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Thomas Frank axes exit-linked star in four changes – Tottenham predicted XI vs PSG

Thomas Frank will be hoping to make a statement against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Tottenham were not the favourites to win against Arsenal, but it goes without saying that fans were not expecting to lose in that fashion.

Indeed, Tottenham suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and it was written in the stars that Spurs’ former summer target Eberechi Eze would claim a hat-trick.

Just three months into the season, supporters are nearing their breaking point, and Frank will need to do something special against PSG at the Parc des Princes to stand a chance at earning back their trust.

Xavi Simons starts after dreadful Rodrigo Bentancur performance vs Arsenal

Djed Spence was the best out of a bad bunch against Arsenal, but he will likely lose his spot to Pedro Porro against PSG.

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However, Frank will likely want a left-footed player to start as left-back against the French side, which would see Destiny Udogie retain his place.

Kevin Danso will likely be dropped with the Dane reverting to a traditional 4-3-3 formation.

This would see Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero all start against the Parisiens.

Rodrigo Bentancur started for Tottenham against Arsenal in a performance that was arguably his worst of the season.

Unsurprisingly, he failed to win a single one of his four ground duels and didn’t attempt a single aerial duel, according to Sofascore.

It was a dreadful performance from beginning to end and one that should see Pape Matar Sarr start over Bentancur, with Xavi Simons also returning to the starting lineup.

Despite his wonder goal against the Gunners, Richarlison is still a player whose future in North London is uncertain. As a result, Randal Kolo Muani will likely replace the Brazilian against PSG.

The France international was cleared to play against his former side back in September, and his experience against French teams could come in handy.

Despite their uninspiring performances against Arsenal, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus could retain their spots in Frank’s starting lineup.

Thomas Frank must not make the same mistake against PSG

Frank set out similarly against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final as he did against Arsenal on Sunday.

While both resulted in defeat, their game against Luis Enrique’s side gave Spurs supporters reason to dream.

However, as seen against Arsenal, playing five defenders will likely not work against a PSG team that is no longer burdened by a lack of pre-season.

Similar to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final, PSG suffer against strong attacking sides that take advantage of their fullbacks’ high positioning.

If Frank wants to win on Wednesday, he’ll need to be braver than he has been all season.

Alan Brazil has slammed Tottenham for the way they chose to defend set-pieces against Arsenal in Sunday’s North London derby.

Tottenham were smashed 4-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on 23 November, with Eberechi Eze scoring a hat-trick on a dismal day for Thomas Frank.

Leandro Trossard had opened the scoring for the Gunners after the Belgian was found by Mikel Merino with space inside the Lilywhites’ box.

Tottenham’s struggles to create chances under Frank were exposed yet again, with the Dane’s side only getting a goal through a piece of individual magic by Richarlison.

The Premier League released a statement about Eze’s first goal, with Arsenal players appearing to block Guglielmo Vicario‘s vision from an offside position, but the video assistant referee took no action.

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Alan Brazil up in arms about Tottenham defending vs Arsenal

Eze looked set to sign for Tottenham in the summer, before a last-minute intervention from Arsenal saw the midfielder move to the red side of North London instead.

And the England international would show Tottenham exactly what they missed out on with three superb strikes on Sunday.

The 27-year-old could have had a fourth, too, had it not been for a great save late on by Vicario.

Tottenham had set up to defend deep, but lacked solidity amid the barrage of Arsenal attacks, which came time and time again.

Much of the discussion before the game had been about set-pieces, with the visitors taking an interesting approach to defend them.

Two Arsenal free-kicks in the first half saw Tottenham sit extremely deep inside their own box, presumably hoping to increase the difficulty of a perfect delivery.

Bukayo Saka took both, clipping one over the bar before forcing a save from Vicario with the second.

Brazil was bemused by the set-up and criticised Tottenham’s tactics on Monday.

“What about the free-kicks Arsenal put in, and Tottenham lined up just outside their own six-yard box,” he said on talkSPORT.

“How stupid is that. The second one just needs any sort of flick on. Why are they back there? Get out, get up there.

“Leave a bit of space for the keeper to make a decision to come or stay on his line. I’ve never seen anything so stupid in my life.”

Set-piece tactics prove successful for Tottenham

Tottenham did do something that few teams have this season, by preventing Arsenal from scoring a set-piece goal.

Of course, the Gunners were without their main threat, Gabriel, but the Lilywhites defended their box well in set-piece situations, with the interesting set-up from free-kicks ultimately proving effective.

There are no points available for that; however, with Tottenham failing to defend their box to a similar effect when in open play.

With a trip to European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League coming up this week, Frank’s team will need to be far, far better.

The damning stats behind Tottenham’s derby day disaster vs Arsenal, Thomas Frank should be embarrassed

Tottenham recorded just 0.06 expected goals (xG) against Arsenal on Sunday, their lowest in a Premier League game since the stat started being collected.

Arsenal smashed Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium, with Eberechi Eze completing Thomas Frank‘s nightmare night by scoring a hat-trick in the North London derby.

Richarlison got a goal back in the second half with a stunning effort from range, but the Brazilian’s goal would ultimately leave little impact on proceedings.

Tottenham were slammed for their performance against Arsenal, with the visitors taking just three shots throughout the 90 minutes.

It was yet another game in which Tottenham struggled to create chances under Frank, with the Dane now facing a serious issue.

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Tottenham’s record-breaking no-show

Tottenham‘s game plan was plainly evident just minutes into Sunday’s game, with all 11 players sitting behind the ball in an attempt to contain Arsenal.

The Gunners pressed high, with the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven constantly giving the ball away when attempting to find Richarlison.

When Mikel Merino found Leandro Trossard with an incisive pass for the home side’s opener after 36 minutes, Tottenham crumbled.

Eze would add the second and the third either side of half-time, before claiming the match ball in the 76th minute.

It was an embarrassing performance from Tottenham, who set records with their failure to create much of anything at all.

At the start of November, Frank’s side had recorded 0.10 xG against Chelsea – their lowest total on record.

But less than a month later, Tottenham have gone one better by generating just 0.06 xG against Arsenal on Sunday.

Based on that level of xG, Tottenham would score only once every 17 games if the match were replayed, according to the xG philosophy.

Thomas Frank must pay immediate attention to damning stats vs Arsenal

Just seven times has a team taken just three shots or fewer in a Premier League game this season, and two of those times belong to Tottenham.

All three of those shots on Sunday came from outside of the box, with the other on target, Xavi Simons‘ drive from distance, serving as catching practice for David Raya.

Richarlison’s goal was impressive, but in truth, it underlined how much Tottenham needed such a moment of individual brilliance to get even a semblance of a foothold in the game.

In their current form, Frank’s team will likely not face a team as strong as Arsenal for the rest of the Premier League season.

But that should not be used as an excuse to prevent Frank from addressing the serious issue Tottenham face when attempting to create chances.

‘Tottenham must avoid Ivan Toney transfer after what I’ve heard about him’

Tottenham have been warned to steer clear of Ivan Toney this winter.

It has been widely reported that Tottenham are keen to arm Thomas Frank with reinforcements come January.

Toney has emerged as a viable option for Tottenham given his time playing under Frank at Brentford.

However, the Lilywhites could be better off looking for alternative targets or relying on the stars already at their disposal this winter.

Ivan Toney not a better option than Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke has been sidelined for Tottenham with a long-term ankle injury.

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Only Brennan Johnson netted more goals than the England international last season, and his absence has been deeply felt.

While Solanke’s return is still uncertain, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham believes they should wait for him to regain fitness rather than going all out for Toney this winter.

“It could only be a full-term investment. You’ve got massive money and he’s over 30,” Wenham said.

“I don’t really like him. Listening about him, I just don’t don’t really get on board with him if I’m being honest with you. When we were linked with him before, I didn’t really want him, and I would have much preferred Solanke, and we got him.

“I still prefer Solanke to him. I would just rather that Solanke came back to fitness rather than signing Toney on any sort of basis, I’m being honest with you.

“And I know Frank has worked with him before and likes him and relies on him, but I just think Solanke is a better footballer.”

Signing Ivan Toney would be a mistake

Forget Solanke for a second, Toney’s final season at Brentford highlights why signing him would be a mistake.

The former Bees striker was fantastic in the 2022/23 season:

However, his subsequent season was not as impressive. Riddled with injuries and poor performances, Toney scored four goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances.

There is an argument to be made that the striker was already on the decline before he signed for Al-Ahil at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Therefore, Frank should leave the past in the past and look to build a better, more sustainable future in North London.

Danny Murphy criticised Tottenham’s non-existent creative output in their defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Tottenham suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on 23 November, marking their worst league performance of the season.

The game saw former Tottenham target Eberechi Eze net a North London derby hat-trick for the first time since 1978.

While Tottenham were not the favourites to win against Arsenal, the players’ mentality left Spurs supporters reeling after the match.

Tottenham ‘struggling’ to create under Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank has been criticised for Tottenham’s poor creative output, and it was no different against the Gunners.

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The Lilywhites recorded 0.07 expected goals, which is the lowest expected goals in the Premier League this season.

This beats their previous record of 0.1 expected goals in Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Chelsea earlier this month.

While the absences of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke are noticeable, Murphy believes that Spurs’ creativity is just not good enough.

“It’s the lack of fight, but it’s also the lack of creativity,” he told the BBC’s Match of the Day on 23 November.

“In the last couple of games, Arsenal and Chelsea at home, you can see here, the top two lowest in the last two games, and obviously they’re one of the bottom three of the worst eight this season.

“Yes, you can hide behind Kulusevski, Solanke and Maddison not being there, but the players they’ve got in that squad are struggling. Really struggling to be brave enough, get on the ball, to make things happen.”

Tottenham fans had already begun losing faith in Frank, and this recent defeat against Arsenal hasn’t done him any favours.

Mohammed Kudus only redeeming factor for Tottenham

Mohammed Kudus has been Tottenham‘s best creator this season despite arriving in North London over the summer.

Furthermore, 69 per cent of his long balls and 67 per cent of his chip passes have been accurate, according to Sofascore.

“You can argue only Kudus out of all their front players can hold his head up a little bit and say he’s created stuff, that he’s had a go. There’s a lot of fear in that side, probably too much pragmatism,” Murphy continued.

“Frank is obviously new to it. He’s working out who he can trust and who he can rely on. The reality is that they need to pick up soon because the level of performance in the past couple of games is causing discontent amongst the fans.”

The feat has made Kudus one of Frank’s most-used players in games, with him averaging 50 touches per match.

However, his impressive start to the season has made both him and Tottenham predictable. Frank couldn’t exactly rely on his pass to Kudus and pray tactics against the Gunners, who limited him to 30 touches.

As a result, the Dane will need to have a long think about how to get the best out of all his players, not just Kudus this season.

Jamie O’Hara left red-faced over embarrassing Arsenal take as Tottenham fail ultimate test

Tottenham suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Arsenal, as Jamie O’Hara was left red-faced by one of his takes.

On an afternoon where Spurs could have sent a statement to their Premier League rivals, Thomas Frank’s men were decimated by the Gunners.

Leandro Trossard broke through Frank’s low block as Tottenham failed to register a shot on goal in the first half.

Eberechi Eze, who almost joined Spurs in the summer, then scored a second-half hat-trick, either side of a Richarlison wonder strike, to hand Arsenal a 4-1 win.

Jamie O’Hara said Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are better than William Saliba and Gabriel

The Lilywhites were second best in every aspect against their fiercest rivals and were ultimately picked off.

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Although Arsenal were without Gabriel Magalhaes through injury, Arteta’s side were secure defensively, even with the introduction of Piero Hincapie.

It was only Richarlison’s long-range hit that breached their defence, conceding just a 0.07 xG, whereas Spurs were all over the shop at the back.

Frank started with a back three of Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with Xavi Simons replacing Danso at half-time.

The Dane typically plays a five-man defence in the big games, but his setup didn’t work today, while Jamie O’Hara was surely left feeling embarrassed.

In a recent interview on Sky Sports, O’Hara said that Van de Ven and Romero were better as a partnership than Saliba and Gabriel.

“I’m gonna stick to my guns and say yes,” he said when asked who he thinks is better of the two partnerships.

“The reason being, Arsenal defensively are incredible as a unit, as a team, they’re brilliant, Spurs are not. But I think the two centre halves are absolutely fantastic.”

“I think if you were going to take two of them out and put two of them in, I think [Micky] van de Ven’s got more about him than Gabriel, and I think [Cristian] Romero is on par with [William] Saliba.”

O’Hara’s comments backfire

O’Hara’s take on the Spurs duo being better than Gabriel and Saliba was done with zero substance, and they made him eat his own words.

Arsenal have the league’s most feared defence with only six goals conceded in 12 matches, while Tottenham are known for being leaky at the back.

Of course, they weren’t helped by the lack of protection in front of them from Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha, but they were still erratic in their defending, something that must be improved.

Van de Ven and Romero arguably let the emotions of the game get the better of them, whereas the Gunners kept composed and were assured in possession.

Eberechi Eze issues five-word response after addressing Tottenham transfer saga

Tottenham were on the receiving end of some Eberechi Eze magic in the North London derby, as the Englishman added insult to injury.

In an alternate universe, the former Crystal Palace maestro could have been turning out for Tottenham in this fixture.

Spurs were close to signing Eze ahead of Arsenal, but Daniel Levy’s inability to negotiate the structure of the deal and add-ons meant they missed out on the attacking midfielder.

Tottenham supporters cursed Levy for this transfer blunder as a result, and watching the 27-year-old run riot in the North London derby would have hurt even more.

What Eberechi Eze said about Tottenham links

Eze scored a wonderful hat-trick as Spurs were thrashed 4-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates, as the England international showed why missing out on him was painful.

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The Gunners’ No.10 became only the fourth player to score a hat-trick in this fixture, completely decimating Frank’s defence.

But on an afternoon when Tottenham were punished for parking the bus, Eze was asked about the fact he almost joined the Lilywhites in the summer, to which he replied on Sky Sports: “Let’s not speak about that.”

While Arsenal signed Eze for £68million, Spurs’ £51m capture of Xavi Simons is proving a terrible piece of business, only further accentuated by the Englishman’s performances.

Xavi Simons fails to impress against Arsenal

Tottenham fans will be cursing Levy knowing that signing Eze ahead of Simons was a real possibility until he fumbled negotiations.

Simons is yet to score since sealing his switch from RB Leipzig, assisting twice across 16 matches in all competitions.

It’s often difficult for young players to adapt to the Premier League, and the 22-year-old has struggled to assert himself in England’s top-flight.

Tim Sherwood thinks that Frank not playing Simons as a number 10 is a key reason for his struggles, but the Dutchman failed to impress in an attacking midfield role against the Gunners.

The youngster replaced centre-back Kevin Danso at half-time as Spurs looked for a way back into the game, and Simons didn’t complete a single dribble or key pass.

Unfortunately, he was one of several who produced an anonymous display in arguably their biggest match of the season.

‘Why am I still watching?’ – Ex-Tottenham player in disgust after Gary Neville reveal amid derby collapse at Arsenal

Tottenham’s miserable showing in the North London derby at Arsenal drew condemnation from multiple angles.

Spurs went in at the break trailing Arsenal 2-0 and immediately conceded a third after re-emerging for the second half on the way to a 4-1 loss.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring before Eberechi Eze doubled the lead in the first 45 minutes, with both goals going in via the aid of deflections off Micky van de Ven.

After Eze added the third Richarlison pulled one back in spectacular fashion, firing into the Arsenal net over a back-pedalling David Raya from just inside the Gunners’ half, but while it would briefly halt the home side’s rampage by that point the damage was pretty much done, and Eze still completed his hat-trick later on.

Jamie O’Hara furious as Tottenham fail to register a shot

There were major questions over offside Arsenal players obstructing Guglielmo Vicario’s vision for the second goal, but Thomas Frank‘s men were offering absolutely nothing at the other end at that stage.

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Shortly after Eze’s strike Gary Neville revealed on the live Sky Sports match commentary: “Spurs have not had one single shot and that is unacceptable.”

In reaction former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara posted his outrage at the stat on X, saying: “We’ve not had a single shot not even off target,” with an angry-face emoji, followed by “why am I still watching turn it off Jamie”.

Richarlison‘s incredible strike from close to the half-way line was the first time Spurs had even had an effort on goal, and the stunning nature of it came completely against the run of either side’s play given the visitors hadn’t fashioned anything like a real chance from anywhere closer.

Thomas Frank faces major questions

Coming off Ange Postecoglou‘s reign ending in a 17th-placed finish that would have seen Spurs in genuine relegation danger in many other years last term even mid-table is an improvement.

The Europa League trophy can never be overlooked when considering the Australian’s reign but Tottenham increasingly were a mess in the Premier League.

In that context Frank surely deserves time to fix what was broken, and defeat at the table-toppers is an occupational hazard whoever they are.

But while the former Brentford boss made a positive start to the season and has had to contend with injuries there are some significant alarm bells ringing now.

As with Spurs’ 1-0 loss to Chelsea it is not just the result that will infuriate fans but the manner of it.

Putting up such weak resistance in losses to two of the club’s biggest rivals is hugely concerning, and with the likes of Xavi Simons struggling badly for Spurs the manager has a huge job on his hands while under increasing scrutiny.

Richarlison stuns with screamer as 3/10 performs horrifically – Tottenham player ratings vs Arsenal

In the most eye-catching fixture of the Premier League weekend, Tottenham clashed against league leaders Arsenal in a North London derby showdown.

Spurs entered their clash with Arsenal on the back of a 2-2 draw against Manchester United before the international break.

Thomas Frank’s men were aiming to build on that result by winning a league match at the Emirates for the first time since 2010.

The visitors knew that wasn’t going to be an easy task, and so it proved, as Tottenham’s attempts to park the bus and counterattack were broken in the first half.

Leandro Trossard’s left-footed finish squirmed past Guglielmo Vicario in the 36th minute, with the Belgian punishing Frank for his lack of ambition.

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Arsenal then doubled their lead as Eberechi Eze – who almost signed for Tottenham in the summer – rifled a fierce strike into the net.

Eze then grabbed a hat-trick, either side of a stunning Richarlison strike, to hand the Lilywhites a 4-1 defeat.

So, following a disappointing afternoon where Spurs offered very little in attack, Tottenham News rates the performance of every player.

Richarlison impresses with stunner vs Arsenal

In a largely anonymous performance against their fiercest rivals, Richarlison earned some plaudits for his long range stunner.

The Brazilian spotted David Raya off his line and lobbed him from around 40 yards out to give his side a slight hope of mounting a comeback.

Richarlison is one of the most frustrating players to watch in the Premier League, as he can come up with spectacular goals – like the one against Burnley on the opening day – but also look anonymous in matches.

On this occasion, the 28-year-old deserves credit for taking responsibility and scoring a wonderful goal, even if it meant nothing in the context of the match.

Rodrigo Bentancur was poor for Tottenham vs Arsenal

Spurs could have sent a statement to their rivals with a brilliant performance, although their game plan meant they never deserved anything.

Frank’s men parked the bus from minute one, with Tottenham failing to register a shot on goal in the first half.

The visitors were undone by some brilliant Arsenal attacking player, and those standing in front of the defence – including Rodrigo Bentancur – could only hang their heads in shame.

Bentancur is normally known for his ability to break up play and the aggressive side to his game, something he failed to show.

The Uruguayan made zero tackles and won zero ground duels, which is unacceptable in a derby fixture.

Tottenham player ratings vs Arsenal

Guglielmo Vicario – 3

Djed Spence – 4

Cristian Romero – 4

Kevin Danso – 4

Micky van de Ven – 5

Destiny Udogie – 4

Rodrigo Bentancur – 3

Joao Palhinha – 5

Mohammed Kudus – 6

Wilson Odobert – 4

Richarlison – 7

Tottenham had a rotten start to their match against Arsenal on Sunday as they went 2-0 behind at the Emirates just before half-time.

While Arsenal were predicted to overcome Tottenham before the game, it was an embarrassing showing in the first period, with Spurs not even managing a shot.

The lack of attacking intent was then punished by the Gunners, as they quickly found the net twice at the end of the first half.

Leandro Trossard netted the opener after a big deflection, with Eberechi Eze, who was linked to Tottenham in the summer, putting Arsenal 2-0 up five minutes later.

However, this was a controversial moment in the match, with an argument to be had that Guglielmo Vicario’s vision was blocked by some Arsenal players.

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VAR deemed no Arsenal players in the line of vision of the goalkeeper

Arsenal’s second was a suckerpunch for the visitors, and put Spurs in a terrible position at half-time.

However, there was an argument to be had that Eze’s goal should have been disallowed.

Several Arsenal players were offside when the midfielder struck the ball, with many believing that they were blocking Vicario’s vision and therefore hindering his ability to make the save.

However, the Premier League Match Centre on X on 23 November has since confirmed VAR deemed the incident not to have impacted Spurs.

Thomas Frank got it all wrong against Arsenal

Tottenham’s first half performance will be rightly criticised by the media.

Spurs had already been blasted for their lack of attacking intent against Chelsea, and a repeat of this occured at the Emirates.

Tottenham did not lay a glove on the Gunners, and were rightly behind at the break, with Frank showing no amibition to beat Arsenal in his first North London derby.

It was always a risk to play a five-at-the-back against a side who were dominating the Premier League, and Frank’s tactics were completely shown up on Sunday.