A spirited second-half rally could not prevent Tottenham exiting the FA Cup after a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa to further increase the pressure on Thomas Frank.
Frank had endured a nightmare week after he inadvertently used a coffee cup with the logo of Spurs’ rivals Arsenal on before a 3-2 loss at Bournemouth on Wednesday.
A successful cup run had bought Frank’s predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, time last season, but first-half goals by Villa duo Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers were enough to inflict a fourth defeat from Tottenham’s last seven matches.
Wilson Odobert reduced the deficit in the 55th minute and Spurs created further second-half chances, but they ultimately lost again to spark more boos for Frank and leave his tenure hanging by a thread.
Tempers spilled over at full-time as Villa toasted a 13th victory out of 15 to ensure Unai Emery’s men continue to fight on three fronts.
It had been a crazy week for Tottenham with injuries to multiple players, Frank embroiled in the aforementioned coffee cup storm and captain Cristian Romero taking aim at unspecified members of the hierarchy, but the return of Dominic Solanke to the bench was a boost.
A raft of changes were made by both teams but Villa were forced into an early substitution when Boubacar Kamara suffered an injury.
Donyell Malen fired over from range for the in-form visitors before Spurs, in a special edition kit to mark the 125th anniversary of their 1901 FA Cup triumph, started to build some momentum.
Odobert fired straight at Villa’s back-up goalkeeper Marco Bizot before Mathys Tel miscued an effort, but Tottenham’s fragility was exposed in the 22nd minute.
John McGinn laid off to Malen, who turned away from Pedro Porro and slipped in Buendia to fire into the roof of the net.
Guglielmo Vicario saved a piledriver from Villa full-back Matty Cash moments later before Frank cursed his luck again in the 28th minute when Richarlison suffered a muscle injury and had to be replaced by Randal Kolo Muani.
Spurs managed to rally and after Danso headed over Tel’s corner, Kolo Muani had a goal ruled out for offside before Danso scuffed another effort wide, but the sucker-punch arrived in first-half stoppage time.
Tel’s pass was intercepted and, quick as a flash, Malen played it to Buendia who teed up Rogers to bend into the bottom corner.
Boos greeted the half-time whistle as Villa’s away section chanted about Frank being an Arsenal fan.
Tottenham were out early and after an initial poor pass by Vicario went unpunished, the hosts started to fight back with Xavi denied before Ben Davies fired over.
The deficit was reduced after 54 minutes when Kolo Muani won back possession from Lamare Bogarde and slipped in Odobert, who drilled into the bottom corner.
Spurs’ South Stand was alive again and Xavi almost produced a leveller, but Bizot saved before Odobert shot straight at the Villa goalkeeper.
Joao Palhinha went close next after his curler was headed wide by Pau Torres and Villa should have wrapped the game up when Buendia chipped past Vicario only for Porro to scramble clear from the goal-line.
Xavi nearly punished the visitors when he rounded Bizot to score but the offside flag was raised.
Solanke was introduced to enormous noise for his first appearance since August 23, but Villa held out before Palhinha and Ollie Watkins sparked a full-time melee.
