Berbatov Praises Tottenham’s Defensive Unity & Thomas Frank’s Warm-Up Change vs Villarreal (2025)

Tottenham Hotspur players could be spotted doing something different during the warm-up ahead of Villarreal, which explains their improved form under Thomas Frank.

Lucas Bergvall’s deflected cross proved to be the only goal of the game on Tottenham Hotspur’s return to the Champions League as they defeated Villarreal 1-0.

Thomas Frank won’t have been best pleased with his team’s performance, but to kick off their European campaign will have been the most important thing.

Speaking after the match, Dimitar Berbatov admitted that he was impressed with what he saw Spurs’ defence doing during the warm-up.

Dimitar Berbatov impressed by Tottenham’s camaraderie in defence

Berbatov claims that he noticed Tottenham’s defence showing great camaraderie during the warm-up, and it is reflected in their performances.

The Lilywhites kept a clean sheet against Villarreal, which means they have now done so in four of their first six matches this season.

When asked about Spurs’ defence, Berbatov told Prime Video: “Especially in a game like this, it’s always good when you keep a clean sheet for the goalkeeper and the defence.

“As I said at the beginning, the four people at the back, when I saw them in the warm-up, they were always hugging and complimenting each other.

“There is a unit there, there is good camaraderie between the players, and they show it on the pitch as well.

“Here and there during the game, I saw a bit of the old Spurs when they lack a bit of concentration. The example was for the penalty incident, where they always need to be on their toes because an intelligent team can take advantage and score. But overall, so far I think the whole unit and defence is really great!”

Micky van de Ven was disappointed with Tottenham’s display vs Villarreal

Micky van de Ven has admitted that he was disappointed with Tottenham’s display against Villarreal, despite the 1-0 win.

But the Dutch defender believes that the Spanish side are a tough team to play and getting the three points was the most important thing.

Van de Ven told Prime Video: “It was a tough one tonight. We didn’t play very well, to be honest. We had a really good start, and of course, you want to build on that, but Villarreal are a really difficult team to play against. It is tough, but we got the three points and that is most important.”

The 24-year-old was involved in a controversial incident in the latter stages of the game, as he was shown a yellow card for a foul whilst appearing to be the final defender.