Three things we learned from Tottenham draw as toothless Spurs fortunate to avoid Champions League defeat | OneFootball

Thomas Frank’s side failed to muster any real chances

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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It all felt painfully familiar as Tottenham toiled and somehow avoided defeat.

Once again the argument can be made that it was a positive result considering the performance, particularly away from home in the Champions League.

Spurs have had the least goals across their three Champions League matches out of any of the 36 teams in the competition. This was another tough watch.

Toothless Spurs fortunate

A run of 125 matches without a goalless draw has come to an end for Spurs.

This was another worrying display in a attack, against a side in Monaco who had not kept a clean sheet all season.

Spurs offered next to nothing in open play, their best chances coming from headers from their two centre-backs until Brennan Johnson wasted a late opportunity on the counter.

Again there is evidence that the midfield partnership of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur leaves Spurs too short creatively and on another day they could have lost this match by three or four goals.

As was the case in their last European match against Bodo/Glimt, this was a point that Tottenham did not deserve. They are unbeaten in the Champions League with five points but there are major concerns over the performances.

They sit 15th in the table and still have to face PSG and Borussia Dortmund - much more is needed.

Superb Vicario answers questions

That Spurs left Monaco with even a point was down almost entirely to Vicario, who made eight saves in a superb performance.

In the first half, with his defence parting in front of him, Vicario made two sensational stops to deny Folarin Balogun. The heroics continued after the break, pushing Aleksandr Golovin's curling strike to safety.

Vicario was also more secure with balls into the box and claimed crosses with confidence when required.

There have been questions from some Spurs fans in recent weeks, questioning the Italian's positioning among other things and calling for Antonin Kinsky to be given a run of games.

This, though, was a firm answer from Vicario that he should remain firmly in possession of the shirt.

Gray back to utility role

Archie Gray spent much of his first season at Tottenham being pulled around the starting lineup, plugging holes across the pitch as injuries appeared.

Frank has insisted this season he sees Gray as a midfielder rather than someone to use in defence, and opted for Palhinha at centre-back against Doncaster in the Carabao Cup to allow Gray to play in his more natural position.

Here, though, it was left-back duty for the teenager and he stepped up impressively to offer a reminder of just how useful he is to have in the squad.

Gray was Spurs' best defender in the early stages, producing a great challenge to halt Krepin Diatta's progress and then positioning himself perfectly to cut out Ansu Fati's pass and deny Monaco a tap-in.

With Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero among the defensive absentees right now, Gray’s versatility is crucial for Frank.

He slotted back into midfield late on when Djed Spence was brought on and with Spurs yet to find the right balance in the middle of the pitch, there is an argument he deserves an opportunity there.

Whenever and wherever he has been called upon this season, Gray has stepped up.