Son Heung-min was back at the club he served with such distinction for 10 years and the former Tottenham captain will perhaps conclude that finding meaning in much the new version of the Champions League has to offer before the knockout stages arrive is far from straightforward.
This was something of a non-event in terms of competitiveness, so much so that it would be a mistake to assume Tottenham are on their way to becoming a winning machine at home. They did not have to extend themselves to see off a moderate challenge from Slavia Prague and although Thomas Frank was pleased to send supporters away happy for the second time in four days he will know not to get carried away given this triumph came against opponents who looked as if they would have been better off in the Europa League.
Slavia, winless after the first six games of the league phase, were not up to much. The Czech champions offered little, conceding a bizarre own‑goal early on before giving away two soft penalties in the second half, although Frank is entitled to cling to signs of progress after a troubled start to life in N17. He will not mind that there were close to 15,000 empty seats at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will prefer to dwell on his side securing only their sixth home win in all competitions this season, Xavi Simons boosting his confidence by scoring again and Spurs stepping up on the night they welcomed Son back for an emotional homecoming.
However, it is perhaps indicative of the bloated nature of this competition’s new format that even Son returning for the first time since his move to LAFC last summer was not enough to fill the ground. The upper tiers were sparsely populated, which probably reflected a lack of excitement about the quality of the opposition, although there was still a huge ovation for the night’s special guest when he appeared on the pitch for his formal farewell before kick-off.
It was Son, of course, who scored the first goal at this ground after Spurs moved home in 2019. The South Korean forward’s legs faded last season but he will be remembered as a legend here. A mural of him was unveiled on Tottenham High Road on Tuesday afternoon and his presence lifted the atmosphere, even if it must be pointed out that Son’s successors also did their bit to keep the mood positive.
There was less than a minute on the clock when Wilson Odobert, who replaced Randal Kolo Muani on the left, flew past Tomas Holes and sent in a cross that Richarlison should have buried. Tottenham, moving the ball briskly, looked good.
Frank had to maintain momentum after his side’s win against Brentford and it helped that he did not tinker much. Archie Gray kept his place in midfield and Xavi Simons took his chance after continuing at No 10.
Jindrich Stanek, the Slavia goalkeeper, was busy during the opening 15 minutes. However, the visitors carried a threat on the break. Lukas Provod tested Guglielmo Vicario from long range and Michal Sadilek missed a free header midway through the first half.
There was still an edginess to Spurs. Micky van de Ven foolishly picked up a booking that rules him out of the game against Borussia Dortmund next month. Spurs are probably going to have to beat the German club if they are to finish in the top eight and avoid the complication of the playoff round but doing so will be harder with Van de Ven unavailable in central defence. “The minor negative,” Frank said. “It is what it is.”
Not much else troubled Frank. Slavia trailed when Cristian Romero flicked on Pedro Porro’s corner in the 26th minute and David Zima’s failure to twist his neck enough led to the left-back sending a strange header into his own goal. “I was very happy we built on momentum from the Brentford game,” Frank said. “The team is gelling more and more.”
It was 2-0 five minutes into the second half, Mohammed Kudus converting a penalty awarded when Youssoupha Sanyang was deemed to have fouled Porro. Spurs could relax. Odobert soon had a chance to score a third, only for Stanek to repel the winger’s fierce drive.
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Tottenham were able to ease off as the hour approached. Frank looked to preserve energy before the trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday. He replaced Gray with Pape Sarr and brought Kudus off for Mathys Tel, who has been added to the Champions League squad as a replacement for the injured Dominic Solanke.
Eager to impress, Tel soon came close to scoring. Sarr also had a chance before Simons won and converted another penalty.
Simons building on a lively performance against Brentford was good news for Tottenham. The mood has shifted and the pressure on Frank has eased – for now.
