As the 2025/26 season began, expectations were high for Tottenham Hotspur supporters after a hot and cold season under manager Ange Postecoglou.
The Lilywhites finished 17th in the Premier League, but won the Europa League, but it was not enough for the Australian to keep the job, and the responsibility fell into the hands of Thomas Frank.
He has been given the responsibility of leading the club towards England’s top flight, following their recent European triumphs and also being competitive in the Champions League.
The Dane has already made an immediate impact in North London, losing just three of his first 14 games and has since achieved a 50% win rate to date.
A number of players have already performed well this season, with one first-team member in particular attracting attention following his summer transfer.
Comparison of Kudus with other PL wingers in the 25/26 season
In a bid to make his start as Spurs manager, Frank spent big to secure the signature of winger Mohamed Kudus, spending £55 million to sign him from West Ham United.
The Ghanaian international arrived with great excitement, which is understandable given the nature of the fee, but it’s safe to say he’s already delivered his luggage to north London.
The 25-year-old has already scored his first goal for the Lilywhites and has provided four assists for his team-mates, the most of any player in his division.
But Kudus’ underlying stats are just as impressive, and his numbers further highlight just how big of an impact he already had in his early days at the club.
He has completed the most take-offs in Europe’s top five leagues throughout the 2025/26 season, with 30, more than three times as many as Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.
The Ghanaian also ranks in the 98th percentile for take-ons per 90 (3.7) in the Premier League, further demonstrating his uncanny ability to take down opponents.
Evading defenders is one thing, but the former West Ham star also highlights his ability to produce the end product after a frantic run.
Kudus averages 7.6 crosses per 90, which puts him in the top 2% of all Premier League attackers, with 1.9 of those crossings finding a teammate inside the 18-yard box.
Such a feat allowed him to record 0.5 assists per 90 games, which would also rank him in the top 3% of all players in England’s top flight, and his £55m transfer fee now looks like quite a bargain.
Spurs players are now becoming world class
Despite Kudus’ Premier League success, many other Spurs players have performed well under Frank, with the team currently sitting in third place.
Micky van de Ven has been a huge presence at the back for the Lilywhites, helping the first team keep a total of four clean sheets in their first nine league games of the 2025/26 season.
But he is also talented at the other end of the pitch, scoring three times in England’s top flight and becoming the club’s top scorer.
Such a feat has been replicated by midfielder Joao Parinha, with the Portuguese international quickly making an impact in north London following his summer move.
The Lilywhites’ board secured the 30-year-old on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, but that did not satisfy some in the fan base.
But now, a few months on, the deal looks like an incredible piece of business, with the former Fulham star arguably one of the best additions in the Premier League this season.
Pariña, who earns £135,000 a week, has played in every league game so far and has gone on to rack up some impressive numbers, the most impressive of which is his 39 tackles for victory.
This figure is currently the highest of any player in this division, with only one other player in the Premier League to have won the ball more than 30 times.
As a result, he currently averages 5.1 tackles per 90 and leads the league with 8.6 duels per 90. Both counts rank him within the top 3% of all players in England’s top flight.
Joao Parinha – PL Statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | 9 |
goals and assists | 3 |
Pass accuracy | 83% |
Touches per 90 | 60.5 |
The tackle I made | 5.1 |
won a duel | 8.6 |
aerial won | 58% |
dribbled past | 0.6 |
Statistics by FotMob | |
However, like Van de Ven, he is active in the forward areas and has already scored two goals and provided one assist, with his recent attack securing a late point against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As mentioned above, it was his ability to win the ball that attracted the most attention in North London, with one analyst rating him as “the best in the world” for his team’s ability to win the ball.
His current contract has a £30m buyout option next summer, and Frank and his team are in desperate need of triggering such a clause given his recent form at Spurs.
A viable No. 6 has been firmly on the club’s agenda in recent years and Parinha has finally provided that quality, but it is important that the club does not let the loanee go.
