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Overpowering the opponents was the strategy at Tottenham last season but now the focus is on stopping goals at the other end of the field.

Midweek's 1-0 win versus the Spanish side in Spurs' UCL debut was the fourth consecutive clean sheet they had kept in their opening five games this season.

In contrast, they had recorded just one at the same stage of last term, when the more forward-thinking their previous manager was in command.

“We discussed a lot about 'shutout mentality' this year because we conceded a lot last year,” Spurs midfielder a key player stated.

Star defender Micky van de Ven noted: “I think we are a difficult team to play against, for sure. Organisationally we are positioned really good and we all know what to do, so we're a difficult team to beat.”

The style of the team against their opponents was in sharp contrast to the attacking football played during Postecoglou.

They were much more defensive, even after being handed a early opener thanks to a disastrous mistake by their rivals goalkeeper Luiz Junior.

Stronger Defensive Line but at an Goal-Scoring Cost?

The North Londoners have allowed a single goal this season - in the narrow loss to the Cherries.

That is a big improvement on how they kicked off the last campaign, when they allowed five in their first five games.

In the Premier League they have kept three already - meaning they are just two from matching their total for the entire of last season.

The more reliable platform is potentially coming at a cost, however, with their one shot on target against the La Liga side the second time in their last three games they had managed very limited efforts on goal.

The boss knows this is an area that has to get better.

“We have a very good platform to stand on in terms of our backline setup and I think it's effective and we gave little away,” he said.

“We are in the Champions League against a strong team. Moreover, I knew we took a positive step against the Hammers, offensively is the area we need to enhance.”