Tottenham’s 3–0 win over Slavia Prague put the team firmly in the race for a spot in the Champions League league-phase top eight and gave fans the feeling that the squad finally found a competitive rhythm this season. With 11 points, just one behind Liverpool, the Spurs showed authority. The margin could’ve been even bigger if not for Stanek’s outstanding performance in goal.
Tottenham aware of what needed to be done
From the first minute, it was clear Tottenham planned to take control of everything happening on the field. Odobert found Richarlison right away, but Stanek kept the shot out with a reflex save. Kudus, Romero and Richarlison kept pressing the Czech goalkeeper, who stopped as much as he could. Slavia responded through Provod and Sadilek, forcing Vicario into solid saves, but Tottenham dictated the rhythm.
The goal finally came in the 26th minute in a messy but deserved sequence. Pedro Porro delivered a corner, Romero redirected it and Zima tried to clear, only to head the ball into his own net. It felt symbolic, because Tottenham had been pushing and seemed close to turning their attacking volume into a lead. The team kept creating chances, Stanek kept denying them, and the narrow score didn’t reflect what was happening on the field.
Thomas Frank’s comments help explain where the team stands right now. He said he was “very happy that we carried the momentum from the Brentford match” and pointed out that there were “positive moments in attack as well”. When asked about Romero taking charge of penalty decisions, he answered clearly, “Yes, but that had already been decided beforehand. So there was no issue at all”.
When Tottenham picked up the pace, the match was settled
The penalty on Pedro Porro early in the second half opened the door for another goal, calmly converted by Kudus. It was the spark Tottenham needed to turn control into comfort. Minutes later, Odobert broke free again and was denied once more by Stanek, who kept Slavia alive through sheer resistance. Tel, Sarr and Simons also tested the keeper, who was the main reason the score didn’t grow even more.
The second penalty came from another well-worked move, this time ending with Xavi Simons being brought down in the box. He stepped up, scored and reinforced the mature performance he’d been building. Thomas Frank praised the young midfielder, saying he “continued what he showed on Saturday” and that he liked Simons’ “work ethic”, especially the recovery run in the 90th minute.