Bournemouth stun Spurs as Frank suffers first Premier League defeat

Thomas Frank’s honeymoon as Tottenham head coach came to a sobering end as Bournemouth deservedly claimed a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs produced a dismal display, registering just one shot on target in the entire match, and saw their hopes of moving top of the Premier League evaporate against a vibrant Cherries side.

Andoni Iraola’s visitors set the tone inside five minutes, with Evanilson’s deflected strike off Cristian Romero looping over Guglielmo Vicario to put them ahead.

It was the first league goal Spurs had conceded under Frank, and it could have been much worse before the break, with Evanilson spurning another clear chance and Antoine Semenyo heading over from close range.

The home side failed to muster a single shot in a first half at home for the first time since February 2020, with their lack of creativity stark despite the pre-match presentation of £51m signing Xavi Simons, who watched on from the stands.

Bournemouth continued to dominate after the interval, with Vicario twice called into action to deny Semenyo and Evanilson, before David Brooks rattled the crossbar from a rebound.

Frank’s substitutions failed to turn the tide, with Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel both missing late half-chances, and Bournemouth comfortably saw out the win to secure back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since January.

Reaction

Spurs boss Frank admitted his side were far from the required standard:

“I prefer them not to boo, but I understand it was not a good performance today,” he said. “We knew what Bournemouth would bring but didn’t handle it well enough. Offensively, we didn’t find solutions to get through their press. Over the game, it was fair that Bournemouth won.”

Iraola, meanwhile, praised his side but warned they must be more clinical:

“Every chance we were missing, normally in these stadiums you regret it. We were finishing very tired with some players cramping, but I’m very pleased with the performance. Scoring early gave us confidence, and we didn’t really concede chances.”

Analysts

After the high of last week’s win at Manchester City, this was a reality check for Frank, the optimism generated by back-to-back league victories quickly evaporated as Spurs looked sluggish, predictable and bereft of ideas against an impressive Bournemouth side.

Supporters voiced their frustration at full-time, with one fan shouting “Same old Spurs” as the players left the pitch.

The lack of invention highlighted why the club moved for Simons, with Frank himself admitting:

“Sometimes you need a player that can do something out of nothing… that’s what I think he can bring.”

Spurs will be banking on their new signing to provide the spark, because if performances like this persist, the boos will only grow louder.