Richarlison scored a spectacular scissor kick to help Thomas Frank win his first Premier League match in charge of Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 against Burnley.
Richarlison and Mohammed Kudus put on a show in Spurs’ opener as the pair combined for the first two goals.
The Brazilian netted the first Premier League goal of the Frank era early on before sending the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd into raptures with his brilliant second after half-time.
Brennan Johnson then made sure of the three points shortly after with a composed finish as promoted Burnley struggled to find a way through.
Spurs are one of three teams on three points at the top of the table in the early standings, alongside Liverpool and Sunderland, with the Clarets sitting at the opposite end.
How the match unfolded
Spurs made a quick start, with Lucas Bergvall almost finding a breakthrough in under 30 seconds, but Martin Dubravka smothered his tight-angled shot from the right of the box.
However, it took Spurs just 10 minutes to take the lead as Maxime Esteve’s loose clearance was played to Kudus, who teed up Richarlison’s instinctive volley after a smart run down the right.
Burnley grew into the game in the first half, but could not take their chances, and Richarlison continued to cause problems after the break, seeing a first-time effort blocked by Esteve before he forced Dubravka into another fine save at his near post.
But Richarlison would not be denied on the hour as he dropped back in the box to meet Kudus’ cross and send a sensational scissor kick past Dubravka to double Spurs’ lead.
Johnson then made sure of the points six minutes later as Pape Sarr’s through-ball cut open Burnley’s defence, and the Wales international slotted a low effort past Dubravka when he rushed off his line. Burnley were unable to muster a late response.
Richarlison has golden touch
A disappointing 2024/25 Premier League campaign for Spurs saw changes over the summer, with Frank brought in as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement.
It was almost the perfect start in Frank’s first competitive match on Wednesday as Spurs looked set to clinch the UEFA Super Cup, but they gave up a 2-0 lead against Paris Saint-Germain before losing on penalties.
Despite the result, the Dane had been positive ahead of the new league season, and the reasons why were on show from the start as they immediately put Burnley under pressure.
Richarlison got a deserved opener, with Kudus endearing himself to the fans early on with some clever play to get to the byline down the right before picking out the Brazilian.
Spurs struggled to maintain their pace as the first half wore on, but in the second, Richarlison proved a force that Burnley struggled against.
The 28-year-old arguably should have scored another earlier than he did, but his movement for his bicycle kick was impressive, as a partnership between him and Kudus begins to flourish.
Dominic Solanke continued his return from an ankle injury off the bench and dragged a shot just wide shortly after his introduction as Frank made a winning start ahead of a trip to Manchester City next weekend.
Burnley struggle to impose themselves
Burnley impressed in the Championship as they earned automatic promotion, though they were dealt a tough opening test against the Europa League champions, and Scott Parker’s former side.
The Clarets have gone big in the transfer window to try and avoid relegation this season, but even with their many incomings, Parker has lost goalkeeper James Trafford, who played a key role, to Man City.
Burnley had the best defence in the Championship in 2024/25, and after some early nerves, they did well to stifle Spurs later in the first half to give themselves a strong base.
But despite their many chances, Burnley struggled to test Guglielmo Vicario, who did not look comfortable in the first half when he awkwardly parried Josh Laurent’s looping shot out for a needless corner.
Jaidon Anthony provided a threat on the counter, while Hannibal Mejbri was through on goal before he dawdled and eventually ran into traffic just moments before Richarlison’s second goal.
Johnson’s strike seemed to take the fight out of Burnley, who were frustrated as they felt Esteve was fouled by Richarlison in the build-up, leaving Parker with problems to solve ahead of their meeting with fellow promoted side Sunderland next Saturday.
Club reports
What the managers said
Thomas Frank: “It’s a ‘must win’ game on paper, but we also know it’s not that easy. I’m happy with the win, happy with the clean sheet, happy with the goals.
“Brennan always scores! That’s a fantastic thing, to be ready. Also, the two young midfielders, Lucas (Bergvall) and Archie (Gray), really pleased with their performance as well. We need the squad. Hopefully we’ll play 60-plus games. That’s the dream. If we do that, we’ll need the squad.”
Scott Parker: "Plenty of positives to take, despite the defeat.
"We started slowly, but I thought we really grew into the game. We played on the front foot and looked a real threat, our reaction was superb. We had two massive, massive chances, where we just weren't ruthless enough.
"It'll be a massive challenge for us this year. Games like today won't define us - we'll learn, we'll bounce back, and we'll look forward to being back at Turf Moor next weekend."
Next fixtures
Key facts
Kudus became just the second player to provide two or more assists on his Premier League debut for Spurs after James Maddison against Brentford in August 2023.
Richarlison has scored 13 goals in his last 16 Premier League starts for Spurs, including nine goals in his last nine starts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Dubravka became the first goalkeeper to fall foul of the new “eight second rule” in the Premier League, implemented to prevent time wasting, conceding a corner at 3:28 having held onto the ball for longer than eight seconds.
Spurs have faced Burnley more often than they have any other side on home soil in the Premier League without ever losing (P10 W9 D1).