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Micah Richards has urged Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank to drop Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven over their full-time antics following a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.

The North London side lost narrowly to their city rivals on Sunday, but it was the events after the final whistle that drew most of the attention.

As they headed for the tunnel following Tottenham’s third defeat of the Premier League season, Spence and Van de Ven appeared to snub Frank while he tried to direct them towards the home supporters.

The Danish tactician was then seen glancing back at the £160,000-a-week pair as they walked off the pitch instead of applauding the crowd, with Richards branding the moment an 'absolute disgrace'.

The footballer-turned-pundit urged Frank to make a decision over the duo ahead of their next game, a Champions League clash with Copenhagen on Tuesday, saying Van de Ven and Spence showed ‘a lack of respect’ for the manager.

Richards Urges Frank to Drop Van de Ven and Spence

Richards, speaking on The Rest is Football, said he ‘wouldn’t play’ Spence and Van de Ven in Tottenham’s next game following the incident on Sunday:

"But if they're disrespecting the manager like that, it's an absolute disgrace. And if they did, I wouldn't play in the next game.

"I really wouldn't, because Thomas Frank's not that sort of person who causes that confrontation, so that's just a lack of respect."

Frank addressed the incident after the match and played it down, saying:

"All the players are of course frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that."

Tottenham were booed off the pitch following the 1-0 loss on Sunday, with Joao Pedro’s first-half goal proving decisive for the visitors.

The North London side struggled to create chances and registered just three shots on goal compared to Chelsea’s 15, including nine on target.

Spurs have secured just three wins in their past 19 games at home and will next host Manchester United on Saturday, following Copenhagen’s visit in the Champions League on Tuesday.

They have dropped to fifth in the Premier League following the defeat, level on 17 points with Chelsea and eight points behind leaders Arsenal.

A goalscoring phenomenon of the highest order, Harry Kane has been a guarantee of goals for Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich since moving from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023. The English striker's future in Bavaria, however, remains in the balance amid contract talks – and reports have claimed that he is mulling over a potential move to another European juggernaut.

Kane, after stints across London at Leyton Orient and Millwall and in Norfolk with Norwich City, made a name for himself in the Premier League with Spurs. Although silverware evaded the marksman during his 435-match career on north London, his goalscoring prowess saw him emerge as one of the planet's most serial goal-getters.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: In September, Harry Kane became the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a club playing in one of Europe's top five leagues in just 104 games.

He scored 280 goals for Spurs – and his tally of 213 in the Premier League saw him leave just 47 strikes short of Alan Shearer's all-time record. Recently, there has been talk of him returning to his homeland's top division to usurp his retired compatriot, but there is a Champions League-competing side that are also in the offing should he decide to embark on a new challenge soon.

Kane Admired By European Juggernaut, He Could Be on the Move Soon

Contracted to the Bundesliga behemoths until the summer of 2027, Kane – widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the history of the Premier League – has a release clause in his deal that could see him depart Germany next summer for as little as £57 million. Although he is 32 years of age, getting such a goal threat for that amount of money would be an absolute steal.

A number of elite sides on the continent will, no doubt, be keen to secure the services of the English talisman, who has plundered 22 strikes and three assists in 2025/26, by virtue of the fact that he is one of world football's top sharpshooters. Barcelona, under the guidance of Hansi Flick, are among those interested in Kane.

According to SPORT, via GOAL, Flick and his entourage are monitoring the centre-forward market given that Robert Lewandowski could depart at the end of the season as his contract comes to an end. Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland of Manchester City are at the top of the club's striker list, but neither are believed to be attainable.

Flick's Barca, as it has been well-documented, are financially restricted and Kane could offer a cheaper option but one that will still guarantee potency in the final third.

Since his move to Barca, Poland international Lewandowski scored 105 goals and assisted 20 times in 157 matches – and his combination of technical brilliance and potency in front of goal is similar to that of Kane. Neither striker has ever relied on a turn of pace to outwit defenders in Europe, but instead their high intelligence and movement.

Kane, at the age of 32, still has plenty of years left in the tank – and paying just north of £50 million, a fee that has become commonplace in today's football market, for one of the greatest frontmen of his generation would be a wise investment. But the La Liga side, and the current champions of Spain, will face plenty of competition.

Returning to the Premier League is not off the cards for England's all-time top goalscorer. Journalist Fabrizio Romano, speaking exclusively on GIVEMESPORT's Market Madness podcast, revealed in October that he is solely focused on finishing the current season amid links of a sensational return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the near future.

At the time of writing, Kane – alongside the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Michael Olise – has fired Bayern to the top of the Bundesliga nine games into the 2025/26 season. They've scored 33 goals, 12 courtesy of the Englishman, and have conceded just four goals. Incredibly, they remain the only team in Europe's top five league that are unbeaten domestically.

Jamie O'Hara gave a brutal assessment of Xavi Simons' performance in Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea by suggesting the Dutch attacker looked like he had "never played a game of first-team football while also ripping into a fellow summer signing.

Spurs suffered a fifth consecutive defeat to their London rivals courtesy of Joao Pedro's 34th-minute strike, but it could have been much worse for Thomas Frank. The hosts were toothless up top, and their lack of a proven goalscorer remains a major issue that needs to be rectified if they are to challenge for a top-four finish.

Frank was forced to bring Lucas Bergvall off in the early stages due to injury, and he gave Simons the chance to impress amid a disappointing start to his career with the Lilywhites. But the 22-year-old looked devoid of confidence, and he made the dreaded return to the bench in the second half.

Jamie O'Hara RIPS into Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani

Simons, for many, was expected to be one of the signings of the season and Spurs captured the Dutchman at the expense of Saturday's opponents. It seemed for all the world that the former RB Leipzig man was headed to Stamford Bridge until Frank came calling and the North Londoners insisted on paying the £60m valuation.

O'Hara thinks the club's transfer chiefs made a massive mistake after watching his outing last night. Their former midfielder turned pundit was irate when writing on X, also pointing out the quiet display from Randal Kolo Muani:

"Absolutely terrible today should of been 4-0 to Chelsea, players look like they’ve forgotten how to score a goal, (Kolo Muani) did he even play? Xavi Simons is looking like the worst 60 million ever spent, like a youth team player who ain’t ever played first team football, shocking."

Simons caught the eye at the European Championships in the summer of 2024, scoring a sensational goal in the Netherlands' 2-1 defeat to England. That was one of many standout performances he'd put in for the Dutch but he had also been making a name for himself at club level.

He thrived as PSV Eindhoven's talisman under Ruud van Nistelrooy, winning the Eredivisie Golden Boot in 2023 with 19 goals. But Paris Saint-Germain, his parent club, seemingly had reservations as they agreed to sell him to Leipzig off the back of his exploits at Euro 2024.

Simons has now gone 11 games without a goal or an assist following his debut which saw him set up Pape Matar Sarr in a 3-0 win over West Ham United (September 13). But he isn't the only one who was called out for a frustrating night against Chelsea.

Kolo Muani did himself no favours up top, offering little threat and failing to live up to expectations after a successful loan spell at Juventus in the second half of last season. The French striker arrived on loan on deadline day, but injuries derailed his start under Frank, and based on such performances as last night, he may be headed back to the bench.

Tottenham Hotspur keep taking one step forward and two steps backwards amid a lack of a proven goalscorer, a clear problem that was on display in a dreaded 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Halloween weekend.

Thomas Frank has started his reign with Richarlison as his starting number nine, giving him a lifeline after the Brazilian seemed to be headed for the exit door. But his poor consistency in front of goal has been a problem that Frank will soon need to rectify.

Randal Kolo Muani was given a chance to impress and started his side's encounter with Chelsea at home on Saturday. But the on-loan French forward was ineffective and Richarlison was just as dissapointing after coming on in the second half.

Spurs 0-1 Chelsea - Thomas' Toothless Attack A Concern

Kolo Muani got his career back on track in the second half of last season, managing 10 goals in 22 games while on loan at Juventus. When the Frenchman arrived at Spurs on deadline day, some envisioned he'd carry that form with him to North London.

The 26-year-old is shaking off a recent injury problem but he failed to take his chance against Chelsea and Frank will be scratching his head and wondering where he can find a potent number nine. It doesn't look like Richarlison will be the man for the job, as he's now five league games without a goal.

Jay Boothroyd had highlighted the goalscoring problems in the Lilywhites' team ahead of their defeat to their London rivals. The former Premier League striker said: "I thought Richarlison would be that guy this year, but to have Van de Ven as your top goalscorer at this point, that is very worrying."

Kolo Muani and Richarlison both failed to register a single shot on or off target and were no threat for Enzo Maresca's defence. The defeat means Frank's men now sit third, having suffered their third defeat of the season.

While the North Londoners may be the joint-second highest scorers in the league, they don't boast a clinical finisher that their potential top rivals do. Richarlison remains his side's top scorer with three goals, a worrying statistic given it's November and 10 games into the season.

Pedro Neto has further endeared himself to Chelsea supporters after footage of his reaction to Tottenham fans attempting to mock him went viral on social media following the Blues' 1-0 Premier League win on Saturday evening. The Portuguese winger took some time to find his rhythm after completing a £51.4 million move from Wolves last summer.

This season, however, he has proven to be one of Enzo Maresca’s most reliable wingers at a club already boasting impressive depth in that area. In 10 league appearances, he has recorded two goals and two assists, and, as expected, started during the weekend’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Although he didn’t directly contribute to the game’s only goal - scored after Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro combined in the first half - Neto still caught the eye with his antics from the bench, playfully winding up the home supporters and adding to his growing reputation among Chelsea fans.

Pedro Neto Goes Viral After Tottenham Fans Try Taunt Him

Reacting to a late decision made by the referee, both Wesley Fofana and Neto were seen standing in the dugout, appealing the call. As Tottenham supporters behind them furiously shouted for them to sit down, Neto turned around, laughed, and cheekily stuck his tongue out at them. Watch the video below:

The Chelsea–Tottenham fixture always carries a bit of extra edge, and you only have to look back to the not-so-distant days of Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte to understand how fierce it can get. Neto’s antics have only further cemented his status among Chelsea fans as a newly crowned favourite. “I’m crying, this is the funniest video,” one supporter wrote on X, while another remarked:

“Offer him a new contract IMMEDIATELY.”

A third added: “Cemented his legacy as a Chelsea legend.” But it’s fair to say those in the home end were far less amused at full-time, as loud boos rang around the stadium. Both Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence were seen blanking manager Thomas Frank before heading straight down the tunnel.

Despite sitting fourth in the table after 10 games, things at Tottenham appear far from rosy, with supporters already lamenting a playing style that has offered little in attack so far. The defeat to Chelsea also marked their third home loss of the season, and a small minority online are already asking whether Frank is the right manager to lead them to redemption after last season saw the Lilywhites finish 17th under Ange Postecoglou.

Pedro Porro should be dropped by Thomas Frank for Tottenham Hotspur's next game after his poor performance against Chelsea.

Since arriving to replace Ange Postecoglou in the summer, Frank has enjoyed a bright start to life in North London, having joined Spurs after seven years at Brentford. Tottenham, however, have lost three of their last five games in all competitions, having previously lost just one in 10, not including their defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup before the Premier League kicked off.

In their 10th match of the season in the English top flight, Spurs hosted London rivals Chelsea in what many expected to be an exciting game. Despite the match being a derby, one that the Lilywhites have not won since 2023 no less, Tottenham put on a disappointing display as Chelsea beat them 1-0, with Joao Pedro's goal being enough to condemn an immensely poor Spurs side to defeat.

Following the performance, in which a number of Spurs players had poor games, it is clear that Frank needs to make changes to his starting line-up.

Porro Must Be Dropped By Spurs

Against Chelsea, no Tottenham player had an overly impressive game, but Pedro Porro had a particularly poor showing. The Spaniard, who was replaced by Destiny Udogie with just under 20 minutes of the match remaining, struggled to impact the game and as a result, was given a player rating of just 4/10 by Football London. He and the rest of his defence were spared further embarrassment by Guglielmo Vicario, who saved a number of Chelsea efforts.

Often a valuable asset in both attack and defence, Porro's passing was "loose" for the entire game against Chelsea. Tottenham are next in action against Copenhagen, in what will be their fourth Champions League game of the season. For that encounter, Frank should look to drop Porro, something that would benefit both his team and perhaps the player himself. Porro has not yet missed a game for Tottenham this season.

Things went from bad to worse for Tottenham manager Thomas Frank on Saturday evening as the Danish manager appeared to be ignored by two players following his side's 1-0 loss vs Chelsea.

The north London outfit were outplayed by Enzo Maresca's men, and the narrow scoreline flattered them in the end. Joao Pedro's first-half strike was enough to secure all three points for the visitors, as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful made their disappointment known.

Footage from the stands emerged of Frank shaking hands with staff members and opposition players before attempting to communicate with two of his own players. He was then left stunned as they both brushed past him, seemingly snubbing a handshake and feedback.

Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven 'Blank' Thomas Frank

The two men in question were defenders Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven. Both of whom played the full 90 minutes as Spurs were dominated by their London rivals.

After being 'blanked' by two of his main stars, the ex-Brentford boss could be seen looking stunned as he watched both Van de Ven and Spence head straight down the tunnel. Both tearing off armbands and tape in frustration.

Whether there will be any repercussions for the duo remains to be seen. After such a disjointed display on the pitch, all this did was point to disharmony off it. Frank addressed the situation in his post-match press conference, stating:

"I understand why you ask the question but that's one of the small issues. Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have performed well this season and it's just a small thing."

Alasdair Gold has blasted Tottenham Hotspur and Thomas Frank for their performance in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Spurs were beaten by a first-half strike by Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, following a Micky Van de Ven error, as they struggled to create any clear-cut chances in the game.

The north London side have won just once at home in the top flight this season, and have lost each of their last five games against rivals Chelsea, which sparked loud boos at the full-time whistle.

'Awful' and 'Appalling' Tottenham Blasted

Spurs created just a single shot on target, and but for an inspired performance by Guglielmo Vicario in goal the Lilywhites could have been on the end of a much heavier and more severe defeat on the night.

That led to Gold, a journalist for Football London, blasting the team for their performance and labelling them as 'awful' and 'appalling' after the final whistle was blown.

"Boos around the stadium at full time from the Spurs fans. That was awful.

"The hosts barely laid a glove on Chelsea. Appalling as the home side, and only Vicarion prevented a far heavier defeat."

Spurs currently sit third in the Premier League despite their mixed start to the campaign, but it's clear there are big frustrations from within the fan base about what they are seeing on the pitch.

The team will take on FC Copenhagen at home in the Champions League in midweek before another home clash against Manchester United next weekend. After the international break, Spurs will face off against Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Fulham and Newcastle in their next four.

More negative football and poor results will surely add pressure to Frank in the dugout, and it's clear that even the media are starting to pick up on the fact things are not going as planned for the new man in charge.

Ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has offered his expert opinion on the controversial decision not to send Rodrigo Bentancur off for a poor challenge during Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea.

The two London sides met in what was a typically fiery Premier League derby. In the end, a single goal in the first half from Joao Pedro was enough to settle the affair. Poor defending from Tottenham allowed Moises Caicedo to set up his teammate for a close-range finish.

Beyond the goal, there were a number of rough tackles throughout the match, but the worst perhaps came from Spurs' Bentancur, after he crunched into Reece James. Despite ramming his studs into the Chelsea captain, the midfielder avoided a red card. Referee Jarred Gillet reached for a yellow card, and his decision was upheld by VAR.

Hackett Offers Bentancur Red Card Verdict

Former Premier League referee Hackett could not help but weigh in on the debate as he offered his thoughts on the foul. The ex-PGMOL said on social media:

"A red card for me."

This is at odds with the Premier League, who offered an official explanation on the incident, stating: "The referee’s call of yellow card to Bentancur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact deemed to be a reckless challenge and not serious foul play."

Hackett wasn't alone in his verdict as CBS Sports Football Correspondent James Benge called out the poor foul, writing: "Horrible tackle by Bentancur on James, surprised that Gillett stopped a potentially promising Chelsea attack only to book him."

Journalist Simon Johnson also called it a 'terrible challenge' and noted that James was left 'disgusted'. Even so, and despite a very poor foul from Enzo Fernandez in the second half, both teams finished the game with 11 men each.

Chelsea would have been furious had the officiating cost them anything from the game, but they managed to cling onto their slender lead and win the game 1-0. They now sit just level on points with Spurs (17), as that victory took them only behind their London rivals on goal difference, with the two teams sitting third and fourth at the full-time whistle.

Chelsea play Wolves at home next in the Premier League and will be strong favourites for that one, while Tottenham have the trickier task of hosting Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea will go head-to-head in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening, with both teams desperate to claim a win over their local rivals.

Thomas Frank's side have had a mixed start to the season and after claiming a 3-0 win over Everton last weekend, they crashed out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in midweek. Chelsea, on the other hand, bounced back from their disappointing 2-1 defeat to Sunderland last weekend to defeat Wolves 4-3 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Both sides have major injury concerns heading into this game however, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expects them to line up.

Tottenham Team News

Spurs are in a bit of an injury crisis currently, with 11 players potentially missing from the game due to injury. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are long-term absentees with knee injuries, while Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are likely to only return after the international break.

Wilson Odobert, Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai are all battling to return before then but this game is likely to come too soon, while captain Cristian Romero and Wilson Odobert are pushing to return.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Frank shared an injury update on his squad ahead of the game.

"Positive news is that [Cristian] Romero, Destiny [Udogie] and Wilson [Odobert] are available for selection.We'll try to take the best possible decision (with Cuti). Every decision is on me. He is ready to be involved - let's see how much."

"We're very aware that we want Dom [Solanke]back. We want him back and no setbacks. We're very aware of doing it in the right way. It is going in the right way but he won't be back before the international break.

"[Kulusevski] is not back on the grass yet."

Tottenham Predicted XI

Tottenham Predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kudus, Bergvall, Tel; Kolo Muani.

Tottenham Predicted Substitutes: Kinsky (GK), Byfield (DEF), Rowswell (DEF), Sarr (MID), Olusesi (MID), Xavi Simons (MID), Odobert (FWD), Richarlison (FWD), Johnson (FWD).

Thomas Frank has some decisions to make with his team with some players underperforming, and that could see Mathys Tel handed a rare start on the left wing as a result.

Summer signing Xavi Simons could find himself on the bench amid his poor performances recently, while Richarlison has seemingly lost his place up front to loanee Randal Kolo Muani, leaving the £270,000-a-week duo on the sidelines.

Chelsea Team News

The Blues are dealing with some injury concerns of their own ahead of this game. Star man Cole Palmer is still absent with a groin problem, and isn't expected to return until December, while Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhailo Mudryk and Dario Essugo are also long-term absentees.

Liam Delap is suspended after his reckless red card in the Carabao Cup in midweek, while Enzo Fernandez, Joao Pedro and Moises Caicedo are not training regularly but should still be available to play.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Maresca shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.

"They [Enzo, Caicedo and Pedro] are okay, they are available.

"The reason why Joao didn’t play against Wolves is that we tried to protect him. It was the same thing with Moi and with Enzo; just giving them some minutes [rather than them starting]. But the idea is to protect these players.

"Game by game, we can’t plan with them because of their problems, their situations. So, it's about taking it game-by-game and seeing how many minutes we can use them. We try to use the whole squad because, at this moment, we need the whole squad.

"With Cole [Palmer], it’s the plan is exactly the same. We will wait, and hopefully he can be back soon."

Chelsea Predicted XI

Chelsea Predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Estevao, E. Fernandez, Neto; J. Pedro.

Chelsea Predicted Substitutes: Jorgensen (GK), Tosin (DEF), Acheampong (DEF), Hato (DEF), Andrey Santos (MID), Garnacho (FWD), Gittens (FWD), Guiu (FWD), George (FWD).

With a number of injury issues, Maresca could look to move captain Reece James into midfield once again, while the in-form forward duo Pedro Neto and Estevao should start in attack.