Three winners and three losers from Tottenham’s embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Arsenal - opinion

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Tottenham Hotspur suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and we have now highlighted our three winners and losers from the derby day defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur hit a new low this season following their 4-1 drubbing against bitter rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Spurs have often struggled to secure victory in their visits across London, but losing 4-1 against the Gunners in a game where Tottenham barely laid a glove on Arsenal is never a good watch for fans.

Spurs are now hovering over the bottom half of the table, and should United secure a win against Everton, then Frank’s side could crash below.

Still, there were a few winners and losers from that league fixture, and here are our picks.

ENIC cannot hide in the January window

While it was a painful watch for many Tottenham supporters, last night’s heavy defeat could be a silent blessing in disguise.

If anyone thought that this Spurs team had enough quality to compete with the best in this division, the 4-1 defeat served as a bitter reminder of how far behind Tottenham actually is from the top.

Tottenham need to strengthen their squad, not with quantity but with quality players that can have an impact on these sorts of games.

It is over to ENIC, who simply cannot hide in the January transfer window, as Tottenham fans will demand more and better signings.

Xavi Simons simply has to start against his former side, PSG

Xavi Simons has struggled in a Tottenham shirt, with the Dutchman yet to find the back of the net for Spurs since his summer move.

With confidence low and consistency hard to come by, Frank opted against the 22-year-old against Arsenal, who could very much have struggled with the physicality in midfield.

A 3-4-3 formation was instead deployed, with a centre-back coming in and Simons dropping to the bench.

Wilson Odobert also got the nod off the left, a position Frank has also deployed Simons in since his move to England.

Those two tweaks did not yield any result, as Odobert was a passenger for most of the game against Arsenal, while Kevin Danso was hooked off after half-time as Arsenal ran riot at the top of the pitch.

Tottenham did not have any sort of creativity as they packed eight players behind the ball with no game plan. Simons benefits from this defeat, as Frank simply will have to consider bringing him back into this squad.

The playmaker needs consistent game time if he is to find form and get in a rhythm. Next up is PSG, and he could be in line for a start against the Parisians.

The Tottenham fans who could not get a ticket

Many Spurs fans were scrambling on social media pre-match trying to secure a ticket to the Emirates, but in the end, they will be thankful they were not there in person to witness eleven players failing to play for the badge in the biggest game of the season.

It simply cannot happen again, as supporters pay big money and expect those on the pitch to at least show some passion and effort.

Vicario issued an apology for the Spurs’ display, but the fans who saved their money will be glad they did not witness that sorry performance.

Now, let’s take a look at the three losers from Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham…

Thomas Frank is under pressure from fans after tactical decisions

Frank is definitely one of the biggest losers from this encounter, given how the game transpired. A victory over Tottenham’s biggest rivals will have endeared him to the Tottenham supporters, who have not been scared to give him some flak.

A defeat, however, was the outcome and with that comes pressure from supporters. Some fans believe that Thomas Frank has not been honest with them.

The Dane promised front-foot aggressive football, but the exact opposite is what has been on display for Tottenham this season against any top side.

There are already calls from fans for Frank to be sacked on social media, and if results do not improve, the writing could be on the wall.

Rodrigo Bentancur spent most of the afternoon chasing shadows

Another loser is Rodrigo Bentancur, who had a poor afternoon. Tottenham struggled to deal with the fluidity of Arsenal’s attackers.

Merino playing as a false nine and drifting all over the place left Bentancur doing nothing but chasing shadows.

Eze was also ruthless, but the Uruguayan could have done a lot better for the Arsenal playmaker’s first goal, where he dribbled and let fly.

That pivot partnership of Bentancur and Palhinha has received loads of criticism, with stats also backing the claim that it hinders Tottenham’s attacking play.

The duo, however, are meant to bring defensive solidity but that has not been the case, and now is the time for Frank to drop it.

When Pape Matar Sarr is fully fit, he should be getting the nod ahead of Bentancur.

Consistency from referees

Speaking about refereeing decisions after losing 4-1 seems like picking at straws and making excuses, but it is worth a mention still.

The second goal from Arsenal simply should not have stood, as not one but two Arsenal players were blocking the path of Vicario.

We have seen that ruled out for blocking the keeper’s eye line in other matches, and if the officiating in England is to improve, then there needs to be consistency in decisions.