Spurs have signed a ‘demon’ who looks like a ‘goal-threatening Dembélé’

Tottenham Hotspur have had a good start to life with Thomas Frank as their new head coach since bringing him in from Brentford in the summer.

The Danish tactician was brought in after Ange Postecoglou led the Lilywhites to a dismal 17th place finish in the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign.

Postecoglou, of course, won the Europa League with Spurs, beating Manchester United in the final, but his side’s performances in the top flight haven’t been good enough.

Frank was then brought in from Brentford to improve the team, particularly defensively, and early signs indicate he has done just that in north London.

As you can see in the table above, Spurs have been significantly better defensively in the first seven matches of this season than last season under Postecoglou, conceding less than a goal per game on average.

Frank has done a fantastic job so far since moving to north London at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and several players have played under him this season.

Ranking Tottenham’s best players this season

It would be difficult to look past Joao Palhinha when looking at the best players on the pitch, as he has excelled since moving to the club on loan from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window.

The Portugal international has won 64% of his duels, made 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game and scored two Premier League goals, according to Sofascore, in his seven appearances in the division.

These stats show that the defensive midfielder has been incredibly reliable defensively, which is why Spurs are conceding less than a goal per game on average, while also being a threat in front of goal.

As you can see in the table above, Richarlison is also a standout in the Premier League for Spurs this season, outperforming his xG of 1.63 to score three goals.

With Palhinha in first place and Richarlison in second place among the club’s best players this season, Vicario could take the last place on the podium.

The Italy international has prevented 2.84 goals in seven appearances, according to Sofascore, making him the second highest scorer in the Premier League, behind Dean Henderson (2.89). This shows that his performances have been crucial to Tottenham’s defensive record, saving the team with his fantastic shot-stopping abilities.

Palhinha, Richarlison and Vicario, for various reasons, could be considered Spurs’ three best players this season, but there have been other stars for Frank.

For example, the Lilywhites appear to have hit the jackpot with the signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United, as the striker has enjoyed instant success in north London.

Why Spurs hit the jackpot with Mohammed Kudus

The left-footed star hasn’t had the consistency in his performances to make our top three Spurs players ahead of the aforementioned players, but he has shown several flashes of real quality.

Kudus has lost possession 19 times per game on average in the Premier League this season, according to Sofascore, suggesting he needs to improve his reliability and effectiveness with the ball at his feet.

The 25-year-old star, who was signed from West Ham for £55million, has also scored just one goal and missed three “big chances” in the top-flight, further testament to his need to improve his efficiency.

Moving away from areas for improvement, Kudus’ dribbling skills and creativity on the right wing show that Spurs have already hit the jackpot with this expensive signing.

The former Ajax wizard, dubbed the ‘dribbling demon’ by U23 scout Antonio Mango, currently leads the club in dribbles (30), chances created (13) and assists (four) in the Premier League this season, showing he has made his first steps as a key player for Frank.

As you can see in the table above, Kudus also ranks top of the entire division in dribbles completed and assists among wingers in the 2025/26 campaign, further illustrating just how effective he has been in both aspects of his performances.

Such has been the impressive nature of his performances for Spurs, the former West Ham winger has been compared to former Tottenham star Mousa Dembele by football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The journalist wrote: “There’s a more advanced, menacing Mousa Dembele vibe about Kudus with his ability to twist and turn with the ball at his feet. He’s going to be a Spurs star because there’s more to come.”

Dembele was, of course, known for his ability to turn away from players under pressure in a central midfield position, which made him enjoyable to watch at times with the way he avoided opposition challenges.

Kudus, as shown by his exceptional dribbling figures, has the ability on the ball to get fans off their seats in the same way as the Belgian star, while scoring five goals in seven Premier League matches this season.

Therefore, Tottenham have already hit the jackpot with this 25-year-old star in Dembele, who still has material to find if he can improve his efficiency on the ball and as a goalscorer.