Tottenham tactics: Spurs need better final ball and midfield control in Eintracht Frankfurt clash
Tottenham meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League tonight desperate to bounce back swiftly from a comprehensive north London derby defeat.
Spurs were humbled at the home of their fiercest rivals on Saturday, with Harry Kane’s penalty not enough as goals from Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka secured a deserved 3-1 victory for high-flying Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
Such a loss was Tottenham’s first in the Premier League this season and there have been subsequent questions over Antonio Conte’s selections and tactics, not helped by the sending off of Emerson Royal, which met a defiant response from the manager in Monday’s prickly pre-match press conference.
Here, Standard Sport’s chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick pinpoints three key areas in which Spurs must improve as they seek to topple the Europa League holders at Deutsche Bank Park.
Final ball
Conte was frustrated by his side's sloppy final balls against Arsenal and he wants them to be more ruthless in the final third in Germany tonight. Spurs generally look less slick in transition without Dejan Kulusevski, who is missing again with a hamstring problem, but Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic in particular have the quality to cut through any opposition.
Midfield control
Spurs have struggled to control matches this season and often been overrun in midfield. Conte is considering a switch to 3-5-2 tonight, with Yves Bissouma joining Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle of the park, at the expense of a forward. The switch should enable Spurs more possession and would be a big opportunity for Bissouma, who has made just one start since joining from Brighton.
Thrust from wing-back
Conte offered a passionate defence of Emerson before tonight's match but the Brazilian clearly needs to offer more thrust from full-back if the Italian's system is to be fully effective. On the opposite flank, Perisic has made an encouraging start at Spurs but fluffed a big chance against Arsenal and is yet to score.
