{"id":1401930,"date":"2025-09-29T15:45:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T14:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1401930"},"modified":"2025-09-29T15:45:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T14:45:55","slug":"tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/","title":{"rendered":"Tottenham analysis: Why the Bentancur-Palhinha partnership is holding Spurs back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>\u201cI think it is fair to say both Rodri (Bentacur) and Joao (Palhinha) have been very good for us so far in the season.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/tottenham-outright-odds-25-26\/\">Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> fans will have been less than enthused by Thomas Frank\u2019s praise of the pair following Saturday\u2019s 1-1 draw with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/wolves-outright-odds-25-26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wolverhampton Wanderers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A late Joao Palhinha strike saw Spurs rescue a point from the jaws of defeat as their dire record against the bogey-est of bogey teams continue. It\u2019s now six games without a win against Wolves, of which the Midlands side have won four. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it hasn\u2019t been a poor start to the season for Tottenham \u2013 they\u2019re currently fourth on 11 points \u2013 the performance against Wolves did set <em>some<\/em> alarm bells ringing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The welcome of pointless Wolves was a game Spurs should be winning. Even with a dire home record of three league wins since November last year, Vitor Pereira\u2019s side made the trip to the capital having lost their opening five games. Dr Tottenham sorted that record out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover:<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-frank-at-fault-for-wolves-stalemate\" data-level=\"3\">Frank at fault for Wolves stalemate<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-time-to-stop-with-the-bentancur-palhinha-axis\" data-level=\"3\">Time to stop with the Bentancur-Palhinha axis<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-fix-tottenham-s-midfield-conundrum\" data-level=\"3\">How to fix Tottenham\u2019s midfield conundrum<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frank-at-fault-for-wolves-stalemate\">Frank at fault for Wolves stalemate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The blame does lie with Frank. It was painfully obvious in the opening 45 minutes that his tactics and setup were wrong. Wolves were always going to dig deep and frustrate Tottenham. But the Dane opted for a midfield partnership of Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur. And he didn&#8217;t switch that up until midway through a drab second-half showing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pair aren\u2019t poor players by any stretch. In fact, they were vital as Tottenham beat Manchester City 0-2 last month. But in games where the north London side are expected to control proceedings, it\u2019s clear that Frank has to leave out either Palhinha, Bentancur, or both. When Tottenham beat Burnley 3-0 at the start of the season, neither started. And when they beat West Ham by the same scoreline, only Palhinha started.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"article-page__title\">Dabble sign-up offer: <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Not signed up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/dabble-sign-up-offer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dabble<\/a> yet? Here's how to claim the <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b> welcome offer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>Sign up to Dabble through this <a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\">link<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>Register your account with accurate personal details<\/li>\r\n<li>Place your first bet of \u00a310 or more<\/li>\r\n<li>Receive your \u00a310 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted<\/li>\r\n<li>Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1423518 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-320x267.png 320w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-240x200.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-72x60.png 72w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-150x125.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-40x33.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822.png 712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply.\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/GambleAware.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">GambleAware.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The latter was a bit of an anomaly in that Spurs needed a set-piece goal to break the Hammers resolve. And it wasn\u2019t until West Ham were reduced to 10 men that Frank\u2019s side began to really turn the screw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Admittedly, Burnley were always going to be at the mercy of a Spurs side playing their first home game under the Dane. But Frank opted for a midfield trio of Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Pape Sarr, a youthful, vibrant trio that dictated the tempo in the middle of the park. Bentancur came on with 20 minutes to play, while Palhinha was introduced with 10 minutes left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-time-to-stop-with-the-bentancur-palhinha-axis\">Time to stop with the Bentancur-Palhinha axis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The defensive duo weren\u2019t required against Burnley as Tottenham were always expected to dominate. The same was applicable against Wolves on Saturday. And yet Frank opted to again use Xavi Simons from the left and a midfield consisting of Palhinha and Bentancur. It\u2019s no surprise that the duo have started all three games in which Tottenham have dropped points.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1401933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-267x267.jpg 267w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1-40x40.jpg 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144521\/passing_network-comparison-1.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The above pass network compares Saturday\u2019s draw with Wolves to the opening weekend win over Burnley. And it\u2019s clear to see where the problem lies. Bentancur (LCM) was often a shade ahead of Palhinha (RCM), but there is a clear lack of attacking thrust from the two deeper lying midfielders, who\u2019d look to play safer passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, this isn\u2019t a critique when Tottenham play the tougher teams. Where they&#8217;ll want to implement a pragmatic approach to suckerpunch an opponent as they did superbly against Man City. Against the team sitting bottom of the league, however, you need your midfielders to get the ball to the players who can do damage in the final third. Lucas Bergvall at No.10 received one pass from Bentancur and Palhinha on Saturday night. The duo also made just one pass to Richarlison up until Bentancur\u2019s withdrawal on the hour mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The midfielders also made just 13 passes combined to the duo of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus, before Bentancur&#8217;s sub. For context, Sarr came on in the 78th minute and made three passes to Brennan Johnson. The Senegalese star showed some desire to get the ball into threatening positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, the above passing network shows Tottenham not playing with a designated AM in the win over Burnley. But there was at least some desire to link the play between the full-backs, wingers and striker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-fix-tottenham-s-midfield-conundrum\">How to fix Tottenham\u2019s midfield conundrum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The immediate fix to rectify a dysfunctional midfield is to move Simons infield. The Dutchman was signed to play in the No.10 role, yet minutes in his favoured position have been few and far between. The former RB Leipzig man has been pushed to the left in every league start to date. While Tottenham\u2019s left wing options aren\u2019t <em>great<\/em> there would at least be some variety to the way the team can pry apart defences, especially those that will sit deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Going forward, though, Frank needs to realise that a midfield with both Bentancur and Palhinha just doesn\u2019t function properly against opponents that will seek to frustrate Spurs. Supporters are hopeful that Saturday\u2019s 1-1 draw was the wake up call he needed to switch things up in the middle of the park.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI think it is fair to say both Rodri (Bentacur) and Joao (Palhinha) have been very good for us so far in the season.\u201d Tottenham Hotspur fans will have been less than enthused by Thomas Frank\u2019s praise of the pair following Saturday\u2019s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. A late Joao Palhinha strike saw Spurs rescue&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3564,"featured_media":1401938,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Tottenham's draw with Wolves exposed issues with the Bentancur-Palhinha. We break down why it's time for Thomas Frank to rethink his setup.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1401930","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tottenham analysis: Why the Bentancur-Palhinha partnership is holding Spurs back | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tottenham&#039;s draw with Wolves exposed issues with the Bentancur-Palhinha. 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We break down why it&#039;s time for Thomas Frank to rethink his setup.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-29T14:45:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144923\/3CP83FK-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1680\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben McAleer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/d83177c024444113f28c89f65fde90b4\"},\"headline\":\"Tottenham analysis: Why the Bentancur-Palhinha partnership is holding Spurs back\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-29T14:45:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-29T14:45:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/\"},\"wordCount\":905,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144923\/3CP83FK-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/\",\"name\":\"Tottenham analysis: Why the Bentancur-Palhinha partnership is holding Spurs back | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-tottenham-bentancur-palhinha\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/09\/29144923\/3CP83FK-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-29T14:45:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-29T14:45:55+00:00\",\"description\":\"Tottenham's draw with Wolves exposed issues with the Bentancur-Palhinha. 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