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Thomas Frank may be without Christian Romero for multiple games in the near future after Tottenham’s latest result.

Tottenham comfortably beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday afternoon thanks to an inspired performance from Xavi Simons.

It was a much-needed three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the under-pressure Frank, who has been facing sack questions at Spurs in recent weeks.

For once, there wasn’t much for the Dane to worry about in the match, outside of one moment early in the game where the Tottenham captain Romero flew into a challenge from behind on Igor Thiago.

Romero gets seventh yellow card of the season vs Brentford

Romero led from the front at Newcastle in midweek as he scored both goals in a 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park and put in a solid performance in defence.

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He was one of the lone bright spots in securing that unlikely point, but then delivered one of the few negative incidents in a much-improved collective outing this weekend.

Romero was lucky not to be sent off for the foul on Thiago, ex-PGMOL boss Keith Hackett told Tottenham News, but the Argentine was booked by referee Rob Jones for a scissors-style challenge on the Brazilian from behind.

The yellow card was the Spurs captain’s seventh of the campaign, meaning he faces a two-game ban if he gets three more before the 32nd game under Premier League regulations, which is a full 17 fixtures away.

Frank will likely need to warn Romero to rein it in or face being without him for what might be a crucial two-game stretch down the line.

Thomas Frank avoids major sack decision

Frank isn’t exactly out of the woods after a horrible run of results through November but in isolation the win over Brentford was the sort of routine victory Tottenham should be expecting with relative regularity.

More important for the Dane is the context, as it avoids any awkward comparisons to Keith Andrews in his old job at Brentford, and it ends the long wait for another win at home.

The three points were well deserved in a way that the lone one probably wasn’t at Newcastle, but the Romero-inspired draw appears to have sparked some momentum.

That makes it all the more undesirable for the captain to be unavailable any time soon, but it has always been a risk-reward balance with him between his quality and his disciplinary record.

Spurs fans will know as well as anyone that three bookings in 17 games is more than possible for Romero, so Frank may need to prepare for when, not if, he is next suspended.

Danny Murphy hails ‘brilliant’ Xavi Simons moment as proof of Tottenham resurgence vs Brentford

Danny Murphy was in awe of Xavi Simons after he finally arrived in Tottenham’s win against Brentford on Saturday.

Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 in North London in a Premier League match that has swept concerns over Thomas Frank under the rug.

Cristian Romero was at the centre of controversy when he received a yellow card in the first half, which some argued should have been a red card for a tackle on Igor Thiago.

Frank has been under pressure to deliver results in N17, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hasn’t been a place for success in recent games.

However, thanks to the “brilliant” Simons, the Lilywhites look back to their frightening best once more.

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Danny Murphy loved Xavi Simons’ assist vs Brentford

Simons has faced struggles since arriving in the summer from RB Leipzig and has been in and out of Tottenham’s starting side.

The midfielder scored his first goal for Spurs against the Bees and was truly the best player on the pitch.

The Dutchman’s statistics from the game prove that he ran the show.

Simons completed 87 per cent of his passes in Brentford’s half, and looked a threat whenever he had the ball.

While reacting to footage on BBC‘s Match of the Day, Murphy highlighted Simons’ assist as a potential turning point for him in his Spurs career, because of how he now looks to make runs at the right time.

Murphy said: “I think today the whole team looked full of confidence, there was an energy about them and a dynamism.

“Simons was buzzing around. This example here is brilliant; that’s a brilliant pass for Richarlison. He [Simons] looks strong, he looks fitter.”

Randal Kolo Muani was the weak link for Tottenham

Frank is slowly but surely finding his preferred selections in Tottenham’s attack, and Simons is part of it.

However, Randal Kolo Muani was shifted onto the left wing, which isn’t the Frenchman’s natural position, and it showed.

He was unable to complete any of his five attempted dribbles versus Brentford and was unsuccessful when crossing the ball.

Kolo Muani is a striker, and Frank should have now learned the hard way about where to play the forward.

There were plenty of positives for the Lilywhites to take from this game, and the three points come at a vital time for everyone involved, especially Simons.

Cristian Romero came close to being sent off early in Tottenham’s victory over Brentford on Saturday.

Spurs captain Romero was the star as he scored twice in the draw at Newcastle in midweek, but he almost went from hero to zero at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a rash challenge after half an hour.

The home side were 1-0 up at the time when Romero flew into Igor Thiago from behind with a scissor-style tackle.

Rob Jones would show the yellow card and VAR opted not to recommend a review.

Xavi Simons was excellent as Tottenham comfortably beat Brentford 2-0 and Thomas Frank got the best of his former side.

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Keith Hackett says Romero ‘close’ to Tottenham red

Ex-FIFA referee and former head of the PGMOL Keith Hackett agrees with the match officials’ decision, just about, but feels Romero wasn’t far off being dismissed.

Tottenham were finally excellent in front of a home crowd that had waited since the opening weekend of the season to see another victory in North London.

Had Romero walked with an hour remaining it might have been a different story so the carelessness the Argentine showed when Spurs appeared to have the game well under control was an infuriating demonstration of how erratic he can be, just days after he demonstrated the other extreme of his game.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News Hackett said: “Romero, whilst coming in at speed, is lucky that his feet are low down and whilst close to a red it fails to reach the red card sanction.”

Xavi Simons finally arrives for Tottenham

Part of the pressure building on Frank at Tottenham has been caused by Keith Andrews doing relatively well in his place at Brentford, in his first job as a manager.

Had the Dane got another poor result in front of the home fans against his previous club the sack debate would have reached a new level, and probably rightly so.

Instead, he finally got the sort of performance from his attackers he should have been getting regularly up until now, with Simons‘ breakout performance the driving force.

A goal and an assist were just rewards for an excellent showing from the Dutchman, who has disappointed in a big way since his big-money move from RB Leipzig.

If the 22-year-old has finally turned a corner in the Premier League and can use this game as a springboard for the rest of the season then he, his manager, and his teammates, could quickly change the narrative.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham delivered the sort of home performance fans have been waiting for in a comfortable 2-0 win over Brentford.

After a much-improved start to the game Richarlison broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, finishing off at the back post after the much-maligned Tottenham summer signing Xavi Simons broke away down the right and laid it on a plate.

Simons was a man transformed in the first half and did it all himself to double the lead just before the break. The Dutchman won the ball in his own half and then surged the length of the pitch before sliding into the far corner for his first Spurs goal.

Frank came into the game facing Tottenham sack questions but got exactly the performance he would have wanted up against the club he left in the summer.

He was the hero at Newcastle but Tottenham captain Cristian Romero may have been lucky to escape a red card against Brentford with half an hour gone, in one of the few concerning parts of the afternoon, but otherwise there was never really any danger of anything but a home win at long last.

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Xavi Simons finally arrives for Tottenham

Simons’ Spurs career has been a huge disappointment through the first half of the season, with a toothless attack a major problem for Frank.

But against the Bees the 22-year-old was finally the player fans were expecting when Chelsea were hijacked in the summer.

Brentford couldn’t handle his direct running throughout as the Dutchman unlocked the door with the assist for Richarlison’s opener, then consolidated Tottenham’s dominance with a wonderful second to break his own duck.

He looked a threat throughout the second half as well as he was routinely ready to seize on a loose ball and break forward as he did for his goal.

Simons manager, and the fans alike, will hope this is the start of a new dawn for the headline transfer recruit as he and Mohammed Kudus, who had a late third ruled out for offside, were dynamic and put Keith Andrews’ side under pressure all afternoon.

Randal Kolo Muani misses the memo

If today was the day the Tottenham attack finally clicked there was a glaring absence from that improvement as Randal Kolo Muani was miles off it compared to his teammates.

Kolo Muani was excellent in the recent defeat to PSG when nobody else around him really was, but it was the polar opposite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

The Frenchman was clumsy on the ball and lost possession in both attacking and defensive areas, while never coming close to threatening the opposition net.

He was handed a wonderful opportunity to overcome his difficult day in the second half when Djed Spence burst into the box and had his shot saved, but as the rebound fell to the PSG loanee with Caoimhin Kelleher indisposed he completely mis-kicked to sum up his performance.

Tottenham player ratings vs Brentford

Guglielmo Vicario – 6

Pedro Porro – 6

Cristian Romero (off for Danso ’81) – 5

Micky van de Ven – 6

Djed Spence – 7

Rodrigo Bentancur (off for Palhinha ’65) – 7

Archie Gray – 6

Mohammed Kudus (off for Sarr ’80) – 7

Xavi Simons – 9 – Man of the Match

Richarlison – 7

Randal Kolo Muani (off for Odobert ’74) – 3

Substitutions

Joao Palhinha (on for Bentancur ’65) – 6

Wilson Odobert (on for Kolo Muani ’74) – 5

Pape Matar Sarr (on for Kudus ’80) – 5

Kevin Danso (on for Romero ’81) – 6

Cristian Romero was involved in a contentious moment during the first half of Tottenham’s clash with Brentford.

Goals from Richarlison and Xavi Simons put Tottenham 2-0 up at half-time of Saturday’s contest as Frank has responded to the criticism in promising fashion.

Spurs are looking for their first home win since the opening day of the season, and they have nullified Brentford’s counter-attacking threat with ease at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, Romero could have been sent off for a wild challenge on Igor Thiago in the first half, and the Premier League has swiftly made an announcement on why it wasn’t a red card.

Cristian Romero avoids red card vs Brentford

Romero’s excellent brace against Newcastle highlighted his importance in the team, and there is certainly no player better fitted to lead Tottenham towards better performances.

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In the 31st minute, Romero came from behind Thiago to lunge for the ball, but caught his man by making a scissor motion with his legs.

VAR checked the challenge and confirmed that the tackle did not exceed the threshold for a red card.

Romero is known for his hot-headed nature, and the Argentine has been on the receiving end of two red cards already in his Premier League career.

Spurs need to see out the match with no drama, as the opportunity to close the gap on the top four is there for the taking.

Spurs have had a number of players who have stepped up in N17, and this could mark a change in their terrible form.

Tottenham show signs of improvement in first half vs Brentford

Richarlison’s goal perfectly outlined his clinical nature, linking up well with Simons to fire home from close range.

The Dutchman then scored his first goal for the Lilywhites, winning the ball back in midfield and driving towards goal before finishing calmly past Caoimhin Kelleher.

Tottenham summer signing Simons has been criticised for his performances, but he has been electric against a Brentford defence that haven’t gotten anywhere near him.

Spurs have been notoriously slow at starting matches, and Frank has certainly shown against the Bees that his side are more than capable of improving.

Tottenham fans will be delight to have seen Arsenal drop points once again in the Premier League.

Arsenal lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in Saturday’s early kick-off, while Tottenham take on Brentford in search of a first home win since the opening day of the season.

Arsenal have won the last five competitive meetings against Spurs, and Thomas Frank came under heavy scrutiny for the appalling 4-1 loss on 23 November.

The Arsenal and Tottenham divide has always remained volatile, and Spurs-centric reporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were seemingly happy watching Villa score a 95th-minute winner against the Gunners.

Tottenham delight at Arsenal’s loss to Aston Villa

Arsenal and Tottenham have one of the fiercest rivalries in the Premier League, and Spurs fans have had to watch the Gunners emerge as the title favourites this season.

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However, Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia scored with the last kick of the game to condemn Mikel Arteta’s side to their second defeat of the season.

Journalist George Sessions wrote on X that some in the press box were overjoyed watching Buendia’s last-gasp winner.

Villa took the lead through Matty Cash’s first-half strike, before Leandro Trossard equalised for the Gunners straight after the break.

Buendia’s composed finish from a goalmouth scramble leaves Arsenal three points clear of second-placed Villa, although Man City can narrow the gap to two points with a win over Sunderland later on Saturday.

As for Tottenham, they are a long way off from challenging for the league, and Frank has a huge job on his hands.

How Thomas Frank can close the gap on Arsenal

Tottenham’s dreadful home record is undoubtedly the first thing that must be fixed, and there is no reason why they can’t replicate their away performances.

The creative aspect of Tottenham’s play is incredibly poor, and despite having key injuries in attacking midfield, Spurs have to find a way of breaking down opposition teams.

With the games coming thick and fast, all fans want to see right now is consistency in the performances, and then a positive future can be envisioned accordingly.

The first thing Frank must do is coach his side to a convincing win against his old club, Brentford, and a loss would be catastrophic for his future.

Thomas Frank is currently under heavy pressure ahead of Tottenham’s showdown against Brentford.

Spurs have been terrible in recent weeks, with Cristian Romero forced to rescue a draw against Newcastle in the week.

With results not improving, Frank’s job in now in question at Tottenham, just months after making the move from Brentford.

Now, Tim Sherwood has been quick to call out his former club, claiming there could be a “serious problem” if Frank loses against the Bees.

Tim Sherwood: It’s a great time to play Tottenham at the moment

Much has been said about Tottenham’s recent poor form.

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Spurs are currently without a win in their last five Premier League matches, and have only won three home games in the division this calendar year.

Therefore, with Frank now set to face his former club, it could be make or break for the Dane, with a defeat potentially seeing Spurs fall as far as 15th in the table.

While Tottenham are heavy favourites to beat Brentford, Sherwood does not hold that confidence and quickly called out the players for their part in the recent collapse in form.

When asked where a defeat would leave Frank, he told Sky Sports News on 6 December: “With a serious problem. It’s a great time to play Tottenham. I’d love to be Keith Andrews this afternoon.

“Keep the fans early, get them on Tottenham’s back, then take advantage of weak players – bottle jobs, as Merse said. You can’t just look at the manager.

“How many characters have they got who want to get on the ball at 0-0. You see them all play in training, but it’s transferring that to the pitch. I got back to the recruitment – it’s been poor.”

What has Thomas Frank said ahead of the Brentford tie?

Frank no doubt needs a result against Brentford, not only to fix Spurs’ home form, but also to potentially save his job.

While it is unlikely that a defeat would see the Dane sacked immediately, serious questions would start to be asked of the manager.

Nevertheless, ahead of the match, Frank explained that he was looking forward to the game, hoping his players will “come out brave”.

He told Sky Sports on 4 December: “It will be a nice timing for us to get the three points on Saturday.

“There’s only one way to do that, to put a good performance in there, work on the things we are constantly working on, phase two, phase three, constantly make it sharper, quicker.

“Not direct, but more penetration when we need to have that. Play with intensity, come out brave and I’m looking forward to the game.”

Tottenham could be offered Davide Frattesi in a potential swap deal for Guglielmo Vicario as the January transfer window approaches.

Vicario’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has never looked more uncertain, with the goalkeeper continuously linked away.

A series of mistakes from the Italian have seen criticism grow, especially after his error in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham.

Therefore, with the January transfer window closing in, plenty of teams are interested in the goalkeeper as he looks to end a nightmare few months at the North London club.

Now, with Frattesi potentially coming in in exchange, Spurs could be offered a fantastic deal.

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Inter could offer Davide Frattesi for Guglielmo Vicario

According to Inter Live on 5 December, the Serie A outfit are interested in Vicario as they prepare for the exit of Yann Sommer.

In order to capture the goalkeeper, the article suggests that Spurs could be offered Frattesi in exchange.

If this deal is presented, Thomas Frank would be a fool not to accept, with this being a potential deal of a lifetime.

Frattesi is a seasoned Italian international, and while the midfielder has slipped down the pecking order recently, it is still evident that he is a quality player.

The 26-year-old started in the Coppa Italia last weekend with Frattesi picking up two assists in a 5-1 win.

Therefore, given the fact that Spurs could be offered a fantastic midfielder for a goalkeeper who can’t keep a clean sheet, Spurs would be fools to say no.

How good is Frattesi?

According to Fotmob on 6 December, Frattesi is an excellent player.

Attacking-wise, you don’t get much better from a central midfielder, with the 26-year-old averaging 3.18 shots and a 0.42 xG per game.

On top of this, Frattesi creates plenty of chances at 1.82 per match despite his passing accuracy being low at 73.2 per cent.

Therefore, Spurs would do well to see if a deal is possible with Inter for the midfielder.

Tottenham are surprisingly leading the way for being the most clinical team in the Premier League this season.

Thomas Frank has faced criticism for Tottenham’s attack after multiple performances where the Lilywhites have failed to create many goal-scoring opportunities.

A lot of success has been seen through set-pieces this season, with Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle on Tuesday proving this once again.

Frank is under increasing pressure as Spurs boss, but the readings suggest that the head coach deserves people to be more patient with him.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham numbers similar to Brentford’s record-breaking season

Brentford published their end-of-the-season attacking statistics on their official website earlier this year, confirming a club record 66 Premier League goals under Frank.

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The Bees detailed that despite ranking 15th in the division for shots taken (434), they had a shot-on-target percentage of 40 per cent, which was the best in the league.

At first glance, Tottenham‘s numbers don’t look great, but the latest reveal shows that Frank may actually be on track for a successful year at N17.

Despite scoring 23 times in the league, Tottenham have only accumulated an expected goals (xG) tally of 12.7, which ranks 18th in the division.

However, according to Statmuse, the Lilywhites are the current leaders for conversion rate after 14 Premier League games, with 17.6 per cent.

This means that despite the lack of chance creation, Tottenham are consistently converting when they do find themselves in a position to score.

It’s no fluke, as Frank’s stats read very similarly to his time at Brentford.

It’s easy, Tottenham must be patient with Frank

There has already been speculation about who could take over next at Tottenham, with concerns mounting over Frank.

The Dane hasn’t helped himself regarding his latest comments towards the Spurs fans on the Guglielmo Vicario situation, but he needs to keep proving people wrong.

The Lilywhites are currently sitting in 11th in the table, but a win over Frank’s former side, Brentford, on Saturday could get Tottenham back in a healthy position.

Champions League football is the aim, and all it could take is a bit of patience to allow Frank to work his magic.

Rodrigo Bentancur has been criticised for his performances after renewing his contract with Tottenham.

Tottenham extended Bentancur’s contract earlier this season as his previous deal was set to expire in June 2026.

While the Uruguay international struggled with fitness last season, he played an important role in Spurs’ UEFA Europa League campaign.

However, the midfielder has not been up to standard over the past couple of months.

Rodrigo Bentancur hasn’t been the same since his ACL injury

Bentancur suffered an ACL injury in February 2023, five months after he’d arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a full-time basis following a successful loan stint in the previous campaign.

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Since returning from that setback, Bentancur has had stop-start moments, with injuries and a seven-game suspension stifling his momentum.

While his fitness has improved, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham has pointed out that Bentancur has yet to return to pre-injury levels.

“The frustration with Bentancur is that when we signed him, he was a Real Madrid-level player,” Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News.

“He was unbelievable under Antonio Conte, then he had that really bad injury that ruled him out for a whole year, and we’ve only seen glimpses of the old player since that injury.

“I feel like he’s always missing games for all sorts of nonsense reasons, concussions or other injuries, there’s always something. All this kind of stuff, like every reason he can’t play, seems to keep happening.

“And I find it frustrating because I’ve seen a player in there that can be unbelievable, can be really good. I don’t see him coming out of the team anytime soon because Thomas Frank has made the decision to renew his contract and extend his time at the club.

“He’s obviously a player Frank likes, and we can see that from the number of times he’s selected. But I think more and more we’ll see his game time rotated with Joao Palhinha because I think we’re going to have a change of system now.”

Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur partnership is no more

Frank was greatly criticised for the Palhinha and Bentancur partnership at the beginning of the season.

While there were some benefits against attacking sides, the duo proved too defensive-minded to provide adequate ball progression and attacking plays.

As a result, the two have been starting fewer Premier League games as a partnership.

In fact, Palhinha was named on the bench for Tottenham against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Tuesday, and was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw.

The duo have started together once in the past five games, with their latest being Spurs’ humiliating 4-1 defeat to rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

It remains to be seen whether putting the duo on hold was the right choice. But given Tottenham’s attacking woes, it’s a decision that makes sense for now.