THIS WAS THE FIRST PREMIER LEAGUE GAME IN CHARGE FOR THOMAS FRANK AS HEAD COACH OF TOTTENHAM AND IT WAS A STATEMENT WIN. FANS BADLY NEEDED A LIFT AFTER LAST WEEK’S NARROW SUPER CUP DEFEAT TO PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, AND THE PLAYERS DELIVERED.
THE DANE MADE THREE CHANGES FROM THAT LOSS, REVERTING TO A BACK FOUR AS BRENNAN JOHNSON CAME IN FOR KEVIN DANSO. TEENAGERS ARCHIE GRAY AND LUCAS BERGVALL ALSO GOT THE NOD, STEPPING IN FOR THE FATIGUED JOAO PALHINHA AND RODRIGO BENTANCUR.
THE GAME KICKED OFF WITH REAL INTENT FROM THE HOME SIDE. WITHIN 25 SECONDS, MOHAMMED KUDUS SLIPPED LUCAS BERGVALL THROUGH, ONLY FOR DUBRAVKA TO DENY THE TEENAGER’S SLIDING EFFORT. SPURS DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT LONG FOR THE BREAKTHROUGH, THOUGH. TEN MINUTES IN, KUDUS DID BRILLIANTLY DOWN THE RIGHT BEFORE CUTTING A LOW BALL INTO THE BOX. RICHARLISON MET IT FIRST TIME WITH A HALF-VOLLEY INTO THE BOTTOM CORNER. HIS FIRST TOUCH OF THE MATCH, AND THAT WAS SOME WAY TO ANNOUNCE HIMSELF THIS SEASON.
BURNLEY, AS EXPECTED, SAT IN A STUBBORN LOW BLOCK, MAKING SPURS WORK FOR EVERY OPENING. TOTTENHAM HAD OVER 70% POSSESSION IN THE FIRST HALF, BUT CHANCES WERE SCARCE. THE VISITORS EVENTUALLY GREW INTO THE GAME, JOSH LAURENT TESTING GUGLIELMO VICARIO FROM RANGE BEFORE KYLE WALKER SENT A STRIKE HIGH INTO THE STANDS. FOR A BRIEF FIVE-MINUTE SPELL, BURNLEY ACTUALLY CREATED MORE EFFORTS THAN SPURS, BUT MICKY VAN DE VEN, CRISTIAN ROMERO AND VICARIO WERE ALERT TO ANY DANGER.
