Thomas Frank must turn things around after Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 with Burnley but the upcoming fixture list does not bode well
It was a Saturday to forget for Thomas Frank and Tottenham Hotspur, who were forced to rescue a point in the dying minutes against Burnley at Turf Moor.
Spurs were in the ascendency when Micky van de Ven fired them in front during the first half, though Scott Parker's side hit back either side of the break to take a lead almost through to the final whistle. It was only the intervention of Cristian Romero that prevented Burnley from winning, as the visiting captain powered a header on target in stoppage time.
What's more, results elsewhere ensured Spurs would be falling down the Premier League table rather than climbing it this weekend.
They now sit 14th, stranded eight points off what is required to enter the top-four, with more losses than victories in the league this term.
It is a dire situation for Frank, who arrived in north London last summer with an inspirational record at Brentford. A matter of months later, supporters turned on him at Turf Moor with chants of 'We want Frank out'.
And it is not set to get any easier for the Dane. football.london analyse Spurs' upcoming run of fixtures with some troubling tasks ahead.
Jan 28: Eintracht Frankfurt (A) - Champions League
Next up after Burnley is a trip to Germany, where Spurs will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the final round of the Champions League's league phase fixtures. They have already done much hard work to climb into the automatic qualification places for the round of 16, but that could all come crashing down at the final hurdle.
Simply put, Spurs must win otherwise they will likely drop into the play-off bracket of Europe's top club competition. This would mean playing a two-legged contest sandwiched between a run of fixtures which is already difficult as is.
Their only solace is that Frankfurt are already condemned to elimination so have nothing to play for other than pride, though for some opponents that is enough.
Feb 1: Manchester City (H) - Premier League
Four days later Spurs host the Premier League's second-placed side, Manchester City, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The hosts have built up a great home record against Pep Guardiola's side since moving to their new home in 2019, but that counts for nothing in the present day. A 2-0 win over Wolves last time out will give City confidence they can maintain a winning streak and keep the pressure on Arsenal in the title race.
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Feb 7: Manchester United (A) - Premier League
Manchester United looked as if they had been cut free from their bonds when interim manager Michael Carrick oversaw a 2-0 Manchester derby victory over City last weekend at Old Trafford.
Spurs are set to visit the North West in a matter of weeks and will need to be at the top of their game to not fall against an opponent with renewed hope of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Feb 10: Newcastle United (H) - Premier League
Like Spurs, Newcastle United have struggled over the course of the 2025/26 campaign. The only difference is they have managed to string together enough results to climb back into the top half of the Premier League table and keep the pressure on those chasing European football.
This is also a fixture in which Spurs have had the worse of recent history. Eddie Howe's team have won four of the last five meetings, and the only time they did not win was the 2-2 draw at St. James' Park earlier this season.
Feb 22: Arsenal (H) - Premier League
Frank's daunting run of fixtures comes to an end when Spurs host bitter rivals Arsenal.
The head coach can take comfort in the fact he will have 12 days to prepare for the fixture as his side will skip a weekend of action having already been knocked out of the FA Cup. Well, that actually depends on what happens in Europe this week.
Should Spurs require a Champions League play-off, the first and second legs will be contested in the midweeks either side of this fixture.
This will add a new level of pressure to Spurs and their head coach, who will want to navigate their way to the round of 16 whilst also not handing their north London rivals a leg-up in the Premier League title race.