(Credit: Imago)
(Credit: Imago)
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Tottenham Expert believes Thomas Frank needed injured Spurs star vs Villarreal

Kyrenia Shipillis
Kyrenia Shipillis

Kyrenia is a lifelong Tottenham fan who has been writing for Tottenham News since she joined Breaking Media in 2025. She will graduate with a Master's in Sports Journalism from St Mary's University, Twickenham in 2025. She spent several months working for the Non-League Paper and has written for the Sports Gazette. Her earliest memory of the Lilywhites is sitting alone in her dad's room in front of the telly crying into her bowl of popcorn as she watched as her team were thrashed...yet again. She is happy to report that fonder memories have since blossomed.

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Tottenham managed to secure a win in their Champions League opener over Villarreal due to a Luiz Junior own goal. 

The Lilywhites were expected to thrash the Spanish side after a convincing win for Spurs over West Ham in the Premier League. 

Tottenham fans were sluggish in their 1-0 victory against Villarreal on Tuesday, with the Lilywhites still prevailing thanks to Lucas Bergvall forcing an own goal. 

While Bergvall’s heroics ensured the Lilywhites ended the night with all three points, Thomas Frank could’ve bagged a more convincing win if not for injuries again. 

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank glances to the right with a bemused facial expression.
Frank would've wanted to see more character from his side against Villarreal (Credit: Imago)

This article includes exclusive comments from Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham.

Tottenham missed Dominic Solanke against Villarreal 

While Dominic Solanke has returned to Tottenham training, he was not fit enough to be on the bench against Villarreal. 

The Tottenham star has been sidelined since Spurs’ win over Manchester City in the Premier League, which has allowed Richarlison to impress Frank on the pitch. 

However, Richarlison was anonymous against Villarreal, struggling to beat his man throughout the game.

As a result, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes Solanke could have been a better option on the night. 

“We keep hearing about his return, but his constant injuries at the moment are very frustrating because we need him on the pitch,” Wenham said. 

“I thought to myself during the first half against Villarreal that it wasn't really happening for Richarlison on the night. The defence was winning the headers, winning the duels, so they all kept sort of getting mispassed in the midfield and that kind of thing.

“I thought, yeah, if we had Solanke here, he would hold balls up. So hopefully we can get him back soon, so I keep hearing that he's not far away, but I just want to see him back now.”

Tottenham forward Dominic Solanke
Solanke could've been a more commanding presence against Villarreal (Credit: imago)

What can Dominic Solanke bring to Tottenham? 

Solanke netted 16 goals and provided eight assists in all competitions for the Lilywhites last season. 

  • The Englishman had a conversion rate of 15 per cent in the Premier League 
  • Solanke won 43 per cent of his aerial duels in the league last season 
  • Richarlison won 30 per cent of his aerial duels last season 

Solanke brings an aerial presence to Spurs that Richarlison lacks. The former Bournemouth striker is better in duels and is strong physically. 

As a result, he is less likely to be bullied by teams to defend aggressively, which was an issue for Richarlison against Villarreal. As a result, Tottenham should benefit from his physical presence once he returns. 

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Thomas Frank
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