Tottenham’s Thomas Frank faces the sack after Aston Villa’s 2-1 FA Cup win, with Spurs booed off and winning just three of their last 14 games
ASTON Villa pushed Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank closer to the sack with a 2-1 FA Cup third-round victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Frank is on the brink after his side conceded twice in a woeful first-half display in north London.
Emiliano Buendia put Villa ahead in the 22nd minute before Morgan Rogers doubled the visitors’ lead on the stroke of half-time.
Tottenham improved after the break, with Wilson Odobert reducing the deficit in the 54th minute.
They were unable to avoid a second successive defeat, however, and the loss ended with frustrated Spurs players clashing with Villa after the final whistle as boos rained down.
Tottenham have won just three of their past 14 games and sit 14th in the Premier League.
If Frank survives until next weekend, another home loss to West Ham could end his disastrous reign.
The manager added to his problems this week by drinking from a cup branded with the logo of bitter rivals Arsenal before a midweek defeat at Bournemouth.
That gaffe drew the ire of supporters, who again booed Frank and his players at full-time.
Hired to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou, Frank increasingly looks out of his depth at a club with Tottenham’s expectations.
Villa, who last won the FA Cup in 1957, have now won twice at Tottenham this season after a Premier League victory in October.
Desperate for a result, Frank named a strong line-up, ignoring the trend of resting key players for the cup.
Tottenham wore a special commemorative kit to mark the 125th anniversary of becoming the first non-league side to lift the FA Cup.
Their first-half display, however, was closer to a non-league effort than the standards expected of his expensively assembled team.
Villa took the lead from their first serious attack, with John McGinn and Donyell Malen carving open the defence before Buendia finished high into the net.
Villa fans taunted the Tottenham boss with chants of “Thomas Frank is an Arsenal fan”.
Frank’s problems mounted when striker Richarlison limped off with an apparent hamstring injury.
Tottenham were rudderless, and Rogers bagged Villa’s second just before the break from Buendia’s deft back-heel.
Improved after half-time, Odobert gave Spurs hope with a low drive into the far corner.
In a brief burst of pressure, Xavi Simons hit the post before Randal Kolo Muani forced a save from Marco Bizot.
Their momentum fizzled out in the closing stages, however, leaving Frank with nowhere to hid
