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Proper answer is more mundane,
According to the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, who fielded a LOT of questions about this, it was a combination of factors. These included the club being overly cautious in the first match at “full capacity” with regards to sight lines and buffers between away fans, a few people just not showing up, and due to the way the club calculates attendance numbers (as in only counting fans through the turnstiles rather then tickets sold)
Re 3000 empty seats at Spurs opener. Have the NFL block bought a section of seating?