Two Tottenham players appeared to blank head coach Thomas Frank after he approached them on the pitch following Spurs’ 1-0 home defeat against Chelsea.
Frank’s side suffered their second loss of the week, against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Wednesday evening.
Fast forward to Saturday, and the north London side put in a lacklustre performance against rivals Chelsea, who took all three points back to Stamford Bridge thanks to Joao Pedro’s first-half goal.
Spurs were booed during and after the game by the home faithful inside the stadium, and they were arguably lucky to finish the match trailing by just one goal, as the away side missed an array of clear-cut chances late on.
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And the Lilywhites’ home record is certainly not something they will be pleased about, with the side winning just three of their last 19 matches on home soil across both Ange Postecoglou and Frank’s reigns.
Despite the defeat, Tottenham remained third in the Premier League before Liverpool’s fixture against Aston Villa later in the evening.
Remarkably, attackers Xavi Simons, Richarlison, Randall Kolo Muani, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert failed to register a single shot between them against Chelsea, with Mohammed Kudus registering all three of his side’s attempts, with just one finding the target.
To add insult to injury, the win marked Chelsea’s 10th in the teams’ last 12 meetings.
As the fans voiced their frustrations, two players also appeared dejected shortly after the full-time whistle, with their actions raising a few eyebrows.
A video emerged on X, via Spurs content creator Chris Cowlin, which appeared to show defenders Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven ignoring Frank as he approached them.
It is unclear whether this was simply a misunderstanding, but the Danish coach did address the incident during his post-match press conference.
“I think I understand why you ask the question, but that's one of the small issues,” Frank explained.
“Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have performed well this season, and it's just a small thing."
Spurs return to action against Copenhagen in the Champions League on November 4 before hosting Manchester United in the Premier League on November 8.
Frank's side will also play against Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United over the next month or so.
Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Premier League, Football
Luke Davies