Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed they will not sack manager Thomas Frank following their heavy 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium. Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick and Leandro Trossard also found the net as the Gunners romped to victory, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
The defeat was Spurs' fourth league loss of the season and has stirred unrest among supporters, but club chiefs are determined to give Frank time. According to reports, the Lewis family, who own the club, view Frank's appointment as a long-term project and are not panicking. Despite some concerns over performances, they insist no knee-jerk decision will be made.
Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer on a three-year deal after Spurs paid Brentford £10m compensation, took full responsibility for the derby defeat. “I will always take the full responsibility,” he said. “I picked a team that played 5-4-1, changed it at half-time, but one minute into the second half they scored. The rest is history.”
He acknowledged the inconsistency of results is a concern, adding: “I would like the team to have very few bad performances. Today, I didn't expect us to be not competitive.” Some players have reportedly urged Frank to focus on the team's strengths rather than making numerous changes. The squad trained on Monday before travelling to France for their Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
