Thomas Frank blamed Ollie Watkins for sparking a post-match brawl and admitted he was left “hurt” following Tottenham’s FA Cup elimination at the hands of Aston Villa.
The 2-1 defeat compounds the mounting pressure on the Danish manager and extends a troubling sequence for the Spurs boss, who has now suffered seven defeats across his previous 13 fixtures in charge.
Despite a determined fightback after the interval, Tottenham could not overturn first-half strikes from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers, with Wilson Odobert’s 55th-minute goal proving merely a consolation.
The result prompted jeers from home supporters, denying Frank a desperately needed cup run during an increasingly difficult spell.
Ugly scenes followed the final whistle when Watkins, who had previously played under Frank at Brentford, celebrated provocatively in front of Palhinha, triggering a confrontation that drew in players from both squads, including Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa.
Frank’s week had already descended into chaos after he was spotted drinking from a coffee cup bearing Arsenal’s logo ahead of Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth.
Villa’s travelling supporters seized upon the gaffe, directing mocking chants at the Tottenham manager, suggesting he was a supporter of their north London rivals.
Frank defended his squad’s passionate response while criticising Watkins for sparking the altercation.
Thomas Frank admitted he was left ‘hurt’ following Tottenham’s FA Cup elimination at the hands of Aston Villa
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He said: “We are all hurt. There is nothing we want to do more than to get through to the next round no matter who we face.
“We play at home, we had a good opportunity and unfortunately we couldn’t go through.”
Ask whether his players were losing control after they clashed with Tottenham fans away to Bournemouth, Frank said: “I don’t think so.
“I guess you have seen the situation through? I just saw it to be sure I saw what I saw. Of course it’s all about keeping a cool head.”
Ugly scenes followed the final whistle when Watkins, who had previously played under Frank at Brentford, celebrated in front of Spurs players
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He added: “The players gave everything, everything out there, (but) losing a tight game, season not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking.
“The way he is going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans and he is walking into Joao, he can just easily walk around. I think everyone that has been in a competitive nature, that is difficult and can trigger things.
“You need to play with passion and when you play with passion then sometimes you play to the line and sometimes a little bit borderline.
“I see players with big passion that want to do very well for the club.”
A mass brawl erupted between players as Aston Villa beat Tottenham | GETTY
Unai Emery made six changes after a gruelling schedule for Villa, but they sealed a 13th win in 15 matches.
The Aston Villa manager said: “After 90 minutes, with our momentum, with their momentum, I think we deserved to win.”
“Of course we must respect the referee, we must respect the competition. Only we were a little bit angry because (Boubacar) Kamara was getting injured with one action with Palhinha, but I think the referee today did a fantastic job.
“Some moments happened, with some players, and I think we can understand in the circumstances it happens on the field.”