Tottenham Hotspur manager, Thomas Frank, has conceded that his side delivered what he described as “a bad performance” following their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League North London Derby. The emphatic win for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium was driven by Eberechi Eze, whose outstanding hat-trick secured maximum points and strengthened Arsenal’s position in the title race.
Spurs managed only a solitary goal in the encounter, which came after Martin Zubimendi was dispossessed, allowing Richarlison to lift the ball beyond David Raya from long range. The outcome added further pressure on Tottenham, who were outplayed for most of the game and struggled to cope with Arsenal’s intensity.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the derby showdown, Frank conveyed his frustration and disappointment with the defensive lapses that led to the goals conceded.
He said: “I think it is extremely painful. I won’t talk away from that. It was a bad performance. It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here.
“We can only apologise to the fans for the performance.
“I think no matter if both teams wanted to play shirt, they got more out of that and we couldn’t get out.
“When the team went long, we didn’t win enough duels. That is exemplified by the 2-0 goal and the 3-0 goal, where a player went through two or three players. Bad performance and we lost.
“I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team but we didn’t win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want but we didn’t win enough.”
The defeat marks a significant setback for Tottenham Hotspur, whose Premier League campaign has been marked by inconsistency. The loss to their fierce rivals has sparked renewed scrutiny over their defensive resilience, tactical approach and ability to compete against top-four contenders.
The North London Derby result also strengthens Arsenal’s momentum as they continue to push in the Premier League title chase, while Spurs now face renewed pressure to respond quickly and restore confidence among supporters.
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