Clean Sheet Mindset: Practical Approach Proving as Vital for The North London Club

Outscoring the rivals was the strategy at the club last campaign but now the priority is on stopping goals at the other end of the field.

Midweek's narrow win versus Villarreal in Tottenham's European opener was the yet another clean sheet they had kept in the first five games this season.

By comparison, they had managed just one at the equivalent stage of last term, when the more attack-minded their previous manager was in command.

“We discussed a lot about 'shutout mentality' this year because we let in a lot last year,” Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall stated.

Defender Micky van de Ven commented: “I think we are a difficult team to play against, definitely. Tactically we are standing really good and we all know what to do, so we're a tough team to beat.”

The approach of the team against Villarreal was in clear contrast to the attacking football played during their ex-coach.

They were much more defensive, even after being gifted a early opener thanks to a calamitous mistake by the opposition goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

Stronger Defensive Line but at an Goal-Scoring Cost?

Spurs have let in a single goal this season - in the 1-0 loss to the Cherries.

That is a major improvement on how they kicked off the previous campaign, when they let in multiple goals in their first five games.

In the Premier League they have kept three clean sheets already - meaning they are just two away from matching their total for the entire of last season.

The more solid platform is possibly coming at a cost, however, with their sole attempt on target against the La Liga side the another instance in their last three games they had produced very limited efforts on goal.

The head coach recognizes this is an area that has to improve.

“We have a very good base to stand on in terms of our backline setup and I think it's effective and we gave little away,” he said.

“This is the European competition against a quality team. Moreover, I knew we took a stride against their London rivals, offensively is the area we need to get better.”