Tottenham manager Thomas Frank and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario apologised to Spurs supporters for the lack of “fight” the team showed in the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal in the north London derby.
Frank called the performance “extremely painful” as Eberechi Eze scored a stunning hat-trick in a one-sided derby where the visitors barely landed a punch, aside from Richarlison’s speculative shot from 40 yards that beat David Raya.
Goalkeeper Vicario did not blame Tottenham’s performance on tactics, with Spurs boss Frank changing his formation to a defensive back-five against the Premier League leaders, but accepted that the players did not compete.
Under Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer, Tottenham have fallen to defeats against rivals Arsenal and Chelsea where they have hardly threatened the opposition goal and struggled to create big chances.
“It was a bad performance,” Frank said. “It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here. We can only apologise to the fans. 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. I tried to play a 5-4-1. I will always take responsibility as my choice in the end to take the system then and we changed it at half-time.
“It is that no matter what formation we play today, we don't have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments, and it is very difficult to win a football match. The goals I want to see more in detail. The whole game I need to watch tonight an it will be a difficult watch. We were not aggressive and stepped forward when we could and they played it round us.”
Tottenham will be in need of a response when they go to Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and goalkeeper Vicario accepted that his team-mates were too “passive” against their north London rivals, who are now six points clear at the top.
"A very bad night for us. First of all we have to apologise to the people that support us every day,” Vicario said. “They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football in this level.
"It's a tough night, a very bad defeat, but we have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday but we need to stick together. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of.
"The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and apologise to the people that support us and have travelled today. I think we waited too much to get into the game. We were too passive.
“The game plan we prepared was different. Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise first of all for this. But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night."
Vicario did not blame Eze’s first goal on the defeat, with the goalkeeper unsighted by Arsenal players who were stood in an offside position. The goal was checked by VAR but was allowed to stand and Vicario said: “I think the way the game went it wouldn't have changed anything.
“There were three people in front of me so of course they impacted me. But we didn't lose the game for that."
Meanwhile, former Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand was extremely critical for Tottenham’s toothless performance and said they looked like “tiddlywinks”.
"We just didn't compete. Whatever derby you turn up to, you know it's going to be hostile, you know it's going to be fierce. It just didn't look like that today,” Ferdinand told Sky Sports. “They just didn't compete the whole game.
"If you're a Spurs fan now, you're frustrated as anything. We've spoken about how they've gone to the best team in the league at this moment in time. So what do you want to do? You want to have a go. We laid down today and got absolutely rolled over."
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