Sports
Spurs 1 – 2 Aston Villa
Tottenham were booed off as pressure continues to build on Thomas Frank following a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup.
Three days after the atmosphere between the travelling away fans and Tottenham players soured following a last-minute winner for Bournemouth, the situation turned toxic again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Frank and his side were booed off the pitch at half-time after Emi Buendia’s fierce strike fired Villa ahead and Morgan Rogers doubled the lead to take advantage of another lacklustre, dull and toothless showing from Spurs.
Amidst the clear discontent and growing signs of disconnection from Spurs supporters, Frank was serenaded by chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” and “Frank is an Arsenal fan” from the travelling faithful, referencing the Arsenal cup Frank had held in the build-up to the midweek loss.
However, despite the home crowd falling silent and apathy creeping in, Spurs responded after the break with a well-taken goal from Wilson Odobert, which swung momentum in their favour as a result.
Tottenham Hotspu midfielder Wilson Odobert celebrates scoring the team’s first goal
Boos quickly shifted to encouragement as a reinvigorated Spurs side pushed for an equaliser.
Odobert, Mathys Tel and Xavi Simons all came close, calling Marco Bizot into action to ensure Villa’s slender lead remained intact, but a dismal performance to start the game ultimately left them with too much to do against a resilient Villa side.
Spurs now crash out of the cup as a result of the 10th defeat of the season under Frank – and frustration following that exit would boil over at full-time, with boos still ringing.
Joao Palhinha and Micky van de Ven, the same duo involved with the travelling away fans at Bournemouth, were at the heart of another scuffle with Rogers after the full-time whistle. Both sets of players were separated, while Frank watched on in disbelief.
While attention for Villa can turn to the fourth round draw on Monday evening, Frank will need to pick up the pieces from another defeat to prepare his side for the London derby against West Ham on January 17, which can likely be classed as a must-win fixture for the Spurs boss.
