Successive draws for Thomas Frank in the Premier League were both salvaged from behind but left very different aftertastes.
Tottenham were buoyant as they scrambled back two down at Brighton. Frank hailed it as the ‘best performance’ of his short tenure, thrilled with his team’s ‘aggression in high areas’.
The insipid second-half display that followed against rock-bottom and pointless Wolverhampton Wanderers, however had the Spurs boss bemoaning ‘lost structure and coolness’ after going behind to an untidy goal from a corner scored by Santiago Bueno in the 54th minute.
Palhinha did not hide his feelings after rescuing a point with an equaliser in the 94th minute. ‘Not happy to be honest,’ said the Portugal midfielder. ‘I’m really sad. This is mandatory to win these games.’
Rotten home form…
Six and a half years after throwing open the doors of the new stadium, home form has deserted Tottenham.
Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotpsur have endured back-to-back Premier League draws
Joao Palhinha rescued a point for Spurs against Wolves on Saturday night
They have won only three of their 12 Premier League games at home in 2025 and lost seven. Those they have beaten are newly promoted Burnley in August, relegation doomed Southampton in April and hapless Manchester United in February.
Three wins in nine months. Frank claimed with only three games under him the sample size was too small, but the rotten home record is a problem that does not seem to have vanished with Ange Postecoglou.
And is in contrast with an impressive return from three away fixtures in the Premier League, winning at Manchester City and West Ham and the point at Brighton.
Creative threat?
Finding a way through those teams prepared to sit deep, defend in numbers and strike on the counterattack proved difficult under Postecoglou.
This season has been slightly different. Bournemouth are a dangerous team capable of upsetting the elite. They hustled Spurs into mistakes on the ball as they tried to play out of defence and should have won more comfortably than 1-0.
With a midfield trio of Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr in midfield, they did not zip the ball quickly enough as they tried to play out of defence and created little in the attacking third.
Spurs’ midfield lacks creativity, though it looked better when Bergvall was introduced
The midfield trio of Palhinha, Bentancur and Sarr didn’t move the ball quickly enough
Wolves, who had not a single point before the match, went ahead just after the break
They improved when Lucas Bergvall came on and Frank shouldered the blame, saying his gameplan was wrong without conceding details.
Balancing the midfield trio
With selection of his back four and front three consistent through the opening six Premier League games, Frank has tinkered in midfield game to game, searching for the right balance for different opponents.
After an outstanding start to the season, Sarr has been among the subs for the last two games. Frank said he has had a minor thigh issue. They miss his mileage in midfield when he is not there.
Sarr is underrated. He works tirelessly, wins the ball and stretches opponents with forward runs. He is not as easy on the eye as Bergvall but Spurs lose a bit of something when he is absent.
Equally, without Bergvall, new darling of the fans, they lack craft in midfield and Frank clearly likes the physical presence of Palhinha and Bentancur’s tactical wit, but a perfect blend eludes them.
Simons at 10
Brooklyn Earick, the former DJ reported to be heading a £4.5billion takeover bid, posted on social media during the Wolves game to say Xavi Simons should be deployed as a number 10.
Xavi Simons struggled to impact the game from the left-wing – perhaps he’d be better at 10
Mohammed Kudus looked particularly dangerous on the right wing
Frank must be relishing the prospect of his in-game input should a takeover ever happen.
It’s true, Simons did look more comfortable in that role when he came on at Brighton but he would be competing directly with Sarr and Bergvall, among the better players this season.
Against Wolves, Simons played again off the left. He made little impact but his drift infield in the first half proved effective in opening the channel for Destiny Udogie to overlap. Udogie and Kudus looked very dangerous when Spurs were on top in the first half.
Absent forwards
Tottenham might not be twanging the hamstrings like last season, but fitness injury problems continue. Dominic Solanke has barely featured since picking up an ankle niggle in the opening preseason friendly.
It was shrugged off as if next to nothing by Frank and yet the £65m England striker has been limited to a couple of cameos from the bench and has now been out for more than a month.
Randal Kolo Muani, signed on loan on deadline day, has been limited to 13 minutes against Villarreal in the Champions League, and has missed the last three games with a dead leg.
Richarlison is Spurs’ only option up top with Dominic Solanke out injured
Frank seemingly lacks confidence in last season’s top goal-scorer Brennan Johnson
Together with the long-term injuries to creative forces James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski it restricts Frank’s options.
No faith in Johnson
Brennan Johnson is available, though, and Frank appears reluctant to trust last season’s 18-goal top scorer and hero of the Europa League final. Johnson lost his place on the right to Kudus and his place on the left to Simons. The big money signings have ousted him.
And while he does not possess the technical excellence of those two, he adds genuine pace on the break and carries a more significant goal threat. Kudus and Simons have yet to score. Johnson has three from only four starts. The balance is elusive.
Wolves find bite
It was an important point for Vitor Pereira’s struggling Wolves
Wolves deserve their credit, of course, just as Bournemouth when they won at Tottenham. They hung on in the first half when under pressure. Sam Johnstone made an outstanding save to deny Kudus.
Vitor Pereira’s half-time changes, two subs and a flex of formation from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1 crowded out Kudus and Udogie. They stifled Spurs, took the lead from a set piece and fought hard to defend the lead.
Pereira gushed about the spirit to survive after a terrible start of no points from five games but they have one on the board despite the disappointment of the late equaliser.
