Thomas Frank has earned himself more time in North London following Tottenham’s impressive 2-0 win against a 10-man Borussia Dortmund.
Almost guaranteed to be sacked had Tottenham fallen short on the night, Thomas Frank instead watched his side produce one of their most assured performances of the season, easing past Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund just days after an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat to West Ham.
With 13 senior players unavailable through injury, suspension, or registration issues, Frank had little choice but to use Djed Spence on the left wing, while also handing Dominic Solanke his first start of the campaign.
First half: Tottenham 2-0 Dortmund
With the atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium promising to turn toxic at the first sign of trouble, Spurs knew they had to start on the front foot, and they did exactly that, growing into the contest before deservedly taking the lead.
The breakthrough arrived after 15 minutes when Cristian Romero capitalised on a scrappy sequence from a corner, with Pedro Porro’s delivery eventually worked back into the area by Wilson Odobert, allowing the Spurs captain to prod home from close range.
Dortmund’s evening went from bad to worse shortly after, when Daniel Svensson was shown a straight red card for catching Odobert on the calf with his studs while attempting to win the ball, leaving the visitors a man down.
Spurs wasted little time in making their numerical advantage count, doubling their lead when a neat exchange between Porro and Odobert ended with a low cross that Dominic Solanke managed to bundle over the line, off both feet, to give Tottenham a 2-0 cushion before the break.
Second half: Tottenham 2-0 Dortmund
Despite being a man down, Dortmund enjoyed more of the ball after the interval and briefly looked the sharper side, although they rarely threatened to turn possession into clear chances.
The second half itself offered little in the way of genuine excitement, but there was still a nice moment for the home crowd as 17-year-old Junai Byfield was handed his first-team debut, replacing the injured Lucas Bergvall.
Xavi Simons, one of Spurs’ standout performers on the night, went close on a couple of occasions with ambitious efforts from range, while Romero narrowly missed out on a second when his header drifted just wide from another inviting Porro delivery.
Tottenham’s best chance to seal the contest arrived late on when Simons slid a superb through ball into the path of Randal Kolo Muani, only for the Frenchman to waste the one-on-one by firing straight at Gregor Kobel when rounding the goalkeeper looked the simpler option.
FT: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2-0 BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Spurs Web man of the match: Wilson Odobert
What’s next for Spurs?
This result marked Tottenham’s fifth consecutive victory over Borussia Dortmund and, more importantly, extended their 5-year unbeaten home record in European competition, while also strengthening their grip on a top-eight finish as they currently sit fourth in the Champions League table, behind only Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
More than the numbers, it was the manner of the performance that stood out, with Spurs looking organised, committed, and very much a group playing for their manager, despite reports earlier in the week suggesting unrest within the squad.
For now, Thomas Frank has bought himself time and will take charge against Burnley on Saturday, but with the pressure still high, another disappointing display could yet see the axe fall.