A football season is a long and revealing journey, and every match provides a new piece of the puzzle about a team’s true identity and capabilities.
For Tottenham Hotspur, their recent 2-2 draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion was one of those illuminating afternoons.
While securing a point after being two goals down shows commendable spirit, the overall performance highlighted a fundamental and deeply ingrained weakness within the squad, one that manager Thomas Frank will find incredibly difficult to fix with the current players at his disposal.
For large parts of the game, there was a noticeable contrast in energy and invention between the two sides.
Brighton’s players, particularly their younger stars, looked sprightly, confident, and capable of producing moments of individual magic.
Their second goal, a stunning long-range strike from Yasin Ayari, was a perfect example of the kind of spontaneous brilliance that can change a match.
For much of the contest, Tottenham seemed to be playing a different game, one that was slower, more predictable, and lacking in the kind of spark that gets fans out of their seats.
The team’s fortunes only truly changed with the introduction of Xavi Simons off the bench. His arrival acted like a jolt of electricity, immediately providing the creativity and directness that had been missing.
Alongside Mohammed Kudus, who also grew into the game, Simons became the catalyst for the comeback.
However, this reliance on two players to provide all of the team’s attacking threat is the core of the problem. It underscores a severe lack of depth when it comes to genuine game-changers players who can decide a match with a single moment of skill.
The nature of Tottenham’s goals further emphasized this point. The first was a scrappy, opportunistic finish from Richarlison, and the equalizer came from a fortunate own goal forced by pressure from Kudus.
While all goals count the same, they lacked the polished, intentional quality of a team that creates clear-cut chances through sustained, inventive play. They were the result of hard work and persistence rather than incisive, top-level quality.
This is the crux of the issue facing Thomas Frank. He has proven himself to be a brilliant tactical manager who can organize a team and instill a clear style of play.
But no manager can step onto the pitch and beat an opponent in a one-on-one duel. He can’t make the defense-splitting pass or provide the moment of technical genius that unlocks a packed defense. That must come from the players themselves.
When you look at the other teams aiming for the top of the Premier League Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool they all possess multiple players who can be that difference-maker on any given day.
More importantly, they have this quality not just in their starting eleven but also on their bench, allowing them to change a game with a substitution.
Tottenham, by contrast, are currently relying heavily on Simons and Kudus. Players like Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson are honest and hardworking, but the evidence so far suggests they are not yet at the consistent level required to challenge for the highest honors.
The project under Thomas Frank is still in its early stages, and the signings of Simons and Kudus were excellent steps in the right direction.
However, the match against Brighton served as a stark reminder that the rebuilding job is far from complete.
The gap between having a good team and having a great team is often defined by the number of match-winners in the squad.
Right now, Tottenham have two. To truly compete, they will need more. The manager can set the stage, but he needs more actors who can perform when the spotlight is brightest.
