Here are our Tottenham talking points after their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday evening
As Thomas Frank was about to walk into his press conference after Spurs' record 11th home defeat of 2025, he turned to chat with a man pulling a small suitcase through the corridor inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That man was Arne Slot, the Liverpool manager who had just stretched his team's unbeaten run to six matches. The champions seem to be getting back on track just as Spurs' season seems to have lurched off the rails again.
With Frank turning to the Liverpool boss and asking "The first one?", it appeared that the two men were debating Xavi Simons' red card before the annoyingly sound-proof door closed on their conversation for a minute or two before they were done and the Dane completed his journey into the press conference room.
A large number of the Tottenham fans among the 61,138 sat inside the stadium had applauded their team off before turning their boos towards referee John Brooks and his fellow officials.
For Spurs had been the marginally better of the two teams before Xavi was sent off, Randal Kolo Muani spurning a hat-trick of chances while Liverpool failed to trouble Guglielmo Vicario until after the red card, with Florian Wirtz's low effort needing to be saved before the break.
What earned the applause from the fans was their fight in the second half with first 10 men and then just nine men when Cristian Romero managed to add more cards to his ever growing tally, both a yellow card and then a red.
"I thought it would mean that it would be a bit more easy but it wasn't!" said Slot about the Tottenham captain's dismissal.
"They still had a free-kick and I thought against nine we would keep them away from our goal but it looked like we had nine and they had 11 as they kept attacking."
He added to the BBC: "It's unbelievable if you play against nine men that I would not be surprised if for the nine minutes they had the ball for eight-and-a-half. That is not what you expect, and maybe that tells you where we are in this season."
That's what was particularly frustrating about this match, that Liverpool were there to be got at and they wobbled heavily at the end regardless of their two-man advantage.
Despite having 10 men for an hour and nine men for the final seven minutes or so remaining of added time, Spurs had 15 shots on goal to Liverpool's eight with both sides sending four shots on target.
In a season in which XG has not been Tottenham's friend, this was a night when theirs was higher than Liverpool's - 1.01 to 0.6 - but that's not the scoreline that matters.
With the two red cards, a battling attempt to upset the odds and applause in defeat, there were echoes of Tottenham's defeat to Chelsea just over two years ago.
This Spurs side looked less prone to their visitor's attacks than that one and they were not blighted by further injuries, although it's worth pointing out that the north London side were second in the Premier League that day, compared to the 13th spot they currently hold.
Most importantly, Tottenham lost both games. That night ended up as the moment it began to unravel in the Premier League for the Ange Postecoglou era. Frank must ensure that this ends up instead being the moment that kicks his tenure on as his players reconnected with their fans.
It was a day when the officials, specifically VAR, were the bad guys for decisions made and those not taken.
The first came on 33rd minutes with Xavi running into Virgil van Dijk and raking his studs down his compatriot's left Achilles.
It was a clumsy challenge rather than anything intentional and it's been coming for Xavi with a few loose, wild lunges for the ball in previous games. While the referee thought it yellow card-worthy, the VAR assistant Stuart Attwell suggested he check his pitchside monitor. There was only one outcome.
Opta stated that it was the first time a Dutch player had been dismissed for a foul on a compatriot in the Premier League since April 2001, when another Spurs midfielder, Willem Korsten, was sent off for a foul on Chelsea's Mario Melchiot.
Spurs fans were quick to point to Van Dijk's similar challenge on Dominic Solanke last season which brought no red card nor outcry.
For his part, Xavi was quick to apologise after the game, posting on social media: "Mistakes happen. Virg is my captain, I would never intentionally hurt him, or anyone. To my Spurs teammates, my manager and the fans, I take responsibility, I’m really sorry."
His Tottenham head coach was as irritated with the three-game punishment that will now follow as the red card itself.
"The first red which I have seen before, I also said before definitely a few times at Brentford and I have seen others, I don’t like this as a red card," Frank told football.london. "I think the game is, probably too big to say gone, but for me it’s not reckless and it’s not exceptional force.
"He is chasing Van Dijk. He is trying to put pressure and then he changes direction. Unfortunately his foot is on his Achilles. You can say 'ah, you need to be smarter, don’t do it and all that' but so are we not allowed to have physical contact anymore?
"The next thing on that is if he gets three games, which I don’t understand, how can he get three games for something which is not reckless? That is absolutely wrong and we probably can't appeal it."
Spurs will now return to playing without a playmaker for the games against Crystal Palace, Brentford and Sunderland. Although Xavi's passing radar was all over the place before his red card with a number of loose touches, they will miss his ability to raise the tempo and improve the direction of their attacks.
Liverpool needed almost half an hour of play with the extra man before they did take the lead in the 56th minute.
It came from a generous early Christmas gift from Romero as with no danger at all, his launched pass struck the back of his Argentina international team-mate Alexis Mac Alister and ricocheted back towards the Spurs box.
The ball was worked to Wirtz, who played in half-time substitute Alexander Isak to fire home. The Swede took a big hit from Micky Van de Ven in doing so and departed the pitch with what looked like an ankle injury.
Kolo Muani had a big chance to level matters when Rodrigo Bentancur nudged the ball to the Frenchman and he ran on before hitting a deflected looping effort that struck the crossbar and bounced clear.
Spurs had at that point looked brighter on the break with the introduction of Brennan Johnson from the bench, a move that got a cheer from the home crowd as he replaced Mohammed Kudus.
The cheer was perhaps as much for replacing Kudus, who had veered from an effective first half to a hesitant second period with every break slowing to a crawl as soon as he was on the ball, as it was for the fact that Tottenham are willing to sell last season's top scorer in the January window.
Only Spurs could sack a manager almost immediately after finally winning them a trophy and then within six months look to sell that season's top scorer. Who needs the opposition when Tottenham are willing to dismantle themselves?
Johnson showed why he does bring something to the side as he brought a directness to their attacks and a far higher tempo. Within moments of coming on he raced down the flank and curled in a cross that needed Richarlison to have entered the pitch earlier with him to attack it.
Kudus had been too predictable, often doing what Dejan Kulusevski would be criticised for by the fans, constantly cutting inside and curling left-footed crosses into the box.
Johnson worked hard in tracking back and covering Liverpool's breaks into Spurs' half as the game wore on and after playing a part in the chaos before Richarlison's goal, the Wales international then sent the Brazilian away for a huge opportunity that a faster forward would have gobbled up before the defence had caught him and blocked his effort.
If Johnson does depart next month then it will be portrayed by some as Tottenham finally selling players at the right time, although unlikely to be the right price in the £47.5million they paid for him from Nottingham Forest just two-and-a-half years ago.
Yet there's a reason a string of clubs in the Premier League including Crystal Palace and cash-strapped Aston Villa, and beyond these shores, would like to take the 24-year-old away and it's because he scores goals and his lack of minutes in a season in which Spurs have failed to score enough of them is bewildering.
Tottenham need a left winger and having Kudus and Johnson on the right, with Kulusevski to return is strong cover on that flank with the games coming thick and fast. Frank may see Frenchman Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel as the future, but the former is lightweight and inconsistent and the latter plays even less than Johnson.
Spurs will be swapping one player for the now with another, which is not squad building. It's just shuffling the same pieces around.
On the pitch, there was more controversy to come 10 minutes after Isak's goal as Hugo Ekitike rose above Romero, with the aid of a clear push, to head in Jeremie Frimpong's deflected looping cross.
To compound the glaring oversight of missing what would be a foul anywhere else on the pitch, Brooks then yellow carded Romero for his vociferous complaints and that would prove to be costly.
"I think the second goal is a mistake from the ref. I think there are two hands in the back," Frank told football.london. "Clear two hands in the back. I don't understand how you can do that.
"Everywhere else you have seen that a thousand times out there on the pitch, someone will go up for a header, a goal kick into the centre-back, two hands in the back ‘boom’ foul. But apparently not in the penalty box.
"I think that was the biggest mistake in my opinion and from VAR but apparently that was not enough."
Romero had been excellent in the first half, strong in the tackle and decisive on the ball as he sat like a quarterback. He organised the Tottenham midfielders like chess pieces ahead of him, in one moment telling teenager Lucas Bergvall exactly where he wanted him to run so he could pass to him between the lines.
In the second half the centre-back continued to push up the field and after Johnson's shot was deflected up into the air and Joao Palhinha's volley bounced across the box, Romero caused chaos with his attempt to get the ball and it fell for Richarlison to fire into the bottom left corner of the net.
It was the Brazilian's ninth goal involvement in 17 Premier League matches, with seven goals and two assists. The 28-year-old has registered a goal involvement every 109 minutes in the league this season.
Richarlison is an effective if not blunt tool at times, like using a sledgehammer to get through your front door when you've left your key back on your desk in the office.
Romero can also be that sledgehammer on the wrong occasions when his wild side creeps from controlled aggression to beyond his control.
That came three minutes into added time as Ibrahima Konate smashed into him in an aerial duel and then tangled with him on the floor. The Argentine kicked his foot out and caught the Frenchman's arm, and there was Brooks with the second yellow card held aloft for the Spurs skipper.
"I think we got on the wrong end on one or two. You can see there's probably a reason why the whole team reacted as they do. I think that's probably a good indicator. Normally, if it's one player reacting, if it's the whole team, probably because there's something about it," said Frank of Romero's first yellow card.
"I think we've all played football enough and seen enough football that there's something probably around that. So, I can't see if it's right or wrong that he gives the first yellow.
"The second yellow, I see two big boys competing. Konate absolutely smashing through Cuti. It's a foul, I'm not saying more. His foot landed on Cuti's head. Not a yellow, I'm not saying that. Cuti makes a reaction. I think I guess it can be given, but also I guess it can be not given."
Romero was livid in the moment. Spurs needed him to control his emotions as they pushed for an equaliser and he didn't. It was another occasion when the South American lost his cool and it's now eight yellow cards and a red card in 14 Premier League games for the captain. They are not the kind of cards you want to get at Christmas.
"I think any player needs to control their emotions and be cool-headed. It's not only because you're a captain that you need to be exceptionally cool-headed," Frank told football.london when asked if Spurs had needed their leader to remain calm.
"That's also always good, of course. We're talking about a very passionate player that's been very good for this club and team in many years."
Spurs still continued to push with Djed Spence excellent down the left throughout the game and Odobert finally began to get some space in the final moments, but the hosts could not find a way through despite the crowd roaring them on.
"I think overall it was a good performance tonight. Proud of the players and the team and how they responded," said Frank. "I actually think the first 30 minutes was also good from us and how we responded to setbacks through the game.
"It’s something we have been working very hard on because that is the biggest thing the best teams need to do. How do we respond to setbacks during a game because the best teams deal with it and move on and keep going.
"Stick to the plan, we talked about it before, structure and everything. Today we did that excellently. There was great personality and character in the team."
Frank also had praise for the fans, adding: "The crowd were excellent and the fans were excellent today. I think they kept us going throughout the game and especially the last 20 minutes.
"They almost sucked the second goal into the net as well. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. It would have been an excellent comeback."
It would have been but it wasn't. It was Tottenham's 11th home league defeat in 2025, the most the club have ever had in a calendar year in their entire history. Having only four league wins at home in 2025 is their second worst tally since 1915. That's an unacceptable situation.
"I said from the beginning, that it's so important that we do everything we can to make our home a fortress, and to make that home a fortress, we need more performances like we did today," said Frank.
"Today, there were a few bits that didn't go our way. I think also a great effort for Kolo Muani and if that goes in 1-1, a little bit of margin there, then probably don't concede the 2-0. Then it's not a goal I need to discuss.
"So all those things you need a little bit going your way. I think stats you can spin either way. Overall, we as a club need to make a home that is very difficult to come to."
You can certainly spin stats but you can't spin Tottenham's horrendous home form. It's an abomination whatever way you look at it and the home games are the live action that the most Spurs fans see and pay big money for.
It needs to be improved otherwise Frank will lose those supporters and the club will not get back on track.
There were returning faces and absent ones inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.
Radu Dragusin was back in a matchday squad for the first time since his ACL injury in January, while Dejan Kulusevski was back around the team and the dressing room after the game, which hopefully points towards his eventual return.
One missing face was assistant coach Matt Wells, who was not in the dugout with Frank as his first managerial role appears to be nearing, across the Atlantic at MLS side Colorado Rapids.
One man behind the scenes who was present and walking around outside the dressing room after the game was joint sporting director Fabio Paratici.
The Italian is wanted by Serie A's bottom side Fiorentina and has reportedly been approached to become their Head of Football to oversee a huge rebuild in Florence just two months after officially returning to Spurs.
As of kick-off time on Saturday night, the north London club had not received any approach for the 53-year-old. Fiorentina are reportedly optimistic of landing Paratici on a five-year deal but they will need to get him out of his contract at Tottenham if he chooses to depart.
Spurs' former chairman Daniel Levy was a huge fan of Paratici and had pursued him for years before finally getting his man, only to lose him to a global ban.
Even after Levy's own departure, the Italian was made a joint sporting director alongside the promoted Johan Lange. Those inside the club claim no prior deal had been struck with Paratici to step back in after his consultancy role despite it being a widespread assumption that he would.
Paratici's tenure has had its controversies and headlines with his part in the Juventus capital gains scandal that caused him to resign.
He also had his misses at Spurs over the years with the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo that he pushed, while signings such as Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini, Emerson Royal, Arnaut Danjuma and Clement Lenglet were among his failures while the jury remains out on the £90million spent on Richarlison and Yves Bissouma although both men played their part in the Europa League triumph.
However, it is the Italian's network of contacts within the game that is his calling card and has brought former Juventus players such as Romero, Kulusevski and Bentancur as well as young talents like Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr and Djed Spence to N17.
To support Paratici and Lange, Spurs have been in talks with Manchester City's Rafi Moersen, currently the City Football Group's Director of Football Transactions, to become their head of football operations.
Moersen is highly regarded at City in a role that includes negotiating player contracts and supporting the director of football with negotiations.
At Spurs he would step into a newly-created role to take on football administration, including aspects of the outgoing Rebecca Capelhorn's role, as well as women's football, training centre operations and player liaison.
Moersen will become another new face at Tottenham in a year which has seen almost every major department within the club taken over by a different person.
If the City man does arrive then there will have been 13 new heads of department or board members brought in over the past six months or so, with seven departures. It's an unprecedented amount of change in such a short amount of time after decades with very little of that at the very top, not including the new generations of the Lewis family now above it all with a vested interest.
That much change in one go could be destabilising as everyone seeks to find their feet, including Frank and CEO Vinai Venkatesham, and if Paratici were to depart just two months into his new role for a new adventure in Tuscany it would not be a great advert for what's going on inside the organisation.
The Premier League table is also a poor advert for the club. Spurs currently sit 13th - that unlucky for some number again - a point worse off than last season and having scored 13 fewer goals but having now conceded two fewer.
Postecoglou said last season back in late November: "If we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different. I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result.
"I take a wider perspective because I know how fickle it can be, but we need to address our position, and if we’re 10th at Christmas it won’t be great - for sure. Rightly so, there’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me. That’s not where I plan for us to be."
Spurs were 11th as Postecoglou sat down for his Christmas dinner and Frank will tuck into his turkey with his team two places lower in the table.
The scrutiny remains, even if the battling nature of Saturday's performance is likely to at least quell reports of his future over the coming week before 2025 closes out with a derby at Crystal Palace, who have stuttered in recent weeks with three wins from their past eight matches.
Spurs though have won just one of their past eight Premier League matches and that needs to turn around quickly.
Goalkeeper Vicario said that the fight shown against Liverpool needs to be the fuel that powers their coming performances against Palace and Brentford before the games rain down on Tottenham and Frank every three to four days.
