Three things we learned as Tottenham and Thomas Frank get what they deserve against Man City | OneFootball

The Spurs boss surprised some with his team selection... but it worked perfectly

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For 90 minutes in Manchester, talk of transfer targets and failed pursuits was silenced.

Tottenham delivered a superb performance to beat Manchester City 2-0 and move to the top of the Premier League thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha.

Thomas Frank has a habit of getting his sides to punch above their weight and deliver in the biggest games and they did just that here.

Fans are frustrated with a lack of transfer activity, and the away supporters at the Etihad broke into chants against Daniel Levy on multiple occasions, but there can be no disappointment with the work Frank has done already.

Here are three things we learned on a memorable afternoon for Spurs...

In charge: Thomas Frank

REUTERS

Frank keeps everyone guessing

"I will use different systems and different ways to win football matches.”

That was the pre-match declaration from Frank. Many expected him to opt for the 3-5-2 shape that had worked so well against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, but Frank instead stuck with a back four.

He likes to keep the opposition guessing, tweaking his tactics from match-to-match, and his Spurs side were brave from the first whistle.

This was not the rearguard effort that many trips to the Etihad can turn into. Frank was screaming at his players in the early stages to get up the pitch and press, frantically waving his arms.

City did not appear ready for that approach and looked incredibly vulnerable to it, losing possession in their own box for the second goal and nearly getting caught out on several other occasions.

There was a surprise role for Micky van de Ven, who even from City goal-kicks was pressing right up the pitch and leaving Cristian Romero by himself with Erling Haaland. It was a risky approach but one that paid off.

Frank's game plan should have brought victory in the Super Cup, only for Spurs to collapse late on. Here he got what he deserved.

Nuisance: Richarlison

REUTERS

Richarlison’s shirt to lose

There was talk this week of Richarlison being offered to Crystal Palace in a potential deal for Eberechi Eze, but Frank made clear at his press conference on Friday that he wants the Brazilian to stay.

More significant than those words was the decision to once again start Richarlison. He has started all three competitive matches this season, even with Dominic Solanke fit enough. There is no doubting who Spurs' first-choice No9 is.

Richarlison justified that decision from the off, winning two fouls in the opening ten minutes as he led the Spurs press.

With his first chance in the final third he created the opening goal, playing the ball across the face of goal for Johnson to finish.

He could have had a second assist after the breaking, only for Johnson to take a heavy touch when played in. Richarlison also twice came close to scoring himself with looping headers.

Opposition always seem to find him irritating and that's no bad thing, as Ruben Dias and Nico Gonzalez both find themselves squaring up to him.

He left the pitch to a chorus of boos as further proof of how effective he had been and it is difficult to see right now how Solanke gets his place back.

AFP via Getty Images

Johnson does Johnson things

In many ways this was a classic Brennan Johnson performance.

He barely had a kick in the opening stages, beyond taking a heavy touch when finding space in the box. He then earned a needless booking for kicking the ball away, one that left Frank hitting his head in frustration.

For all that, though, Johnson took his one chance in front of goal to open the scoring. He showed a ruthless edge, just as he did when getting on the scoresheet against Burnley a week ago.

Spurs' top scorer last season has picked up from where he left off and that knack for being in the right place at the right time is a very welcome one in a side still adapting to not having Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski or James Maddison for various reasons.

The two sides of Johnson were on display in the second half. He had the pace to leave himself open to be played in by Richarlison, but a heavy touch from the Welshman saw the chance go.

Shortly after, Johnson made the wrong decision when Spurs had a five-on-four breaking, curling an effort high and wide from the edge of the box.

Johnson is not as consistently effective over the course of a match in the way Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus are, but that goalscoring touch is keeping him ahead of the likes of Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert in the pecking order.