Outscoring the opposition was the mentality at Tottenham final season however now the main focus is on conserving out targets on the different finish of the pitch.

Tuesday’s 1-0 win in opposition to Villarreal in Spurs’ Champions League opener was the fourth clear sheet they’d saved in 5 video games thus far this season beneath Thomas Frank.

In distinction, they’d saved only one on the identical stage of final season, when the extra attack-minded Ange Postecoglou was in cost.

“We talked so much about ‘clear sheet mentality’ this 12 months as a result of we conceded so much final 12 months,” Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall informed Amazon Prime.

“They [Villarreal] didn’t have a shot on the right track, so we did a very good job.”

Defender Micky van de Ven added: “I feel we’re a tough staff to play in opposition to, for positive. Construction-wise we’re standing actually good and everyone knows what to do, so we’re a tough staff to beat.”

The model of Frank’s Tottenham facet in opposition to Villarreal was in stark distinction to the swashbuckling soccer performed beneath Postecoglou.

They had been far more cautious, even after being gifted a fourth-minute opener because of a calamitous mistake by Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

However their defence was wonderful, with Van de Ven in significantly halting most of Villarreal’s assaults.

Regardless that the guests had 10 photographs, Guglielmo Vicario did not have a save to make all through.

The value for that stage of pragmatism was that Tottenham themselves solely had one shot on the right track – little or no for the house followers to get enthusiastic about.

“We defended very well and gave little away all through the sport in opposition to a very good Villarreal facet,” Frank mentioned.

“I feel offensively we did not hit the very best stage. There was undoubtedly a spell second half the place we determined let’s give it to the Villarreal guys after which we’ll dash again, that is an excellent enjoyable factor.

“It was a really even recreation that we simply edged.”