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Joao Palhinha has reacted strongly to Jamie Carragher after the former Liverpool man picked apart the Tottenham midfielder’s game.

Palhinha has made the most tackles across the Premier League this season, with the midfielder’s arrival being one of the key reasons for Tottenham’s defensive improvements.

The former Fulham man has also contributed in the final third, with four goals and two assists to his name so far this term.

However, his inability to progress the ball from midfield has been under the scanner, including by Carragher, who broke down the midfielder’s game on a Sky Sports MNF segment.

Carragher suggested that Palhinha’s shortcomings in possession are why no other big club wanted him this summer, and those words have not gone down well with the 30-year-old.

Joao Palhinha responds to Jamie Carragher

Palhinha has now confessed that the clip of Carragher’s criticism was sent to him, and labelled the pundit’s words as ’embarrassing’.

The on-loan Bayern Munich man insisted that he has been happy with his performances this term and suggested that the ex-Liverpool man should watch more of him.

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Palhinha told The Guardian: “I saw it [the Carragher analysis] because some people sent it to me,” Palhinha says. “But what can I say? If he speaks bad things about [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he can speak about everyone. Some people need to speak about another to be on the screens on the TV. My life is not about that, definitely.

“It makes it a bit embarrassing seeing the ex-players speaking that way, and they sometimes look like superstars on their past. He should have seen probably more games of mine at Tottenham. I am doing a top season and the things that he says about me go to the back of my mind.

“I don’t care too much because we have a lot of people speaking about us and trying to drop us [down]. The way is how we react. The way I reacted after what he said was to score against Copenhagen [in the Champions League win three days later].”

Carragher praised Palhinha last month

Interestingly, just weeks before his critical comments about the midfielder, the Sky pundit was glowing in his praise for the 30-year-old.

In his Telegraph column last month, Carragher labelled Palhinha Tottenham’s best signing of the summer window and suggested that the Portuguese star was just the kind of player Spurs needed.

While it is fair game for the pundit to point out the Tottenham star’s weaknesses, perhaps he should have also mentioned the strengths that Palhinha possesses in the Sky Sports segment.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their fourth successive North London derby defeat after a bruising 4-1 loss at the Emirates on Sunday.

There was plenty of hope that Thomas Frank would finally put an end to Spurs’ derby misery, especially after he beat Arsenal in a pre-season friendly. Instead, this turned into one of Spurs’ weakest creative displays in a decade.

Frank did receive an injury boost after the international break, with Mohammed Kudus returning to the starting XI. Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray all made the bench, though the latter two went unused. Mikel Arteta had similar luck, welcoming back Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, but both began among the substitutes.

First half: Arsenal 2-0 Tottenham

There was some early confusion about whether Spurs were lining up in a back three or a back five, but once the match kicked off, it didn’t matter. Arsenal’s press pinned Tottenham so deep that Frank’s side were effectively forced into a back five from the opening minutes.

Arsenal almost struck inside 3 minutes when Eberechi Eze lifted a clever ball over Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to find Declan Rice, whose volley was parried away by Guglielmo Vicario before Kevin Danso nearly turned the rebound into his own net.

Danso’s tough start continued shortly after when a failed clearance fell for Mikel Merino, who dragged a deflected effort just wide. Bukayo Saka then had Spurs worrying from two free-kicks – the first dipping just over, the second tipped over brilliantly by Vicario.

But with ten minutes to the interval, all of Spurs’ attempts to slow the game down went straight out the window. Merino lobbed a neat pass into the box for Leandro Trossard, who brought it down, spun onto his left and fired thanks to a touch off van de Ven that wrong-footed Vicario to make it 1-0.

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Before Spurs could even gain their footing in the game, Arsenal doubled their lead. Rice slipped the ball to Eze inside the box, and Arsenal’s number 10 drilled a low shot through bodies and past Vicario. A quick VAR check confirmed the goal, and Spurs went into the break with serious problems.

Second half: Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham

Frank ditched the back five at half-time, bringing on Xavi Simons for Danso to get more control in midfield. However, any chance of a reaction disappeared within a minute of the restart.

Jurrien Timber’s first pass into the box ricocheted back to him, and the second slipped perfectly to Eze, who needed one touch to set himself before finishing it into the far corner.

Spurs finally found something positive when Martin Zubimendi lost the ball to Joao Palhinha, who found Richarlison. The Brazilian spotted David Raya well off his line and lobbed him from around 40 yards with a brilliant strike to make it 3-1, and Spurs had a glimmer of life.

That glimmer didn’t last as Arsenal kept creating chances, and Saka forced Vicario into a sharp save from a curling effort destined for the bottom corner.

With 15 minutes to go, Arsenal killed the game as Rice’s header from halfway found Trossard down the left, who cut it back for Eze on the edge. His first touch set it up, and the finish into the bottom corner sealed his North London derby hat trick.

He nearly had a fourth as well, picked out free by Saka, but this time Vicario denied him with a strong one-handed stop.

After a few embarrassing moments of Arsenal simply playing around Spurs, the final whistle was a relief for everyone.

FT: ARSENAL 4-1 TOTTENHAM

SpursWeb man of the match: Joao Palhinha

What’s next for Spurs?

Plenty of Spurs fans expected Eze to show up after Frank’s “Who’s Eze?” comment in his pre-match press conference, and the manager has been getting plenty of trolling for that.

However, even that wasn’t the most worrying thing he said. After the match, Frank reminded everyone that Spurs finished 17th last season; a comment that won’t sit well with supporters who couldn’t care less about the league position after finally ending a 17-year trophy drought and qualifying for the Champions League.

There wasn’t a hint of creativity from Spurs today, and that could have been forgiven if there was at least some defensive stability, especially with five defenders, but even that fell apart. Patience is wearing thin now, with just 3 wins in the last 11 matches.

That patience will be tested even further on Wednesday when the Europa League champions face the Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for another difficult week as Thomas Frank prepares for Fulham without a key senior figure.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their first defeat on the road this season at the Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s impressive display, and it was a performance that left more questions than answers for Thomas Frank.

Four goals were put past Guglielmo Vicario on Sunday evening, which is the most he has conceded away from home this season after having let in just three across five matches on the road.

Frank’s side were all over the place against their bitter rivals, as not even his back five was enough to keep Mikel Arteta’s men quiet.

Cristian Romero suspended for Tottenham vs Fulham

Thomas Frank will be hoping his side can move on quickly from this defeat as they look to pick themselves up in their next games, but the Dane is now set to be without a key player in his next league outing.

Cristian Romero picked up a booking in the clash against Arsenal, taking his tally to five for the season, and as such, he is set to miss the next league fixture against Fulham.

Players who pick up five bookings in their club’s first 19 in the Premier League are subject to a single-game ban, and Romero has reached that threshold after just 12 gameweeks.

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The Argentine, who captained Frank’s side on the night, could do little to prevent the Gunners from running riot as the new boss suffered his heaviest defeat as manager of Tottenham.

Spurs prepare for Champions League test

Before the next league encounter, however, there is a Champions League tie on Wednesday night.

Tottenham will face the champions of Europe, PSG in matchday five of the league phase of the Champions League, as they aim to secure a spot in the automatic qualification places.

This presents yet another stern test for Frank, who is getting no respite as games continue to come thick and fast.

Romero’s suspension, however, does not affect the Champions League, and the Argentine should be available here before he misses out at the weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has sent a message to the travelling supporters following the embarrasing derby day defeat to Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles away from home in the north London derby continued on Sunday when they faced Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

The Gunners once more put Spurs to the sword at the Emirates Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten run in the last ten league matches while also continuing to build on their impressive record after international breaks.

For Tottenham, it was a performance that lacked spirit, fight and passion as they allowed Arsenal to run riot, securing a 4-1 victory, which is the biggest defeat so far under Thomas Frank.

Vicario says sorry to supporters

Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario spoke after the match, and his assessment captured the mood around the squad, as he admitted that the performance fell well below the required standard.

The 29-year-old issued an apology to the travelling Tottenham fans and did not shy away from the scale of the disappointment.

He told the official Premier League site: “It is a very bad night for us. First of all we have to apologise to the people who support us every day. They travelled and expected to see us fight but we didn’t fight, as a collective we didn’t fight. That isn’t negotiable to compete in a football match, especially at this level.

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“Now is a tough night and a very bad defeat but we have to stick together because we know he have to address these things.”

“I don’t know why we didn’t fight. I think we waited a little bit to get into the game, we were too passive and didn’t recognise some situations to put pressure on them and fight.”

Spurs concerns grow after latest setback under Thomas Frank

Vicario’s assessment is spot on, but the worry for Tottenham is that this is not a one-off performance.

It has become all too familiar this season, with Tottenham looking spiritless against sides that are decent at playing football.

Against Chelsea, Spurs were just as poor, and the same was true against the likes of Bournemouth, Bodo/Glimt and AS Monaco.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will be wondering ‘what if’ about Heung-min Son as the forward continues to score one specific kind of goal this season.

As expected, Son has made the MLS look too easy since his switch to LAFC, with the former Tottenham captain having managed 12 goals and four assists in 13 outings.

However, it is the nature of the goals which the South Korean is scoring has left Spurs fans surprised.

The 33-year-old has already scored multiple free-kicks this season, including a goal against FC Dallas for which Son won the MLS Goal of the Season award.

Heung-min Son scores another excellent free-kick for LAFC

The forward did the same in the recent international break, converting a free-kick in South Korea’s win over Bolivia.

The Tottenham legend has followed that up with a crucial 95th-minute free-kick goal for LAFC in their MLS Playoff clash against Vancouver.

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The stunning free-kick was Son’s second goal of the game and an equaliser for LAFC, but it was Vancouver who ultimately emerged as the winners on penalties.

Why was Son not on free-kick duty at Tottenham?

Assuming the forward has always had this in his locker, one would imagine that he would have demonstrated his free-kick ability in training.

It is thus bewildering that Son almost never took any free-kicks for Spurs, particularly given that the Lilywhites have been bad in deadball situations since the exit of Christian Eriksen.

Given the ability he is showing, the 33-year-old could have perhaps had another 15-20 goals in his Tottenham career had he been put on free-kick duty.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 4-1 defeat away from home to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with Thomas Frank’s side a place above the bottom half of the table.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:

Thomas Frank got his tactical setup wrong against Arsenal

A 4-1 defeat to any side is always a difficult one to swallow, let alone to your bitter rivals, Arsenal.

It is a win that now puts the Gunners in pole position for the Premier League title, and after today’s performance, if there was any dream of Tottenham entering the title race, it has pretty much died.

The focus for Spurs has to be on themselves, the manager and most importantly, the tactics.

Thomas Frank got it wrong today, as his five at the back setup, which was supposed to help his side sit deep and soak up pressure against Mikel Arteta’s team, failed badly.

Arsenal were always going to come out with serious intent to press and take the game to Tottenham, and Spurs could not deal with that.

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The basics were all wrong, with players often resorting to hoofing the ball long, and so many passes going astray whenever Tottenham attempted to build from the back.

Frank then reverted things in the second forty-five by going with a back four, yet there was still no improvement as it took a halfway strike by Richarlison for Tottenham to get on the scoresheet.

Questions have already been asked about Frank’s tactics, and today’s showing once more inspired little confidence.

Daniel Levy’s stubbornness comes back to haunt as Eberechi Eze shines

Tottenham fans must have been shaking their heads as they watched their side put on that dismal display.

Indeed, there were so many reasons to be disappointed, but one would certainly have been Eberechi Eze bagging a hat-trick against Spurs.

The Arsenal playmaker was so close to joining Tottenham last summer, but Spurs’ inability to pay what Crystal Palace wanted saw the Gunners come in and swoop in.

In classic Tottenham fashion, it was the very same player who ran a sword through them, punishing each of their mistakes, including the 67 million pound mistake that Daniel Levy made when he failed to get the deal done in time.

Spurs players lacked passion in North London derby

We can sit all day and rant about tactics and how Frank did not set his team up well, but these players must shoulder part of the responsibility.

Sunday evening was a toothless display, with the Tottenham players showing little fight or passion as they chased the game.

Second duels were lost, they were outrun, and they could not even stick to the game plan. A few players, however, looked a bit up to it.

Destiny Udogie did his bit against Bukayo Saka, Joao Palhinha was the best player in the second half and left his soul out there as he tried to win tackles, and Guglielmo Vicario pulled off some decent saves, but his distribution remains far from good enough at this level.

In derby games like this, fans simply want to see fight and passion and if you are going to lose, then do so with pride.

The Lewis family must strengthen squad in the next two windows

Of course, Tottenham need to move on quickly from this defeat, and there is a lot to be learned from results like this, even though it can be hard to take.

A big takeaway is simple: quality players are needed if Tottenham are to compete at the top level.

The winter window and the summer window in the coming months are going to be very important for Tottenham if they are to close the gap between themselves and Arsenal.

The Lilywhites have hardly competed against their rivals since the departure of the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and if they are to do so again, they need world-class players.

It is over to the Lewis family to bring out the chequebook, while Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange work on bringing in the best possible additions.

A new goalkeeper is being rumoured, and one who can help with build-up is very crucial. A wide forward is needed, especially on the left, and a lethal centre forward who can hold up play and run in behind will be crucial as well.

Spurs face PSG in the Champions League next

A 4-1 defeat against Arsenal, who are not custodians of any silverware in the last five seasons, is bad enough, but Tottenham have the champions of Europe up next in the Champions League.

It is hard to see how Spurs can secure a victory in that tie, especially after today’s display.

Of course, one could say the last time these two sides met, Tottenham gave PSG a run for their money, but that was a PSG side coming back from holiday.

It could get uglier in midweek, and the pressure on Frank will only increase from then on.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing a move for one of Juventus’ best players in the January window, and the Premier League side could have one factor working in their favour.

It has been widely reported that Spurs will prioritise strengthening their attack in January rather than their midfield or defence.

A few sources have claimed that signing a top-class wide-forward is Tottenham’s number one priority in the January transfer window.

However, a new update from Italy has claimed that the Lilywhites could raid Juventus for one of the best defenders in Serie A.

Tottenham want to sign Juventus’ vice-captain

According to Football Italia, the North London club are plotting a January move for Juve defender Gleison Bremer.

Bremer has consolidated his reputation as one of the best central defenders in Italy since his switch from Torino to the Bianconeri in 2022.

It is suggested that Thomas Frank wants more cover at centre-back and has thus set his sights on the Brazilian, who is expected to take Ben Davies’ place in the Spurs first-team squad, with the Welshman purely a fringe player these days.

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The report points out that Bremer is represented by CAA Base, who also represent five players in the Tottenham squad and their assistant coach Matt Wells.

The Premier League side’s relationship with the agency could pave the way for a January deal for the Juve star.

How much would Spurs have to pay for Gleison Bremer?

Football Italia say that even though Bremer is an important player for the Old Lady and the club’s current vice-captain, the Serie A giants would be open to offers for him.

This is because Juve are keen to land Portuguese star Goncalo Ramos in January, and they need to fund the move by selling the former Torino man.

The publication claims that Tottenham would need to pay over €50m (£44m) to land the 28-year-old defender, who still has four years left on his contract at the Allianz Stadium.

The full-time whistle has blown between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the Premier League, and the player ratings are in.

It ended up being a humiliating afternoon for Tottenham, who suffered a 4-1 loss to their bitter rivals.

Tottenham full-time player ratings vs Arsenal

Guglielmo Vicario – Having conceded twice in the first half, Tottenham wasted no time in allowing Arsenal to add a third, with Eberechi Eze slotting home less than thirty seconds after the restart. 5.

Djed Spence – Leandro Trossard kept Spence honest throughout the clash. Although the full-back managed to quieten him at times, the defining moment came when he allowed the Belgian to ghost in behind for Arsenal’s opener. 4.

Cristian Romero – A poor defensive display all round, and the Tottenham captain was powerless to prevent the collapse. Arsenal scored goals of all varieties, and the Argentine could only watch on. 3.

Kevin Danso – The centre-back earned a start as Thomas Frank opted for a back five. However, he was withdrawn at half-time after a dismal first-half showing from the entire Tottenham team. 4.5.

Micky Van de Ven – It could definitely have been a better performance from the Dutchman. His passing was often loose, though he did make several important recoveries and blocks. 4.

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Destiny Udogie – The Italian played Trossard onside for Arsenal’s opener, the one major moment he got wrong. Aside from that, he stuck closely to Bukayo Saka and limited the winger’s influence. 5.

Rodrigo Bentancur – A poor display from the Uruguayan in both halves. Tottenham could not cope with Eze and Mikel Merino in midfield, and Bentancur offered little going forward. 4.

Joao Palhinha – The Portuguese midfielder was Tottenham’s best performer in the second half, showing fight, winning duels, and attempting to carry the ball forward. 7.

Mohammed Kudus – A north London derby debut to forget. Kudus spent much of the match chasing shadows as Spurs failed to produce anything in the final third. 4.

Richarlison – Grabbed what proved to be a consolation with a strike from the halfway line. It should have sparked a comeback, but instead Arsenal went on to make it 4–1. 6.

Wilson Odobert – The Frenchman had nothing to work with, as Tottenham once again failed to show any attacking thrust against a top Premier League side. 4.

Substitutes

Xavi Simons – Replaced Danso at half-time and slotted into the number ten role as Frank searched for a response. 5

Pape Sarr – The Senegal international came on for Bentancur but had little impact as Arsenal continued to dominate. 5

Randal Kolo Muani – The Frenchman received minutes from the bench, playing with protective gear to shield his jaw. 5

Pedro Porro – Replaced Spence on the right and was tasked with handling Noni Madueke late on. N/A

The half-time whistle has blown between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, and the player ratings are in.

Tottenham trail their rivals 2-0 at the break following a toothless display at the Emirates.

Tottenham half-time player ratings vs Arsenal

Guglielmo Vicario – Arsenal looked to draw first blood in the second minute after Eberechi Eze’s scooped pass found Declan Rice free in the box. The Arsenal midfielder caught his volley sweetly, but Vicario made a fine stop to keep things level early on. Well beaten on two occasions later on in the first half. 4.

Djed Spence – The English full-back stuck to his task well against Leandro Trossard down the right for most of the first half. However, he failed to track the Belgian’s run for Arsenal’s opener, allowing Trossard to get in behind far too easily. 3.

Cristian Romero – Spurs have yet to see Romero get on the ball to help progress play with his distribution from deep. Arsenal are pressing high, limiting how much time the Argentine has in possession. 4.

Kevin Danso – surprise inclusion as Thomas Frank opted for a back five. The Austrian came close to scoring an own goal early on after Vicario’s parried save ricocheted onto him. Tottenham are looking to take advantage of set plays, and Danso’s long throws have been on display. 4.5.

Micky Van de Ven – The Dutchman is operating as the ball-playing centre-back when Tottenham attempt to build from the back. His passing, however, has been poor, too often finding an Arsenal shirt. If he can sharpen up, Spurs could profit. 5.

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Destiny Udogie – Has looked sharp against Saka, winning several one-v-one duels with the Arsenal talisman and giving him little space to create. Unfortunately, he failed to hold the defensive line for Arsenal’s opener, playing Trossard onside. 4.

Rodrigo Bentancur – It has not been a straightforward midfield battle for Tottenham, with Mikel Merino operating as a false nine and frequently dropping into midfield, giving Bentancur and Joao Palhinha plenty to consider. It was the fluid setup that eventually led to Arsenal’s opener. 3.

Joao Palhinha – The Arsenal midfield are having a field day against Bentancur and Palhinha. How Eze had that much time to wriggle his way through is unfathomable. 4.

Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham have spent most of this contest defending, which has significantly limited the amount of the ball he has seen. 4.

Richarlison – The Brazilian has had very little to work with as Tottenham frequently look to go long. Richarlison simply cannot win the aerial duels against William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. 3.

Chris Waddle has suggested how Thomas Frank’s side should play at the Emirates to give themselves the best chance of getting a decent result.

Strangely, this season, the Spurs have struggled at home but have been a formidable side away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Some pundits have opined that this is because Thomas Frank’s counter-attacking tactics work better away from home, while the home supporters demand that their side plays on the front foot.

Danny Murphy has thus suggested that playing the North London derby away from home suits Tottenham, and a Spurs legend has now suggested how the Lilywhites should approach this afternoon’s fixture.

Chris Waddle urges Tottenham to absorb early pressure

Waddle believes that Spurs will not want the start of the game to be frantic and urged them to avoid taking any risks in the early stages.

He suggested that Arsenal will be looking to impose themselves at the start of the game in front of their fans, and that Frank’s men need to keep their focus.

When asked what would be most important for Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium, Waddle said (via Football.London): “Concentration and focus are the main things. People want you to come out of the blocks quickly, and I think in Tottenham’s case, they first sometimes weigh up the opposition, and work out how they are set up.

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“It might benefit them for now not to take risks early on, not pile forward and avoid getting picked off. A lot of teams will press and hurry early, and perhaps Spurs don’t match that right now. For Tottenham, they’ve got a lot of injuries and they’re missing creativity on the pitch. I can see that they’re set up well, and they press early.

“I know you have to start brightly and impose your authority on the game, especially early and at home. You need to put your opponents under pressure to get the crowd behind you. James Maddison is not there, [Mohammed] Kudus is injured, and Dominic Solanke is out. Those are the players who carry the ball and take risks, and they’re being cancelled out easily.”

Spurs’ principles of play will not change against Arsenal

We know that Frank is very wedded to his approach, and the tactics broadly remain the same whether his side is playing at home or away.

This approach has led to some impressive results for Tottenham away from home this season, including the 2-0 win at the Etihad.