Thomas Frank was delighted with Tottenham’s control in the first half of their 3-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup third round.
Spurs made a strong start, scoring twice within three first-half minutes. Joao Palhinha opened the scoring with a stunning overhead kick before Jay McGrath inadvertently turned the ball into his own net. Brennan Johnson then added a late third goal deep into stoppage time, securing a comfortable win for Tottenham.
With this result, Spurs will face the holders, Newcastle United, in the next round at St James’ Park. Tottenham have now progressed from 18 of their last 19 EFL Cup ties against lower-division sides, with the only exception being the 2019-20 season, when they were knocked out on penalties by Colchester United.
Tottenham finished the match with 1.6 expected goals (xG), generating 0.8 xG in the first half alone, during which they attempted 14 of their 18 total shots.
“First and foremost, I’m happy with the win, happy with the clean sheet, and happy that we are through to the next round. That was the aim,” Frank said. “I think the first half was good. We controlled the game and created the chances that we wanted and needed. Actually, we could have scored more goals in the first half. We had some big opportunities for Mathys Tel, Rodri [Bentancur], and a few other situations that were dangerous.”
Frank added that the second half was more disjointed. “I think we threw the ball away too easily. The pressure was not top, but also praise to Doncaster. They came very brave and were good at stretching us. So, if the pressure is not perfect, they could have made it difficult – praise to them as well.”
Mathys Tel started the match against Doncaster, making his fourth start of the season since joining Spurs permanently from Bayern Munich. He recorded two shots (worth 0.2 xG) and was among the most active players in duels, attempting the second-most duels (10) and aerial duels (six) on the team, behind only Kevin Danso.
Although Tel did not score, Frank was impressed by his performance and is hopeful that the 20-year-old will find his scoring touch soon.
“I don’t think he’s having a bad run, if I’m honest. He played as a striker against West Ham, which I think he did quite well,” Frank commented. “He worked very hard to arrive in the right areas, which I think he did. In terms of performance, that was a step up. Then we can look at the end product, to score the goal. But I was very happy with his movement and presence in the box — just close with the first ball from Brennan, ready for the cutback.”
Frank continued, “In the second half, he got into two other good situations and had a nice shot. I think it was a step up in terms of performance.”
https://www.soccernews.com/frank-thrilled-by-tottenham-s-control-in-efl-cup-victory/390478/