Analysis: Spurs sloppy but defence shines

This 1-0 win against Villarreal was the result Tottenham wanted as they made their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2022-23 season, but it was far from a perfect performance.

Luiz Junior's unfortunate mistake got the home crowd going and could have been the platform for Tottenham to go on and put in a commanding performance, but that failed to materialise as they largely laboured to the win.

Tottenham's start this season has been impressive, with eye-catching wins against West Ham and Manchester City but there was the concerning display in the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.

There were more similarities in this game to the performance against the Cherries, with some poor passages of play and sloppy passes whenever they did break forward.

Despite that, their defending was resolute with Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur making some crucial tackles, particularly in the second half when Villarreal pushed for an equaliser.

The win means Tottenham are now unbeaten in their past 21 home games in Uefa competitions.