Tottenham Hotspur face PSG in the Champions League tonight, looking to inflict revenge on the French outfit after the UEFA Super Cup final back in August.
The Lilywhites boasted a two-goal lead in such a clash but ultimately conceded twice late on, resulting in a penalty shootout – with Luis Enrique’s side coming out victorious.
However, tonight’s meeting at the Parc des Princes presents Thomas Frank with the chance to make amends and help bolster their standing in the league table.
His men are unbeaten in their four outings in Europe to date, previously avoiding defeat against a Ligue 1 outfit, having drawn 0-0 against Monaco back in October.
However, if the Lilywhites are to claim all three points and defeat the reigning champions, the manager will desperately need to make changes after Sunday’s defeat to local rivals Arsenal.
Why Frank needs to revert to a 4-3-3 against PSG
In the clash with the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, Frank decided to swap to a 5-4-1 system, a decision that massively restricted their ability to create chances in the final third.
He started Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha together at the base of the midfield, but the pair were far too defensively minded and unable to progress the ball into dangerous areas.
The pair could only complete one pass into the final third during the clash at the Emirates, with the manager needing to drop the Uruguayan international and revert to his usual system.
Throughout the campaign, the Dane has most commonly utilised a 4-3-3 system, with Palhinha operating at the base with two box-to-box options ahead of the loanee.
Apart from Bentancur, the manager has numerous other high-profile youngsters in his ranks, with many deserving of the opportunity to star at the heart of the side again.
Alongside the former Juventus star, Kevin Danso should be sacrificed to allow two of the aforementioned youngsters to have the chance to impress once again.
The Spurs star who should start against PSG
Archie Gray has previously been utilised in midfield by Frank over recent times, with the Spurs star having huge expectations after his £40m move from Leeds United last summer.
He’s only made six appearances across all competitions, even being named on the bench against Arsenal, but unfortunately for him, there are two other impressive options ahead of him in the pecking order.
Pape Sarr has been a key first-team member in North London this season, as seen by his tally of 11 appearances out of a possible 12, but Frank made the decision to start him on the bench last weekend.
He came on with just 24 minutes remaining in the contest, subsequently registering 100% of the passes he attempted – even managing to have an impact despite the embarrassing defeat.
As a result, the Dane must start him ahead of Palhinha in Paris this evening, but he must also introduce Lucas Bergvall to the side to complete the three-man midfield.
The Swedish youngster joined the Lilywhites for just £8m last summer, with many supporters expecting the teenager to link up with the club’s academy system at first.
However, the injury-hit campaign in 2024/25 allowed the 19-year-old to stake his claim for a regular starting role – already racking up a total of 60 senior appearances for the club.
He’s been out with a concussion over the last few weeks, with Bergvall only making one appearance in November after being replaced after just seven minutes of the meeting with Chelsea.
The Swede was an unused substitute against the Gunners last weekend, but this evening should be the game in which the manager recalls him to his starting eleven.
Bergvall has already impressed in the Premier League this campaign, with his underlying stats showcasing he’s able to produce the goods on the big occasions.
The teenager, who’s been dubbed just “like Modric” by The Athletic’s JJ Bull, has completed 2.1 successful dribbles to date – with such a figure ranking him in the top 4% of all players in the division.
Games played
9
Goals & assists
2
Pass accuracy
83%
Dribble success
75%
Tackles won
2.8
Duels won
6.8
Recoveries made
3.8
Shots taken
1.2
He’s also made 2.8 tackles and won 6.8 duels per 90, with both of the aforementioned tallies ranking him within the top 25% of all other midfielders in England’s top-flight.
Such numbers highlight why he’s the perfect box-to-box option, with Frank needing to utilise him alongside Sarr if the club are to be victorious later on tonight.
It’s evident that the 5-4-1 system failed to catch the eye against Arsenal on Sunday, which should see the Dane match up with Enrique’s men in the Champions League this evening.
A trio of Palhinha, Sarr and Bergvall is the best option at the manager’s disposal, with such a partnership potentially allowing the side to get back to winning ways.
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