Increasing pressure on Thomas Frank
Any disappointment for Frank has been somewhat appeased by the fact that Spurs have played with 10 men for an hour, after Xavi Simons was sent off.
However, that cannot hide the fact that this is another match where Frank focuses more on practicality than pursuing an open, attacking style of play. He accepted to sacrifice a striker to add a midfielder, in order to balance the number of players with Liverpool in midfield.
Spurs proactively chose the counter-attacking game, which is why Frank did not make any personnel changes after Simons' red card. In fact, most of the time after that, the London team held on defensively against the penalty area, with the ultimate goal of avoiding a goal.
In that particular context, this approach is not necessarily wrong, but it continues to raise concerns about the Tottenham fan community. Frank may not be the right coach for a club pursuing an active attacking philosophy.
However, it should be noted that his substitution decisions this time did not encounter the same wave of groans as before. The majority of the audience was still on the team's side, shifting their frustration to referee John Brooks, until Richarlison's goal rekindled Spurs' hope.
However, Romero quickly extinguished that fragile trust with an unacceptable foul. As a result, the "Roosters" have won just one of their last eight Premier League games. The alarming gap between Spurs and the top 4 is widening.
"We responded very well to Simons' red card. But the second goal, in my opinion, was a mistake by the referee. There were clearly two hands pushing her back. I don't understand why that situation was not rewarded.
We have seen this a thousand times on the pitch: players jump, two hands push the center back, that is a foul. Outside the box, it was blown, but inside the box it seemed like it was not. That was the biggest mistake, both from the referee and VAR. However, we continue to fight" - Frank shared.
Tottenham will have a year to forget at home
This is Tottenham's last home match in 2025, concluding a forgettable year in north London. After 18 rounds in the Premier League, Spurs have only won 4 - a number that clearly reflects the prolonged decline.
Part of the reason can be seen as a " word of comfort" from the decision of former coach Ange Postecoglou, when he gave absolute priority to the Europa League in the second half of last season. That gambling has brought sweet fruits to the title that Tottenham have been fighting for for 17 years, but that is still not enough to keep him the coaching position.
Improving home form is clearly an urgent task for Postecoglou's successor, but Frank has failed to make a breakthrough. Under the Danish strategist, Spurs only defeated Burnley and Brentford in the Premier League at home.
Tottenham have spent more than £1 billion to build a state-of-the-art stadium in Europe, away from the old White Hart Lane - which was mocked by fans for being "Three Point Lane" for being too easy to score points. Worryingly, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is currently facing the risk of repeating that path.
