front line of Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison and Odobert never caused Brentford any problems. And with some of Spurs’ best attacking players still out injured — Dominic Solanke, as well as Kulusevski and Maddison — it is patently clear they need upgrades this month. Especially with last season’s top scorer Johnson on his way out of the club.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

What did Frank say?

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank said: “I think the positive is that we’re going here against a very good home team that you need to respect with the results they’ve done where they’re beating Liverpool, (Manchester) United, Newcastle, (Aston) Villa, drawing with Chelsea and keeping them on that low amount of chances. They had seven shots in total. I think that’s a very, very strong defensive performance.

“The back four did excellent, the whole team did excellent, especially Micky (van de Ven) and (Cristian) Romero did very well with (Igor) Thiago and Kevin Schade up there. So that’s a positive. I think the amount of unforced errors is the biggest negative, I would say.

“And that’s the bit where you can make too many mistakes on unforced technical errors that then take out eight, maybe nine good half-transitions where you’re not getting into good positions. And then when we were up there, we lacked the cutting edge on the day.”

On boos from Spurs fans: “You’d prefer everyone is happy and we’re winning 3-0… I think we have to play with Archie as a 10 — or I decided to do that — and we did a little bit different at the end of the game. That’s just step by step, we do those things. I’m very confident we will make it fluent and better and score enough goals. But with the amount of games and limited training times and the right offensive players available, that’s part of it, it’s no problem…

“I’m not really reading anything on social media, or articles or all that. I watch the team. I’m very aware that we are not where I want us to be. Very aware.”

What next for Spurs?

Tottenham have reached an agreement to send Israeli winger Manor Solomon on loan to Fiorentina, pending a medical.

As part of the deal, the Italian side — who are currently in last place in Serie A — will have the option to make the move permanent.

Solomon, 26, spent the first half of the season on loan at Villarreal, making six LaLiga appearances and scoring one goal. That agreement has now been terminated, allowing him to move to Italy.

Solomon joined Tottenham in 2023 on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk. He made six appearances in all competitions for the club, before suffering a knee injury in October 2023 that required surgery and ended his season.

He would never play another competitive game for Spurs.

He spent last season on loan with Championship side Leeds United, scoring ten goals in 39 appearances and helping the club to finish first and win promotion back to the Premier League.

Crystal Palace are increasingly confident of winning the race to sign Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur.

The south London club’s need for attacking reinforcements has been exacerbated after striker Eddie Nketiah suffered a hamstring injury in training this week. Nketiah has been ruled out of tomorrow’s match with Fulham at Selhurst Park by manager Oliver Glasner, who said he was uncertain how long the problem will keep him out.

It is the third time Nketiah has suffered a hamstring issue this season, with injuries forcing him to miss 11 matches in total. Palace are also missing Ismalia Sarr, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.

“Eddie is out for this game, so let’s see for the next game,” Glasner said. “We don’t know exactly how long it will take (to recover) – we’ll have to take it game by game.

“It’s a little bit his muscle, but we don’t know right now how serious it is. Of course, he’s had a few issues this year, and that’s why we are quite cautious.”

The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Palace had reached an agreement with Tottenham over a deal to sign Johnson for a fee approaching £35million (€40m; $47m).

The 24-year-old winger has been the subject of interest from other clubs and still has to decide on his future. But Palace are optimistic that they will be successful in persuading him to move early in the January transfer window.

It would offer a timely lift for Glasner, who has been vocal in his demands for Palace’s squad to be strengthened as they try to cope with a gruelling fixture schedule.

Asked about transfer plans by reporters on Wednesday, Glasner replied: “Let’s see what happens. Tomorrow starts the next crazy month in football – and I don’t know. I’ve experienced so many different situations.

“The next 31 days, everything is possible. I have always positive signs from the club in our talks, and I know all the effort. Everyone who is working behind the scenes on transfers and developing Crystal Palace is very hard-working and giving huge effort.”

Chris Richards, the USMNT defender, has also been ruled out of the Fulham match with the foot injury he sustained in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal last week.

Richards required stitches in a foot wound and missed the home defeat to Tottenham on December 28.

Glasner had been hopeful of having the centre-half available for the visit of Fulham but has now ruled him out of that game and potentially Sunday’s trip to Newcastle United.

“His foot is too swollen, so he can’t wear a boot right now – it’s too painful,” Glasner said.

Crystal Palace have reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur over a deal to sign Brennan Johnson, although the winger still needs to decide on his future before the situation is finalised.

A fee approaching £35million (€40m, $47m) is in place between the clubs for Johnson, who also has interest from other suitors over a move in the January market.

If the 24-year-old Wales international approves the potential switch, it would strengthen Palace manager Oliver Glasner’s attacking options as they contest domestic and European commitments.

It would also represent the fourth-highest sale in Spurs history — behind Gareth Bale, Harry Kane and Kyle Walker — despite Johnson not being part of head coach Thomas Frank’s long-term plans.

The Athletic reported in the Transfer DealSheet on December 26 that Johnson was Crystal Palace’s main target during the January window.

Johnson finished as Tottenham’s top scorer last season with 18 goals in all competitions but has not been utilised as heavily under Frank, making only six starts in the Premier League.

Tottenham have several options in attack, including summer signing Mohamed Kudus, who has largely taken Johnson’s starting spot on the right flank. Dejan Kulusevski has also primarily appeared as a right winger (though is capable of operating in midfield) but he has not played since May as a result of a knee injury that required surgery.

Johnson came through the academy at Nottingham Forest, helping the side achieve promotion to the Premier League in the 2021-22 season. He signed for Spurs in September 2023 for £47.5m.

He recorded five goals and 11 assists in his first season in north London under Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham qualified for the Europa League. He enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2024-25, scoring five of his goals in Europe, including the winner in the Europa League final as Tottenham won their first trophy in 17 years.

Johnson has made 20 appearances in all competitions in 2025-26, appearing on both the right and left-hand sides and has scored four goals.

Former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has been awarded a CBE in the United Kingdom’s New Year Honours list.

Levy, who ran Tottenham from 2001 until his departure in September this year, has been given the honour for “services to charity and the community in Tottenham”. Levy said in a statement that he was “humbled” to receive the CBE and praised the “extraordinary efforts” of the people he worked with “to make a genuine difference in north London”.

The CBE stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and is bestowed on individuals to recognise their contributions to public life in the UK. The CBE is a higher rank than OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), and is the most prestigious civilian honour, short of a full knighthood or damehood.

Levy’s honour is primarily a recognition of the work that was done during his Tottenham tenure for the local community. The club set up the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation — their official charitable body — in 2006, which has led their community outreach work over the past 20 years. And in April 2019 they opened the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has now been their home for almost seven years, as well as hosting NFL, major concerts and boxing, bringing jobs and economic activity to the area.

When Levy issued a statement on his recognition, he thanked everyone he had worked with towards trying to transform the local area. “The positive change we were able to achieve would not have been possible without the passion, dedication and hard work of so many people at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, together with our community partners, who shared a belief in the power of sport to transform lives,” his statement said.

“Tottenham Hotspur has always been more than a football club to me. It is part of the fabric of the local community, and I am immensely proud of the role we have played in helping to regenerate the area through our initiatives in education, employment, health and social inclusion. While our stadium development and on-pitch results often took the headlines, I hope that my legacy will be the positive and lasting impact we have made on the lives of people in Tottenham and beyond. Football clubs have a unique role to play in their local community and at Tottenham Hotspur we always took this responsibility very seriously.”

The news was met with tributes to Levy’s work by people who had worked with him. Tracey Crouch was a government minister for sport from 2015 to 2018 and is a lifelong Spurs fan. “He may have been much maligned by many but he deserves his honour for the way in which, over a number of years, he realised his vision, working hard to transform the club, building the new stadium and significantly improving the local area,” Crouch told The Athletic.

Tottenham’s work in the local community has also included being the business sponsor of London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET), an academically selective sixth form that prioritises local students. In 2025, more than two thirds of LAET students earned places at Russell Group universities, with 24 earning places at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

“Daniel’s vision for the Tottenham community has given thousands of young people life-changing opportunities via education at London Academy of Excellence Tottenham,” LAET headteacher Jan Balon told The Athletic. “He has shown the power of a Premier League which is rooted in its community and everyone at LAET is delighted about this well-deserved recognition.”

Tottenham have also partnered with Sarabande, an art foundation set up by designer Alexander McQueen, which has a base in Tottenham. “Daniel has always had a vision for Tottenham, and a huge pride in the area,” Sarabande CEO Trino Verkade told The Athletic. “I can’t pretend to know about football but what I can certainly vouch for is his unwavering commitment to the local community and support for the next generation.”

Levy’s 24 years running Tottenham ended in September of this year, when he was dismissed by the majority shareholding Lewis family. His tenure saw them win one League Cup in 2008 and the Europa League in 2025, but they also built some of the best infrastructure in the country with their new training ground and stadium.

His last few years at the club were marked by increasing fan discord and managerial churn, with Ange Postecoglou sacked just weeks after that Europa League success against Manchester United in Bilbao.

“Despite dividing opinion, we can’t underestimate how Daniel Levy transformed Tottenham Hotspur and our place in the game, from being consistently mid-table to being frustrated if we’re not competing for the top four,” Proud Lilywhites founder and co-chair Chris Paouros told The Athletic.

“The stadium is world-class and sets a benchmark across Europe and Spurs are now part of the conversation at the top end of English and European football. Alongside that, his support for inclusion has been consistent and tangible, including backing Proud Lilywhites in 2014, at a time when that support was far from straightforward. That combination of ambition, leadership and values is a significant legacy, and one that will be understood more clearly over time.”

It has not been an easy or enjoyable last few months for Tottenham Hotspur. But after their last game of an exhausting 2025, there is one small thing to cling onto.

One game from the halfway point of the season, Spurs are top of the away league table. This was their fifth away league win under Thomas Frank. With two other away draws, that puts them on 17 points from nine away games, with a better goal difference than Aston Villa, and more goals scored than Arsenal.

No, there is no trophy for this, and Spurs still have 10 away league games left this season. But it is a reminder that for all the sluggish, ponderous performances so far, and all the understandable frustration from the crowd, there are at least some areas where Frank’s Spurs are making clear measurable progress.

This win over Crystal Palace was a case in point.

The 2022 World Cup final it was not. This was an ugly slog between two tired teams, neither of them showing much desire to get on the ball or do anything much with it. Palace largely just wanted to hit Spurs on the break. Tottenham wanted to sit in, wait, go long and then hope to make the most of a set-piece or a counter. The ball spent so much time in the clouds it came down with frost on it. If you were looking for quality, style, imagination, creativity or excitement, then you came to the wrong place.

And yet, for the fifth time on the road this season, Frank’s plan worked. After a few early scares, Tottenham shut down Palace’s transitions. When they moved the ball forward quickly, they caused problems. And they took the lead from a set piece: Pedro Porro hit a deep corner, Randal Kolo Muani won the first header, Richarlison the second, and then Archie Gray nodded the third header in.

Once Tottenham had the lead, they were happy to play out time and wait for opportunities on the break. Richarlison had a second disallowed for a narrow offside call, having had the same experience in the first half. Wilson Odobert, who gave Spurs exactly what they needed when he came on, hit the post from the edge of the box. On another day — as Frank said afterwards — they could have scored four.

Some wins this narrow can be ascribed to luck, and certainly Spurs rode theirs. Palace had enough chances in the second half to equalise or even win the game. And yet you could not say that this win was entirely random. In fact, it was a continuation of a pattern we have seen from Spurs under Frank, whether you like watching it or not.

When Tottenham went to West Ham in September, there was little in the game until Pape Matar Sarr headed in a Xavi Simons corner. Spurs then picked West Ham off and won 3-0. When they went to Everton in October, Mickey van de Ven opened the scoring from a Mohammed Kudus corner that Rodrigo Bentancur headed back across goal. Spurs won that game 3-0 too.

Throw in the Manchester City and Leeds United wins and you can see the outline of a plan. Frank admitted on Sunday evening that this was not Spurs’ best away performance of the season, but one where they showed the qualities required. “The players really understood what type of game we were facing,” he said. “The effort, the character and the defending side of the game gave us a 1-0 win. There have been other very good away wins where we have been more dominant.”

Even in the 2-2 away draws at Brighton and at Newcastle, Spurs showed that same spirit to keep fighting back and to stay in the game. For a team who often used to fold in away games and not do the basics right, that is not nothing.

On New Year’s Day, Spurs go to Brentford and it would not be a big surprise to see another game like this: low on quality, big on set pieces, endless stoppages, with every chance that the most organised, efficient, disciplined team will win it. Six days after that they go to Bournemouth — four points from their last nine — and maybe Spurs will be able to execute the same plan there too.

But even if Spurs keep grinding these wins out, this will not be what determines the success or failure of Frank at Tottenham. Everyone knows that he can organise a team, teach them how to exploit opposition weaknesses, improve their set pieces. This was Spurs’ ninth set-piece goal of the season and Frank said afterwards it was “low-hanging fruit”.

The real question for 2026 is whether Frank can get this squad playing football vaguely resembling what the fans want to see. Particularly at home. Because while no one has a better away record than Tottenham this season, only Burnley, West Ham United and Wolves have been worse at home. And Spurs’ reactive, minimalistic style, which can trip teams up on the road, has not yet looked remotely sufficient to light up the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The qualities that make it effective away are precisely why it looks so blunt at home.

Maybe that will change in the new year with some astute signings in January. Maybe the eventual returns of Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke will lift the team. Maybe enough of these ugly wins will engender enough confidence into the players that they start to express themselves, and it will all just simply click.

Those will be the factors that determine whether this season ever gets off the ground. These five away wins have been invaluable, not only for the points but the proof that Frank has coached a certain approach and a way to win into the team. But in the end, it will take a different approach, a different way to win, to convince everyone that Spurs are on the right path.

It was by no means a classic, but it was certainly a valuable win.

Tottenham picked up a 1-0 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday — one that will ease a little of the pressure around manager Thomas Frank, even if the performance wasn’t much to write home about.

Spurs thought they’d taken the lead in the 17th minute, but Richarlison’s strike was ruled out after a VAR review for a Lucas Bergvall offside in the build-up.

That came against the run of play. Palace were on top for most of the first half but couldn’t make their pressure count, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Will Hughes missing the target.

And the home side were finally made to pay three minutes before the break, when Archie Gray turned in Richarlison’s flick-on at a corner.

Palace wasted good opportunities in the second half, too, with Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi both missing close-range headers in the box.

Tottenham were restricted to half-chances and failed to build any sustained momentum after the break, although there were some isolated moments of endeavour as Palace pushed for an equaliser.

Richarlison again found the net on the counter-attack, but the Brazilian’s effort was again ruled out for a VAR offside, before Wilson Odobert’s effort came back off the post and Rodrigo Bentancur had a shot saved by Dean Henderson in stoppage time.

Here, The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke discusses the game’s biggest talking points.

A first goal for Archie Gray

There has not been a huge amount to shout about at Tottenham in recent months, but one of the brighter things has been Gray’s run in the side. The 19-year-old has now started seven of Spurs’ last eight games, all in central midfield, and here he was rewarded with his first senior goal.

Just before the interval, Pedro Porro swung a corner to the far post, Randal Kolo Muani headed it down, Richarlison flicked it on, and Gray was there to nod the ball into the net. Maybe not a goal of the month contender, but a reward for Spurs’ hard work on set pieces, and for Gray being in the right place at the right time.

Gray is still finding his voice as a midfielder, but he was busy defensively, making a few crucial interventions in Spurs’ box, and tried to move the ball forward when possible. The fact that he has been preferred in recent weeks to Joao Palhinha is testament to his commitment to at least trying to drive this team forward, which they desperately need, given how quickly they can look stodgy in possession.

What does this mean for Thomas Frank?

A win is a win for Frank’s Tottenham. They were not exactly good to watch, but then they have not been good to watch all season. They did find a way to get the three points, which, given the season they are having, is still something.

Spurs do have a template of sorts for these away games, based on keeping it tight, keeping it simple, and then making the most of opportunities from set pieces and on the break. It is a methodology that has worked so far this season. Spurs’ wins at Leeds, Everton, West Ham United and Manchester City were, to an extent, like this.

If you were being optimistic, you could say that it speaks well of their efficiency and character that they fought like this, especially with Cristian Romero and Xavi Simons both suspended for this one.

But at the same time, Spurs fans generally have more of an issue with the performances rather than the results this season. They have not played much convincing football yet, to put it mildly. These three points are certainly valuable and important for Spurs, but what they really need in 2026 is to play football that makes fans believe they are heading in the right direction.

Unlucky Richarlison

Richarlison does not always get the rewards for how hard he works or the energy he commits to the Tottenham cause, but he can hardly ever have been as unfortunate as he was today.

Leading the line by himself, he ran hard all afternoon, even when he did not have much support or service. And he scored two goals, both of them disallowed for offside earlier in the move.

In the first half, Richarlison pulled off to the far post and swept in Porro’s cross from the right. It came out of nowhere and would have been an impressive goal, but Bergvall was offside in the build-up.

Then, in the second half, with Spurs 1-0 up, he converted a Mohammed Kudus cross from the right, only for Gray’s initial run forward to be judged to be offside.

He still had other good moments, assisting Gray’s first-half winner and setting up Odobert’s shot that hit the post late on, but he did not get the goal his efforts deserved.

What did Frank say?

On Tottenham’s performance: “I think it was an even game. I think if you’re that close three times to scoring a goal, it’s not bad, and then we would have scored four. That’s a way to look at it.

“I really liked the desire, details, mentality in the team, and the character and resilience of the team is something I spoke about a lot. That is so important that we have that resilience. In a long Premier League season, you need to go to a very difficult away ground here, and fight and show character.

“Was it a top performance? No. Are there things we can improve? Yes. But to go here, with the season having been a little bit up and down, I think it’s a huge mentality effort from the players. And I think we played extremely disciplined throughout the game.”

On Archie Gray’s goal: “I think Archie is growing. He showed why he has a very good potential in many ways. I think it’s another fine performance overall today. Talking about resilience, he made a mistake in the Nottingham game, played another good game against Liverpool, growing as a young man.

“He was alert. I loved that goal, because he was alert, he was seeing where the ball will land and he was ready on it. He shows a lot of quality, he covers ground so well, he’s excellent in the pressing game, the defensive transition, brilliant at closing down. And then I think he’s good on the ball, but there are parts of the game where we are not top in that area, and didn’t show enough of his qualities there.”

On whether Lucas Bergvall, who was substituted, is OK: “I hope so, of course we’ll assess him tomorrow.”

What next for Spurs?