Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has issued a heartfelt apology to the club's supporters and pointed the finger at his team-mates following a dismal 4-1 defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby on Sunday.
Emirates Stadium Humiliation
The comprehensive loss at the Emirates Stadium saw Arsenal extend their lead at the Premier League summit to six points. The Gunners' victory was spearheaded by a superb hat-trick from Eberechi Eze, who found the net after Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring for the hosts.
Tottenham's sole response came from Richarlison, whose spectacular second-half strike proved to be nothing more than a consolation. The result leaves Thomas Frank's side ninth in the table after 12 games, with a record of five wins, three draws, and four losses so far this season.
Vicario's Frank Post-Match Assessment
Speaking to Sky Sports after the full-time whistle, Vicario was quick to express his remorse to the travelling fans. He admitted his team showed a concerning lack of fight in one of the most significant fixtures on the calendar.
"A very bad night for us," the goalkeeper stated. "First of all we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football at this level."
Vicario acknowledged the team failed to execute their prepared game plan, describing the squad as "too passive" and suggesting they "waited too much to get into the game." Despite the emotional nature of the heavy defeat, he emphasised the need for "cool heads" and unity within the squad.
Looking Ahead for Spurs and Gunners
The attention for Tottenham now turns to a difficult Champions League clash away at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, followed by a Premier League encounter with Fulham next weekend.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face their own European challenge with a match against German giants Bayern Munich, before another London derby away at Chelsea in the league.
