How resurgent star is changing Tottenham Hotspur’s first phase play; way forward for Thomas Frank?

So when the ball was with Vicario, Bentancur went into that left channel a few times, almost replicating a left-back role. And it was no coincidence. It does a few things in possession. To start with, it freed up Spence to advance higher and give Tottenham a more direct left-sided escape against Villa’s press.

But when Tottenham were planning to build through the middle or from the right, this is where Bentancur dropped into central roles. So he would either be present as an option down the middle, or he would be bisecting the two CBs and forming an ad hoc back three.

In one of the phases, he took up that space by bisecting Van de Ven and Danso; this is where he had Palhinha sit just in front of the three in a 3-1-2 build-up shape. Then Simons and Odobert played just in front, with Odobert inverting regularly into the half-space. This provided the North Londoners with passage down the middle when Villa were pushing aggressively on the press with their wings and full backs.

First-phase variability show tactical adaptability with Bentancur at the heart of it

Tottenham switched between a 4-2 (with Simons and Palhinha) and a 3-1-2 based on which zones Bentancur finds himself in.

So when Bentancur was dropping down the middle, he would be the foundation for rotations. When he is drifting wide, it helps create overloads on the left while enabling Spence to take play long. When Van de Ven made his way into midfield when pressing (something Romero frequently does), Bentancur dropped into his LCB position as a matter of course to keep the structure.

And these are the automatic structural movements which Thomas Frank would be keen to get right.

These are no ‘I feel it’ positions and changes, but they played a big part in allowing Tottenham to go around Villa’s press and get space. When the build-up began out wide, Bentancur’s technical security under pressure helped Tottenham to settle the tempo of sequences. When there was pace down the middle, he helped through the thirds.

Bentancur’s off-the-ball awareness

When Villa had the ball, Tottenham fell into a tight 4-4-2 block. This is where Bentancur remained tucked inside. He was staying ahead of Palhinha to take up space alongside him.

When Villa were in those left zones in the final third (or about to enter the final third), he was helping Spence in handling wide overloads. Odobert dropped back too. This most of the times was tight enough to stop Villa from getting spaces on that channel.

TTLB Opinion

In a match where Tottenham were continuously changing structures and pressed with aggression, Bentancur was at the centre of all of it, showing how integral he is to many things that this side does under Thomas Frank.

He also showed this underrated ability which he has that allows him to shift between roles (from auxiliary full-back to deep-lying pivot to left centre-back), which gives Tottenham this flexibility in the first phase. And by no means are these flashy contributions. Yet they end up shaping how Tottenham progress the ball and defend transitions.

Frank seems to be constructing a side that benefits from smart movement, and Bentancur seamlessly fits into that narrative of midfielder for phase one.