Thomas Frank celebrated his “dream” first Premier League win as Tottenham manager, inspired by Richarlison’s stunning overhead kick in a commanding 3-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday.
Hired from Brentford to replace Ange Postecoglou after the Australian’s dismissal last season, Frank made an immediate impact with a confident display at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Danish coach was rewarded by Brazil forward Richarlison, who scored twice—including a spectacular acrobatic strike—and Brennan Johnson, who sealed the win with a third goal.
“Perfect start or dream start,” Frank said. “I will just enjoy it and I hope the players, the club, and the fans enjoy it because that is important. Overall, it was a good performance, not through the roof. It’s never easy in the Premier League.”
Despite Postecoglou’s Europa League success, Tottenham’s 17th-place league finish—their lowest since 1976-77—prompted a managerial change. Frank’s impressive work at Brentford convinced chairman Daniel Levy that he is the right man to steer Tottenham back to the top of the table.
Frank nearly began his reign with a trophy, but Tottenham fell to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup after surrendering a two-goal lead late in the match. Nonetheless, their solid showing against European champions PSG, followed by a ruthless performance against Burnley, has fans optimistic.
Frank praised Richarlison’s vital contribution: “Fantastic he is scoring. I have a striker that takes those two chances and helps us win the game. He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating—and then the two finishes. The second was an exceptional finish. I’m a little disappointed that so early in the season we have the goal of the season, but it must be a contender!”
Burnley, promoted last season thanks largely to their rock-solid defense—which kept 30 clean sheets in 46 Championship games and conceded only 16 goals under Scott Parker—struggled to contain Tottenham’s clinical attack. Frank’s pragmatic style, focusing on set-pieces and a willingness to use direct long balls, showed more tactical flexibility than a simple route-one strategy.
Before kickoff, Frank received a warm welcome from Spurs supporters and responded with a wave to all four stands. Despite admitting some nerves ahead of his home debut, Frank’s team quickly settled, with Lucas Bergvall testing Burnley’s goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the opening moments.
Richarlison opened the scoring after just 10 minutes, capitalizing on a pinpoint cross from Mohammed Kudus, who recently joined from West Ham. The Brazil forward’s composed finish marked a timely confidence boost after a lean scoring spell last season.
The highlight came in the 60th minute when Kudus delivered a perfect cross, allowing Richarlison to unleash a breathtaking bicycle kick from 10 yards out that sailed into the net to rapturous applause.
Mathys Tel entered the game to a warm reception in the second half, a show of support following the racial abuse he suffered on social media after missing a penalty against PSG.
Johnson wrapped up the win in the 66th minute, calmly slotting home from Pape Sarr’s pass, completing an uplifting start to Frank’s Tottenham tenure.
