The very first iteration of Thomas Frank's Tottenham Hotspur is functional and efficient. There's nothing spectacular about this team, but they're built to thrive in the Premier League's current climate.
A newfound resilience means Spurs have the best away record in the division, and a greater respect for out of possession work and set-pieces has lifted the Lilywhites into third-place through nine league outings.
We also remain unbeaten in the Champions League, although we've performed with little conviction on the continental stage. The tactical issues that have surfaced at the start of Frank's tenure manifested their ugliest forms in the draws at Bodø/Glimt and Monaco, with our performance in the latter facilitating an influx of pessimism heading into Sunday's trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Ultimately, it was our dead-ball proficiency that catapulted us to a 3-0 victory on Merseyside, but Frank also oversaw a subtle tactical switch that will benefit his side in the long run.
Reversion to pre-season tactic helped Tottenham down Everton
The primary issues surrounding this Spurs team have focused on their utilisation of possession. Many are keen to decry the João Palhinha x Rodrigo Bentancur pivot as the epicentre of our current flaws, but structurally, Frank has also struggled to appease those with an eye for aesthetics.
His 4-2-4 configuration with the ball at Brentford was an undeniable success. He could rely on a target-man up top to retain possession and service runners who were willing to stretch defences vertically. With teams baited into pressing, the Bees were so often able to make the most of the articficial transition sequences their build-up created.
At Spurs, Frank has attempted a similar approach, and on Sunday, the 4-2-4 formation was in full force during the build-up phase. However, a lack of willing runners and the absence of Dominic Solanke have prevented the Lilywhites from effectively repeating Brentford's success. Attacking balance has been an issue, with ball progression primarily being focused down the right-hand side, where Pedro Porro's distribution and Mohammed Kudus's ability to turn 30/70 balls in his favour have been relied upon.
The "connections" Frank has spoken about in his pre- and post-match press conferences and interviews have merely sparked, and injuries certainly haven't helped in this regard. It will take time for relationships to develop and for synergy to emerge.
Finally catching up on Spurs vs Everton and its good to see that Thomas Frank used a 3-2-5 in possession.
— Aziz (@aziztactics) October 28, 2025
Much more balance to his side in settled play rather than the flat 4-3-3 with large distances between the players.
Kudus in the half space/between the lines>>>wide
Our build-up shape at Everton transitioned into a 3-2-4-1 higher upfield, similar to what we saw way back at the start of pre-season during the 2-0 victory over Reading. Porro shifted to create a back three, and left-back Djed Spence advanced. More often than not, Porro has stayed on the same vertical line as Kudus, limiting the angles at which those two can play.
Here, though, Kudus was deployed infield with a runner, Brennan Johnson, hugging the touchline. Spurs thus had two reference points between the lines, width supplied down both flanks, and central compactness provided by the 3-2 shape in defence and midfield. This security limited the hosts in transition, while dynamic sequences were made possible by Randal Kolo Muani's presence and the box structure in midfield.
Xavi Simons ultimately took too long to grow into the game before his substitution, but his role within this framework and the zones he was able to pick the ball up in should allow the Dutchman to rediscover the swagger we know lies within. Kudus may look even better, too.
Sunday's triumph wasn't merely encouraging because of the impressive result, but because we also saw signs that Frank has learned from previous misgivings. It wasn't perfect, though. Everton edged possession, and we only notched 0.69 expected goals from open play, but the game state did play a part. We had 58% of the ball in the first half, then attempted to keep the hosts at arm's length after the interval.
The absence of a tempo-setter in midfield means we're going to struggle to assert all-out control no matter the shape, especially when Cristian Romero's absent, but Frank's subtle tweak on Sunday undoubtedly aided our ability to at least retain the ball (thanks to the balance provided) and enjoy some territorial dominance, which, in turn, leads to more set-pieces and an endless supply of goals.