If you were seeking the familiar intensity of a North London derby, Tottenham’s 1-0 victory against Arsenal in Hong Kong fell short. While the match featured two prominent teams, it resembled more of a training exercise as both sides saved their best for upcoming competitions.

Analyzing this friendly too deeply might be misleading, considering the playing surface at Kai Tak Sports Park was not comparable to the Emirates or Tottenham’s home grounds. The poor performance of Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard raises questions about their form, yet the 16 attempts resulting in just one on target may reflect the pitch condition rather than their abilities.

A significant takeaway from this friendly was the effectiveness of corner kicks for Tottenham, an area that troubled them last season under Ange Postecoglou, who allowed an alarming 27 goals from set pieces. With Thomas Frank at the helm, a different approach is evident. Crafted set pieces are now crucial, drawing on Frank’s past experiences at Brentford, where he used corner deliveries to their advantage.

Arsenal, despite past successes from corners, struggled to cope with Tottenham’s early threats, with two solid attempts hitting the posts. This pressuring behavior seemed to rattle Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya, notably when he made a costly error leading to Tottenham’s sole goal scored by Pape Matar Sarr. The Spurs supporters had a reason to rejoice while Arsenal has pressing concerns, mainly with their star defender Gabriel Magalhaes out due to injury.

Ultimately, Tottenham’s improvements in set pieces showcased their strategy under Frank, indicating a promising future as they aim for better performances in the Premier League.