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Thomas Frank may have had a lightbulb moment after Archie Gray’s performance against PSG.

Tottenham lost 5-3 to PSG on Wednesday in an action-packed Champions League showdown at the Parc des Princes.

Randal Kolo Muani was superb against his parent club, as things finally started to click in attack for Frank.

Despite an attacking revelation, the script flipped, and it was Spurs’ defence which let them down on the night.

Frank has been tipped for the sack at Tottenham, but the performance against the defending European champions has led to lots of positive takeaways.

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One in particular being Gray.

Archie Gray was immense vs PSG

Gray has been sidelined with a calf injury recently and has been unable to prove his worth to Frank in the games that he has been fit, due to a lack of game time.

The 19-year-old was trusted by Ange Postecoglou last season, and with his display against PSG, he has surely given Frank the perfect solution to Spurs’ problem.

Gray won 100 per cent of his tackles against the French giants and showed real promise while being thrown in to face elite competition despite a lack of match sharpness.

The midfielder also came away unlucky when he had an effort pushed onto the woodwork in the second half.

Having only started once in the Premier League this season, Frank will have only now realised what he needs to do with Gray and Tottenham moving forward.

Gray needs to be at the heart of Thomas Frank’s formation change

Tottenham have often lined up as a 4-2-3-1 this season, with 4-3-3 variations also being deployed by Frank.

However, Tottenham’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Arsenal saw Frank play a five at the back formation, which didn’t work as he once again changed things up against PSG.

The Lilywhites put in perhaps their best attacking performance versus Les Parisiens, and it’s all because of Gray and the formation that Frank used.

In possession, Spurs were fluid in their diamond shape, with Gray helping play move forward from deep in midfield.

There’s still work to be done out of possession, but Frank surely needs to divert away from his usual formation choice and go with this setup from now on.

Lucas Hernandez was sent off in Tottenham’s 5-3 defeat to PSG on Wednesday.

It was a decision that mattered little in the grand scheme of things, with the French international departing the pitch in the dying minutes of the game.

The incident is likely a low priority for Thomas Frank, with Tottenham’s defending against PSG highly concerning.

However, eyebrows will likely be raised by the Spurs camp if the French champions look to appeal the suspension.

Keith Hackett: PSG may look to get Lucas Hernandez’s suspension reduced

With PSG in control against Tottenham and set for a 5-3 victory, it ended on a bit of a sour note for the hosts.

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Xavi Simons was caught in the face by Hernandez with a swinging elbow.

VAR has been heavily involved in Tottenham games recently and came to Spurs’ aid against PSG, advising the referee to go to the monitor, with a red card eventually being handed out to the defender.

Now, looking back at the incident, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett gave his view on the sending off exclusively to Tottenham Hotspur News.

He said: “The Referee did really well to detect and correctly sanction with a red card.”

“The deliberate and illegal use of the arm/elbow is a violent act in the laws of the game. The player should and will be sanctioned with a three-match ban.”

“His club might appeal to get the sanction reduced, but on what grounds, frankly, I cannot see one.”

Luis Enrique questions Hernandez over red card

While PSG could appeal the suspension, one man who was left unimpressed was Luis Enrique.

The PSG manager was far from pleased that his defender was given his marching orders for a preventable incident in the dying minutes.

He told Paris Fans on 27 November: “It’s not the first time, and it’s strange, it’s not normal.

“You have to understand that it’s dangerous. There’s no bad intention, because I know Lucas very well, but you have to know how to control yourself.”

Supercomputer predicts Tottenham vs Fulham result in Premier League showdown

Thomas Frank will have the opportunity to win back Tottenham confidence against Fulham on Saturday.

Tottenham will host Fulham in the Premier League on 29 November.

This comes after Spurs suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday.

Former Tottenham target Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick to seal all three points for the Gunners in what was a pitiful display from the Lilywhites.

As a result, Frank will look to get back on track against the Cottagers.

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Tottenham heavy favourites against Fulham

Speculation around Frank’s future at Tottenham has been rife since the defeat to Arsenal.

But in great news for the Dane, the Lilywhites are predicted to win comfortably against Fulham, according to Opta’s Supercomputer.

Indeed, Tottenham have a 53.2 per cent chance of claiming all three points while Fulham have a 22.8 per cent shot at a win away from home.

There is a 24 per cent chance that the confrontation ends in a draw.

However, this won’t quite be music to Frank’s ears considering Spurs’ dire home record.

Spurs are already a team that struggles to create, and given their poor home record, Tottenham fans could be screaming ‘Frank out’ by the time the week’s out.

Tottenham fans handed slither of hope

Despite Tottenham’s dire form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank’s managerial record against Fulham gives reason for optimism.

The Dane has won five of his 10 games played against the Premier League side. He has been defeated four times, and one game ended in a draw.

While not the best record in the world, it’s certainly better than the one game he’d won against Mikel Arteta heading into the game at the Emirates Stadium.

Things are not looking good for Frank at Spurs, but the season is still long, and as it stands, he still has the club’s backing.

With Fulham struggling in the Premier League this season, Sunday will be the perfect opportunity for Frank to get back on track.

Thomas Frank didn’t shy away from the fact that Tottenham were beaten by the better side on Wednesday.

Away form has been an issue all season, and that continued on Wednesday night when Tottenham were beaten 5-3 by PSG in the Champions League.

Spurs took the lead through Richarlison before PSG loanee Randal Kolo Muani scored to regain the lead against his parent club.

However, the Ligue 1 giants’ quality prevailed on this occasion, and Frank was in awe of one particular player.

PSG star backed to win Ballon d’Or by Thomas Frank

Ousmane Dembele was a surprise omission from the PSG starting 11, with 18-year-old Quentin Ndjantou tasked with leading their line on the night.

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He registered an assist, but the entire game revolved around Vitinha, who scored a hat-trick from midfield for the French outfit.

It was his goal that gave PSG a route back into the game, and it was his third that made sure of all three points, with Frank backing the Portugal international to win the Ballon d’Or.

Via TNT Sports, he said: “Vitinha, best midfielder in the world. He’ll be the next Ballon d’Or winner for me.”

Based on his performance against Spurs, he may have a point, though Arsenal fans will be fuming to see another midfielder named as the best in the world as opposed to their beloved Declan Rice.

Vitinha’s numbers show why Tottenham didn’t stand a chance vs PSG

Not only did Vitinha score three, but he did so from just 1.04 xG, according to FotMob.

His first goal in particular was sensational, with the midfielder finding the back of the net from a shot outside of the area with an xG of just 0.03.

However, it wasn’t his goals that made it hard for Spurs, but rather his ability on the ball.

The 25-year-old completed 93 per cent of his 94 attempted passes, with a 100 per cent accuracy when it came to long ball attempts.

With seven defensive recoveries and three duels won, Vitinha made it nearly impossible for Tottenham to win anything in the middle of the pitch.

Tottenham simply need a player of that ilk in their midfield if they are to achieve success in the near future.

Tottenham fell to a 5-3 defeat to PSG on Wednesday, with Stephen Warnock shocked at Spurs’ defending for the hosts’ third goal.

While the performance was a massive improvement from the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on the weekend, there are still plenty of things to work on.

Notably, Spurs’ defending was dreadful at times, with the North London side now conceding nine goals in less than a week.

While Thomas Frank has gone a long way to improve Tottenham’s backline, there are still too many errors from the team that have led to preventable goals.

Stephen Warnock: Why are Tottenham trying to play out from the back?

While many Tottenham players played well against PSG, there were far too many errors from the visitors.

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One of the worst came just before the hour mark, when PSG took the lead for the first time in the match.

It was a completely avoidable goal, with Guglielmo Vicario playing the ball out to Cristian Romero, who then passes to Pape Matar Sarr.

However, the Spurs midfielder was then pounced on by Lucas Hernandez and lost possession before the ball fell to Fabian Ruiz to give PSG the lead.

Watching the highlights on BBC Sport on 26 November, Warnock was quick to question what Tottenham were thinking at this moment.

He said: “What are you doing?! You are 2-2 in a game, why are you trying to play out from the back. Why are you playing to their strengths?”

Thomas Frank pleased with Tottenham’s performance

Despite the defeat, Frank has remained pleased with Spurs’ performance.

While the display wasn’t as good as Tottenham’s last game against PSG, there were positives to take, which the Dane was quick to highlight.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the manager was quick to praise the Spurs strikers for their goals, but questioned the defending the visitors produced.

He stated: “I am very pleased with the performance. This was much more the identity of the team, the bravery and aggressiveness of the team.

“There were lots of positives, the two strikers scoring three goals between them, the whole team performed really well.

“The performance was to get something out of the game, but then you need to have the margins with you, but we can’t concede some of the goals we did.”

Tottenham produced a great response to the North London derby defeat before throwing it away to lose 5-3 at PSG.

Spurs took the lead in the 35th minute with an excellently-worked move being finished off by Richarlison, nodding home Randal Kolo Muani‘s header back across goal after great work down the left between Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

They couldn’t make it to the break with the lead, however, as Vitinha smashed the equaliser in via the bar with a first-time effort from outside the area after a corner in the 45th minute.

Richarlison and Gray were both involved after the interval as Tottenham re-took the lead when Kolo Muani slammed the rebound home after the youngster’s header had been diverted into the bar – his first goal for the club.

But again they couldn’t hold on as Vitinha twisted and turned on the edge of the box and curled past Guglielmo Vicario again soon after, and Fabian Ruiz turned the game on its head inside an hour, sweeping home after Cristian Romero had needlessly played Pape Matar Sarr into trouble.

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That error threw away so much good work as five minutes later the game was out of sight when Willian Pacho scored a fourth when Tottenham failed to clear a corner. Kolo Muani smashed home his second to pull one back but it wasn’t enough as Romero was quickly penalised for handball, allowing Vitinha to complete his hat-trick from the spot.

Lucas Hernandez was shown a late red card for elbowing Xavi Simons but the game was already lost in a hugely-frustrating night for Thomas Frank.

Randal Kolo Muani’s Tottenham coming out party

It has largely been the attacking unit that has been the problem for Frank in recent weeks, in the absence of injured stars such as Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski.

Kolo Muani’s arrival at Tottenham in the summer on loan from PSG has so far proven to be something of a damp squib.

The Frenchman had failed to find the net in nine appearances across all competitions, contributing to a worrying lack of bite going forward.

But back in the French capital against his parent club he put in an excellent away forward’s performance that looked like it might deliver a hugely-uplifting result for the best part of an hour.

An assist and a goal against the European champions should never be sniffed at, and the wherewithal he showed to lay Richarlison’s opener on a plate suggested the pair could yet develop a nice partnership.

His well-taken goal immediately after the break might have been the winner if Tottenham hadn’t been so easily beaten at the back, and his venomous second gave the visitors a chance to fight back, so Frank will have to hope his on-loan striker finally arriving at the party can be the main positive despite the result.

Cristian Romero error ruins Spurs reaction to Arsenal loss

After Tottenham were hammered 4-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday there was so much to like about the response in Paris.

Twice taking the lead was more than most Spurs fans would have expected, but the inability to hold out in defence undercut the impressive work in attack.

Vicario was nowhere near any of the goals and Sarr looked clumsy while playing a role in the third and fourth, but captain Romero’s night was absolutely one to forget.

His terrible pass into midfield with the scores level at 2-2 may have just about counted as completed but should never have been played as it immediately ceded possession and sparked the collapse.

He may have been unfortunate to give away the penalty when a shot deflected off his foot into his outstretched hand, but it only compounded the earlier error that a player of his standing should never have made.

Tottenham player ratings vs PSG

Guglielmo Vicario – 5

Pedro Porro – 6

Cristian Romero – 2

Micky van de Ven – 6

Djed Spence (off for Udogie ’84) – 6

Archie Gray (off for Palhinha ’76) – 7

Pape Matar Sarr (off for Odobert ’84) – 4

Lucas Bergvall (off for Kudus ’76) – 7

Rodrigo Bentancur – 6

Richarlison – 7

Randal Kolo Muani (off for Simons ’84) – 9 – Man of the Match

Substitutes

Joao Palhinha (on for Gray ’76) – 6

Mohammed Kudus (on for Bergvall ’76) – 6

Destiny Udogie (on for Spence ’84) – 6

Wilson Odobert (on for Sarr ’84) – 6

Xavi Simons (on for Kolo Muani ’84) – 6

Danny Murphy has urged Thomas Frank to make changes to his Tottenham side on the back of losing heavily to Arsenal.

Tottenham were battered 4-1 by Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday, with Frank‘s side completely anonymous on the day.

Richarlison‘s spectacular goal to make it 3-1 in the second half ultimately proved meaningless, as Eberechi Eze capped off the scoring to claim his hat-trick.

Tottenham are now set to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Frank hoping to provoke a response out of his team.

PSG are the overwhelming favourites to beat Tottenham, with a trip to the Parc des Princes representing a mammoth task for the North London club.

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Danny Murphy firm on Thomas Frank actions

Tottenham produced an embarrassing performance against Arsenal, with Frank’s side generating just three shots throughout the game.

The visitors’ tally of just 0.06 expected goals is their lowest total on record since the stat started being collected, with the previous lowest coming against Chelsea just weeks ago.

Much of the blame can be placed on the Dane’s tactics, with the former Brentford manager clearly setting up to defend at the Emirates Stadium.

Frank deployed a five-at-the-back formation, with just three forward-thinking players on the pitch. And even then, Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert were tasked with aiding their full-backs for large parts of the game, leaving Richarlison to feed off scraps.

But the players cannot escape blame, either, with lacklustre and pitiful performances all over the pitch on Sunday.

Speaking about what Frank must do now, Murphy told talkSPORT on Wednesday: “I’m sure he didn’t go into the Arsenal game expecting that.

“Sometimes players can freeze, sometimes they don’t engage with the messaging you’re giving. So he’s either got to make some changes or kick some backsides because you can lose a game of football but it’s the way you lose it, and that was unacceptable.”

Frank must take action at Tottenham

Frank defended his tactical choices against Arsenal when he spoke to the media on Tuesday, instead pointing to the failure to win duels.

“The most disappointing thing was that we were not able to compete,” he said. “We had 53 situations where it was like a duel, [a] second-ball situation, where either Arsenal went long or we went long.

“We came out on top on 17 of those and lost 36. If you don’t do that … it is basic, then it’s very difficult to win a football match.“

The Dane is not wrong, but now is the time to show that his words can be backed up by genuine action. Wednesday’s clash will be telling.

Tottenham have shown an interest in Midtjylland forward Franculino ahead of the January window.

Thomas Frank has come under sack pressure at Tottenham after a frustrating start to life since taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Lilywhites have struggled in front of goal under the Dane, with Richarlison starting upfront for Tottenham against Arsenal.

The Brazil international scored at the Emirates, but Tottenham are longing for Dominic Solanke’s return from injury.

Frank may not have time to wait and could turn his attentions to signing Franculino from Midtjylland after his stellar campaign so far.

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Senior official to watch Franculino in Roma vs Midtjylland

Ivan Toney has emerged as a target for Tottenham, but it is unclear whether the Englishman will depart the Saudi Pro League in January.

It is also unclear how much the North London club will be able to spend this winter after a busy end to the summer edition.

The Lilywhites could instead look into potentially cheaper signings, with Franculino emerging as an option.

The 21-year-old has had a positive spell in Denmark and could be set to complete a switch to a top European league in January.

Gazzetta Dello Sport reported on 26 November that Tottenham are targeting the Guinea-Bissau international, who is valued at £35million by Midtjylland.

Roma are also interested in Franculino, and their sporting director, Ricky Massara, is set to evaluate the forward when the Danes travel to the Olympico on 27 November.

Who is Tottenham target Franculino?

Midtjylland’s number seven has proven to be a key figure in the Superligaen this campaign, having already contributed to 17 goals.

Franculino has only played in 15 league games, proving just how potent he is in front of goal right now.

Those have contributed to part of his 22-goal involvements across all competitions, to add to his previous 42 in the last two campaigns.

At just 21 years old, the former Benfica youngster has plenty of room to grow and clearly has the talent to improve with opportunities in the Premier League.

Frank could tempt the forward to North London and utilise his talents, but he will have to beat Roma to the punch when the January window opens.

Authorities apologise to Tottenham as cup draw descends into chaos

The Women’s Super League have apologised to Tottenham after the draw for the Women’s League Cup quarter-final was marred by several crude comments.

Martha Thomas signed a new contract at Tottenham in the summer and made the difference as Tottenham beat Bristol City 1-0 on Sunday, earning them a place in the next round of the League Cup.

Martin Ho‘s side have enjoyed a strong start to the season, and sit fifth in the Women’s Super League (WSL), level on points with North London rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham drew 0-0 with Arsenal in their last WSL clash, with Drew Spence key to a strong defensive performance.

It has felt like a season of positives at Brisbane Road, with Tottenham announcing a club-record deal to sign promising talent Signe Gaupset on Saturday.

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Women’s League Cup draw sparks embarrassing scenes

Television personality and influencer GK Barry and her partner, Portsmouth midfielder Ella Rutherford, were tasked with completing the draw for the Women’s League Cup quarter-finals.

The video was posted on TikTok and has drawn criticism for several comments made by the 26-year-old.

The draw appeared to have an unprofessional feeling to it right off the bat, when Barry picked out ball number two for Chelsea and said, “I don’t know what that means”, when told that the Blues had been drawn away.

One ball would be picked out by the former I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here star before being placed back in the bag and out again, with the moment prompting one WSL club to have requested the original footage for integrity purposes, according to The Times.

When the ball representing Tottenham was drawn, handing them a quarter-final clash away at Manchester United, Barry said: “What do we think of Tottenham?” A reference to the Arsenal chant that is responded to with an expletive.

WSL Football has since apologised to Tottenham for the comment, accepting it was inappropriate.

Cup draw shambles follows ‘Halo’ disaster

The decision to hand the draw to a social media influencer was taken to attract a young audience of women to football.

The same thinking was behind Sky Sports’ experimental TikTok channel, Halo, which was abandoned after just three days.

The channel, which included a video of Erling Haaland, captioned “how the matcha + hot girl walk combo hits,” was branded sexist and demeaning, with Sky Sports admitting that they “didn’t get it right”.

Lessons must be learned from repeated incidents that seem only to ostracise female football fans, rather than include them.

Former Tottenham star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is linked with a £52.64million move to Juventus, just months after joining Marseille.

The former Spurs midfielder was sent out on loan to the French club last season, with the move becoming permanent for £17m in the summer.

His departure came as little surprise, with Hojbjerg struggling at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou.

Yet, in France, the Danish international has shone, with Marseille currently competing for the Ligue 1 title this season.

As a result, clubs have now come sniffing around the midfielder, showcasing Postecoglou’s terrible ability to get the best out of Hojbjerg.

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Marseille want £52.64m for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

According to TGCOM24, Juventus are currently tracking Hojbjerg as a potential purchase.

The Italian giants want a new midfielder but may struggle to sign the Dane.

Marseille are set to demand around £52.64m for Hojbjerg, meaning if he is sold for this price, the French team will make a quick £35m+ profit.

However, while this is potentially great news for the Ligue 1 outfit, it showcases how poor Postecoglou was at getting the best out of his players at Spurs.

There is clearly a good player in Hojbjerg, and this is being showcased on a regular in France.

Yet, the Australian was unable to achieve this, meaning Spurs have now potentially missed out on over £35m from a potential sale of the Dane.

Given this, it is no wonder that Postecoglou was sacked in the summer.

Ange Postecoglou could soon return to the Premier League

Recent months have no been kind to Postecoglou.

The manager was quickly sacked by Nottingham Forest after a horrendous start, with his reputation now in tatters.

However, the Australian could soon find himself back in the Premier League, with Postecoglou linked with the Fulham job.

There is ongoing speculation about Marco Silva’s future at the Cottagers, and now, Postecoglou is the second-favourite to take over according to the bookies.