The atmosphere at Tottenham Hotspur has been pretty rough lately, but a solid home win in the Champions League can fix a lot of things. And that's what Spurs got. Cuti Romero and Dominic Solanke scored in the first half, putting Spurs up 2-0 against a ten-man Dortmund by halftime. The second half was a bit more tense, but Tottenham did enough to win comfortably against a Dortmund team that has only lost once in the Bundesliga this season. The final score was 2-0.

Whatever you think about Thomas Frank and his future, he got things spot-on today, even with several players out. Micky van de Ven was a notable absence, serving a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation. Kevin Danso replaced him on the right side of the defence, with Cuti moving over to Micky’s usual spot. Interestingly, Djed Spence started as a left winger, with Destiny Udogie behind him at left back. Archie Grey and Lucas Bergvall held down the midfield, with Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, and Dom Solanke, making his first start of the season, up front. Pedro Porro was his usual self.

Spurs started strong, attacking Dortmund from the start and looking to get the ball into the box. They scored from a set piece after 14 minutes, with Wilson Odobert passing to Cuti Romero, who scored easily to put Spurs ahead. The game changed ten minutes later when a Dortmund defender was sent off for a risky tackle on Odobert, which was reviewed by VAR. Spurs took advantage, with Dominic Solanke scoring his first goal of the season late in the first half to make it 2-0.

With a comfortable lead and an extra player, Tottenham eased off a bit, being more patient in front of Dortmund’s goal instead of pushing for a third. Dortmund also played a part, pressing higher in the second half and trying to disrupt Tottenham's possession. Lucas Bergvall had to leave the field after a tough challenge with Emre Can, replaced by young Jun’ai Byfield, who made his debut. Randal Kolo Muani came on for Solanke later in the game.

Here’s what I thought about the match.

Starting Djed Spence at left wing? Felt like Thomas Frank was taking a page out of Tim Sherwood’s book. Honestly, part of me hoped this meant Frank would be a short-term experiment too. But Spence actually spent most of the game giving Dortmund’s fullback a really hard time one-on-one, so maybe I have to eat my words.

The first ten minutes had more attacking drive than I’ve seen from Spurs in ages. So many runs into the box, and they weren’t just swinging in crosses—these were real passes, real movement. Is this what Frank’s football is supposed to be?

Cuti Romero as our best scorer—who saw that coming? Great finish after a nice pass from Odobert. I thought the whole thing was about to fall apart after Odobert’s dodgy corner, but he pulled it together, set up Cuti, and boom. Well done.

Maybe Tottenham just looks better in Europe because the Premier League is brutal. Spurs didn’t have too many issues handling Dortmund—a team that’s only lost once in the Bundesliga. The visitors couldn’t really keep up with the pace in the first half.

That tackle on Svensson—I still don’t know if it should’ve been a red. Didn’t look intentional, and he seemed to be falling when he caught Odobert. I’d be fuming if it went against us, but for once, the call went our way. No complaints here.

Xavi Simons stole the show, honestly. Just amazing. Turns out, when you actually give your best player the ball near the box, good things happen. And the guy was smiling! He should do that more often—he plays even better.

Solanke’s goal cracked me up. I thought he fluffed the chance, mistimed his run, and then somehow poked the ball off his own foot, off the post, and in. Still counts.

I was nervous about Lucas Bergvall and Archie Grey in midfield, but they were solid together. It's the best the middle of the park has looked in a while, though having an extra player on the pitch definitely helps.

The downside—Bergvall seemed to pick up a knock after a clash with Emre Can. He had to come off, and in came 17-year-old Jun’ai Byfield for his debut. The last time we saw him was in the preseason against Luton. He’s a big lad, and he handled himself well.

Kolo Muani—what do you even say? He got through on goal at least three times and couldn’t bury any of them. That sums up his Spurs career so far, really.

I wasn’t thrilled with Spurs just sitting back on their lead through most of the second half. That’s classic Frank, but I wanted more of that first-half energy. Still, I can’t argue with the scoreline.

Honestly, I’m not sure what’s weirder—being fourth in the Champions League table after City and PSG both lost or the fact that it’s actually deserved if you look at the xG numbers.

Spurs just need to handle business against Eintracht Frankfurt in the last group game. Even a draw should get them through to the next round with a bye. They’re at least guaranteed a playoff spot. Can’t really ask for more than that.