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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: What Frank and Van de Ven said after win

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Tottenham Hotspurs manager Thomas Frank, speaking to TNT Sport: "I am very happy with a lot of things. I think in life and football after a bad performance or situation it is about how you react.

"We call it a bounce-back mentality and our players have had a great bounce-back mentality in the last few days. They have wanted to turn things around and win, which we did.

"I think it was an impressive win because we controlled the game from minute one. We got the red card and the players found another level which was super impressive."

On Brennan Johnson's red card: "You can always say it is unnecessary but in the moment, when he goes down there, he has no intention to do anything that will get him a red card.

"I think it is quite harsh and I think VAR see it from still footage and that makes it much more brutal. I don't think he did anything reckless.

On Micky van de Ven's goal: "That could be goal of the season. It was like [Lionel] Messi turned into a centre-back. It seems like [Cristian] Romero didn't want to stand down for his other centre mate too. That was also a great goal."

Defender Van de Ven, also speaking to TNT Sports: "That is for sure what we needed after a tough one at the weekend. We needed to bounce back and we did.

On scoring his goal: "I started dribbling and thought that I would see if they would catch up and they didn't.

"I am feeling good, and I felt amazing in the sprint, I felt like I could keep going. [Cristian] Romero stayed calm as well [for Joao Palhinha goal]. When I saw him in front I wondered why he was there.

"When we got the red card I thought it was going to be tough but we stayed cool, we did what we needed to do and we killed the game off."

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Tottenham vs Copenhagen: Confirmed team news

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Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero is able to start for the first time in a month after recovering from an adductor injury.

He is one of five changes from the Spurs side that disappointed in the 1-0 Premier League loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

There are also starts for Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons.

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Copenhagen: UEFA Champions League stats & head-to-head

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This will be the first meeting between Tottenham and Copenhagen, and just the English side’s second match against a Danish opponent in European competition, after a 3-2 win versus Aalborg in the UEFA Cup in November 2007.

Copenhagen have only won two of their previous 19 matches against English sides in European competition (D5 L12), with both of those victories coming against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League (1-0 in November 2006 and 4-3 in November 2023).

Copenhagen have never won away to an English opponent in Europe, losing in seven of their nine attempts (D2). Indeed, they’ve lost each of the last five in a row, with four of those coming since the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

This will be Thomas Frank’s first match against a Danish opponent since March 2016, in a 3-1 defeat against SønderjyskE while in charge of Brøndby. The Tottenham manager has faced Copenhagen on eight previous occasions – all in the Danish Superliga with Brøndby – winning just two of them (D3 L3).

Tottenham Hotspur have drawn each of their last two UEFA Champions League matches, while two of their last four games in the competition have been 0-0. Spurs haven’t drawn three in a row in major European competition since doing so between March and October 2014 in the UEFA Europa League.

Copenhagen have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five UEFA Champions League matches, shipping 14 in total (D1 L4). They’ve only won one of 19 games in the competition when shipping 2+ goals (D2 L16), a 4-3 win over Man Utd in November 2023.

Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in their last nine major European matches (W6 D3) – they last had a run of 10 undefeated games between December 2011 and March 2013 in the UEFA Europa League.

Excluding own goals, two of Copenhagen’s three UEFA Champions League goals this season have come via headers – they’ve scored with 33% of shots via their heads (2/6), compared to just one of their 29 attempts not from a header (3.4%).

Copenhagen’s Viktor Dadason netted on his UEFA Champions League debut on MD3 aged just 17 years and 113 days, the youngest ever debutant scorer in the competition’s history. The current youngest player to score in his first two appearances is Karim Benzema (18 years, 281 days), who is now the fourth highest scoring player in the competition’s history with 90 goals.

Pedro Porro has made 28 line-breaking passes across his three UEFA Champions League games this season, at least 10 more than any other Tottenham Hotspur player. The Spaniard also has the joint-most chances created for the London side in the competitions this term (4), level with attacker Mohammed Kudus.

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Champions League: Alexander-Arnold back at Anfield with Real; Arsenal & Spurs in action

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Goodbye

Right, we're off so we can get ourselves prepared for tonight's Champions League action!

And looking at the fixtures, we suggest you do the same!

Thank you so much for joining us as always.

Our team will be back to bring you full coverage of this evening's action a little later on.

Us lot? We'll be with you as always first thing tomorrow to react to it all.

Enjoy your evening and we'll see you then.

Alexander-Arnold 'has been a big miss for Liverpool'

Liverpool v Real Madrid (Tue, 20:00 GMT)

Robbie Fowler

Former Liverpool striker on 5 Live

I’m looking forward to seeing Trent [Alexander-Arnold] , but I obviously don’t want him to get a result. I do appreciate that he was a world class player, and is still a world class player and he has been a big miss for Liverpool.

Look we can all have opinions on what we should do or whether we should support him. I think the majority will understand, appreciate and respect what he has done for Liverpool but I think they will let their feelings be known and give him a bit of a hard time.

I think Liverpool could use that to their advantage though. To make the atmosphere that little bit more intense, and allow Liverpool to get into Real Madrid, [start] on the front foot.

'Whichever way I am received is the decision of the fans'

Liverpool v Real Madrid (20:00 GMT)

Champions League

Trent Alexander-Arnold speaking to Amazon Prime about his anticipated reception by the fans: "I think whichever way I am received is the decision of the fans. I will always love the club. I will always be a fan of the club. I will always be thankful for the opportunities [Liverpool gave me] and everything that we achieved together will live with me forever.

"So, no matter what, my feelings won't change towards Liverpool. I have got memories there that will last me a lifetime and no matter how I am received, that won't change."

What did Slot say about Trent returning?

Liverpool v Real Madrid (20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on ex-Reds right-back Trent Alexander Arnold returning to the club with Real Madrid this evening: "I can only tell you what kind of reception he gets from me. I only have good memories from him as a player and as a human being.

"I have memories of working with him that are only positive and memories of watching him when I'm in front of the TV and they are only positive. I can remember multiple great moments of him in a Liverpool shirt.

"He will get a warm welcome by me, let's see if he is on the pitch and then how the fans react I've no clue but he gets a warm welcome from me, that's for sure."

'Superhuman' midfielders - is it fair to make a Caicedo-Kante comparison?

Will Faulks

Chelsea fan writer

There was a lot of interesting stuff going on in Chelsea's win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, both on and off the pitch.

But it's impossible to write anything about that game and not mention Moises Caicedo. It doesn't matter that every pundit, player and both managers have already done so. It still won't be enough to explain just how good and just how important he was.

It was fitting that in a game where Chelsea repeatedly failed to turn their dominance into goals, the midfielder ended up being the one to decide the match. Already his team's main ball-winner and progressor, Caicedo realised he was going to have to be their creator too. He stormed forward, won three challenges in a row and battered his way into the box, where he put the ball on a plate for Joao Pedro to finish.

If the Brazilian had hesitated, we have no doubt that Caicedo would have been on hand to force the ball into the net, too. Comparisons to N'Golo Kante are often made but rarely appropriate. In this case, you could get away with them.

As with Kante, however, Chelsea need to make sure they don't end up becoming dependent on a midfielder's superhuman abilities. In a strange way, having such an exceptional player can end up hurting the team as a whole - every time Kante was removed from the lineup, the rest of the squad would realise they had forgotten how to win games without the help from a force of nature. They must avoid the same issues with their new edition.

Read the latest Chelsea updates here

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Tottenham: Thomas Frank says Micky van de Ven & Djed Spence meant no disrespect with snub

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Up Next. 'I'm in a stable environment' - Frank comfortable with Spurs ownership. Video, 00:00:42'I'm in a stable environment' - Frank comfortable with Spurs ownership

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'I don't want to be hearing that at home' - London City confessions. Video, 00:02:45'I don't want to be hearing that at home' - London City confessions

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Thomas Frank says Micky Van de Ven and Djed Spence apologised for snub

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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank says Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have apologised to him after the pair snubbed the manager when leaving the pitch following defeat by Chelsea.

After the 1-0 loss on Saturday, Frank encouraged his players to do a lap of appreciation around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But as fans booed the players off the pitch, cameras caught Van de Ven and Spence ignoring their manager and instead going straight down the tunnel.

"Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday and just said they wanted to say sorry for the situation," said Frank in a news conference on Monday.

"They didn't want it to look bad or any misconception that you can get in this beautiful media world.

"So there was no disrespect meant at all towards me or the team. They were just frustrated with the performance from us and the booing during the game."

Van de Ven and Spence's behaviour has been criticised by some fans and pundits, while others suggested the incident has been blown out of proportion.

Frank, 52, added he is pleased that his players came to him and prevented an escalation of the issue.

"If they didn't come in, of course I would have had to ask them about the situation they are working in. How they are feeling, why they are doing it? Because we all have a perception," he said.

"Whether it was because their mum wasn't well or they didn't like the head coach or they were irritated by the performance because they lost, or whatever.

"Of course, I am happy that they were coming in because that means they care - I think that is very good. They care about the team, the club and, in this case, me. I am happy with that."

When asked about the incident in his post-match interview, Frank said he understood his players' "frustration" and added that it was a "small issue".

But the problem has coincided with a run of chequered form and a downturn in fan mood.

It is understood Spurs are satisfied it wasn't a slight on Frank but instead more a show of frustration of what had developed and a build-up of negativity from fans at their home stadium over previous weeks.

Frank's side have not won at home in the Premier League since the opening day of the season - a 3-0 victory over Burnley.

They have just three wins in their past 19 games (four draws and 12 losses) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium across former manager Ange Postecoglou and now Frank's tenure.

In England's top four tiers, only Southampton have won fewer home games than Spurs in this period.

Frank said he now considers the matter closed as his side aim to get their home form back on track when they host Copenhagen on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Spurs currently sit fifth in the Premier League and, on the surface, are enjoying a good season with five wins under their belt.

But they also started last season well - five wins in 10 matches, the same as this campaign - before ultimately finishing 17th under Postecoglou and it is clear fans fear a similar downward turn.

Spurs have not won back-to-back league games since beginning the season with wins against Burnley and Manchester City, and have won just one of their past five games in all competitions since the October international break.

Fans have aired their frustrations by booing and Frank said he understands that reaction to poor performances but that during the match it is not helpful.

"I think the fans were fantastic the first 30 minutes. After the game, if we perform badly and on top of that lost a game, then more than fair enough to boo us," he said.

"But during the game we need a little bit of help, especially when it is not going the right way. They can be the turning point.

"We were down 1-0. The last 15 minutes they can carry us over the line. If we could have got it back to 1-1, what a feeling! That point could be the difference at the end of a long season."

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario agreed with his manager, adding: "If we had more help from the stands it could be better but of course, we cannot control it.

"At the end, of course everyone was really disappointed because we had lost a London derby.

"We got the reaction of the fans at the end of the game, of course they can express their pain, and we are in a big painful situation."

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Thomas Frank press conference: Tottenham vs Copenhagen preview

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Thomas Frank press conference: Tottenham vs Copenhagen preview - BBC
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Lucas Bergvall has concussion so is unavailable, but Frank praised his medical team for dealing with it well despite it being "a tricky situation" at the time.

Mohammed Kudus and Djed Spence both picked up knocks but could still be in contention for Tuesday's game.

On the behaviour of Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after Saturday's game: "Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday and just said they wanted to say sorry for the situation. They didn't want it to look bad or disrespectful - any misconception that you can get in this beautiful media world. They were just frustrated with the performance from the loss and the booing during the game."

He said the boos were "more than fair" after the final whistle because it was another home defeat, but added: "During the game, we need the fans."

On facing Danish opponents: "I follow the results and the league as I still have good friends and colleagues working at different clubs. They are not in the best place but they are a very good team. I expect it to be a difficult game."

More on Copenhagen: "No matter if a team are in or out of form, the next game is when everything can change so we prepare like normal. We are very aware of their strengths and areas we might want to exploit. I expect a tough tactical challenge."

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Tottenham news: Fan views on Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence snubbing Thomas Frank

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Tottenham news: Fan views on Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence snubbing Thomas Frank - BBC
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We asked for your views on Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence shunning manager Thomas Frank at full-time after the defeat to Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Edward: I'm not worried about Van de Ven ignoring Thomas Frank. I think there was a lot of embarrassment at Spurs' general performance. This Tottenham team were embarrassed, which is good and will mean they will learn from this. I just hope they turn their performances around quickly.

Paul: Not worried at all. I would be more concerned had the players been someone other than Van de Ven and Spence, who have both been excellent so far this season. I think they were just frustrated at the way the game went and just wanted to get down the tunnel. I would be more worried if they weren't upset at a performance like the one on Saturday night.

Geoff: Frustration and embarrassment. If I had played like that, I wouldn't want to face the fans. Worst performance of the season.

Rob: When you watch it, it feels like they're snubbing Frank, but in reality, I think they're snubbing the atmosphere.

However, there were some of you who believed that Van de Ven and Spence were wrong to shun Thomas Frank.

Richard: The two players should apologise publicly for the disrespect they showed both towards the manager and the fans. For highly paid professional players to act in that manner is wrong.

Merv: It's not right when players disrespect their manager, regardless of how they are feeling. A public show of dissent sends out the wrong message about the morale within the club.

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