Tottenham boss Thomas Frank apologised to supporters after a heavy 4-1 loss at Arsenal, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario admitted the team lacked fight in a chastening north London derby.
The performance produced the lowest expected goals (xG) of any Premier League side this season — just 0.07 — a new low for Spurs after their previous worst of 0.12 xG in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in November. The result leaves Tottenham ninth in the table and having won only three of their last 11 matches in all competitions.
Frank described the display as deeply painful and accepted responsibility for the team selection and tactics. He explained that the starting 5-4-1 formation was overwhelmed in the first half and that Spurs failed to contest physical duels, lost too many second balls and could not relieve pressure when the ball was played long. A switch to a 4-2-3-1 at half-time failed to change the momentum: Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze completed a hat-trick when he scored again just 35 seconds after the restart, putting the game beyond reach.
Vicario, a member of Spurs’ leadership group, apologised to travelling fans and said the players did not show the required aggression or fight as a unit. He urged the squad to stick together quickly, with a crucial Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon.
Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand branded the display embarrassing and accused the side of lacking grit. Pundits were broadly critical: Jamie Carragher questioned whether Frank can evolve from a pragmatic, defensively minded coach into a manager capable of setting up a team that can score and win consistently at the top level, pointing to worrying underlying statistics. Gary Neville argued that the chosen tactics had sacrificed attacking intent and left Spurs without a clear method to progress the ball through the thirds.
Frank reiterated that he takes full responsibility for the result and insisted that, beyond formation or system, Tottenham must be more aggressive and win more duels. With confidence dented and key fixtures ahead, the club face a fast turnaround and the challenge of regrouping before their Champions League trip to PSG.