All the talk about being in the Champions League is suddenly in the face of a fan base that, in the main, chose to overlook the bleak quality of our opponents in the Europa League, under the previous coaching genius.
Spurs face several injuries and squad selection challenges
Record summer signing Dominic Solanke remains a major doubt with an ankle injury sustained pre-season and is unlikely to start, potentially limited to the bench if fit.
Confirmed absentees include Yves Bissouma, Kota Takai, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, and James Maddison—all sidelined by injuries and ineligible for the Champions League squad due to registration rules.
Mathys Tel (recently from Bayern Munich) also misses out for home-grown player quota reasons. Frank is expected to stick close to his winning West Ham line-up, with youth product Lucas Bergvall pushing for starts.
Key differences between Frank and Postecoglou
There are a number of factors worth considering with respect to the two coaching styles.
Thomas Frank operates a very inclusive system, and specifically against West Ham, he could be seen busily making notes and consulting with his coaches, and Matt Wells was actively having his own dialogue with players during the game from the technical area.
The absence of ‘coach-inflicted injuries’, as well as the upbeat mood of winning games, was assisted further by the wisdom to use substitutes wisely. This allows Frank to approach Tuesday’s European game without having to make too many compromises.
Predicted Tottenham XI (4-3-3): Vicario; Spence, Romero, van de Ven, Porro; Sarr, Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Richarlison, Simons.
Predicted Villarreal XI (4-3-3): Luiz Júnior; Mouriño, Veiga, Foyth, Cardona; Buchanan, Parejo, Partey; Moleiro, Pépé, Mikautadze.
Prediction and general insights
Tottenham enters this game as favourites at around 1.90 (implying a 52.6% win probability), with Villarreal at 3.60 for a draw.
Experts largely back Spurs to start their campaign with a win, citing their defensive solidity (three clean sheets) and Villarreal’s poor record against English teams.
A narrow victory for the hosts seems likely, potentially with both teams scoring, given Villarreal’s attacking talent (33% of their matches feature BTTS) but Tottenham’s ability under Thomas Frank to shut out opponents.
Richarlison fell flat against Bolivia, but he’s looked sharper for Spurs under Frank and was almost certainly rested against The Hammers due to the nature of his international duties. One might expect him to start on Tuesday night.
