Frank inherits Ange's woes: Tottenham Hotspur suffer Fulham setback to equal unwanted Premier League record

Thomas Frank suffered another setback at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, as last season’s Europa League winners were beaten 2-1 by Fulham in the Premier League.

The gameweek 13 defeat marked the club’s third league loss in their last four outings, with the two most recent losses coming against London rivals.

A miserable 4-1 defeat by Arsenal in the North London derby was followed by an encouraging performance in Paris — albeit ending in a 5-3 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League — but conceding two goals in the opening six minutes to Fulham set an unwanted home record for the Lilywhites.

Goals from Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson in the fourth and sixth minutes marked the quickest occasion in the Premier League era that the London club have conceded, and both left them with an uphill struggle for the remainder of the match.

Despite Mohammed Kudus halving the deficit before the hour, the hosts could not prevent another Premier League defeat in front of their supporters in 2025, leaving the club 10th in the table after Saturday’s fixtures.

Spurs equal unwanted Premier League record with Fulham loss

© Imago / Pro Sports Images

Apart from the aforementioned early concessions against the Cottagers, Frank’s side have lost yet another match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Dane’s team have fared better on their travels in the 2025-26 season, earning 13 of their 18 points away from home, with the painful defeat to Arsenal their only loss on the road.

Frank’s side have not secured maximum points as hosts since the opening matchday of the season, when they defeated Burnley 3-0, underscoring their struggles since.

With four defeats since the mid-August victory over the Clarets, the North London side have now lost a total of ten league matches in front of their supporters in 2025.

According to Opta, the unwanted record matches those set in 1994 and 2003, when the club suffered as many defeats in a calendar year at White Hart Lane.

Frank’s defeats have come against Bournemouth (0-1), Aston Villa (2-1), Chelsea (1-0) and Fulham (2-1), all by a single goal, but enough to inherit Ange Postecoglou’s woes from the start of the year.

The departed Australian manager lost to Newcastle United, Leicester City, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion; these combined losses mean the club have suffered double-digit league defeats in a calendar year for the first time since moving to their new ground in April 2019.

Is Frank under pressure at Spurs?

© Imago / ZUMA Press Wire

While there are no confirmed reports on the Danish manager’s future, a fifth defeat in 13 league matches would not please the club’s decision-makers.

With two more home games remaining before 2025 ends — against Brentford and Liverpool — the North London club may set a new record for home defeats in 2025, surpassing those of 1994 and 2003.

Reports have suggested that Spurs are already considering potential replacements for Frank, with Xavi’s name emerging as a candidate should the erstwhile Brentford boss be dismissed.

December is thought to be a pivotal month, and further setbacks could force the board to make a managerial change.