Tottenham Hotspur finished a turbulent evening at their stadium reduced to nine players and beaten 2-1 by Liverpool. The result left a sense of wasted opportunity after a first half in which Spurs created the clearer chances.

“We would like to compete with the best clubs in the country and hopefully win the championship one day,” Tottenham boss Thomas Frank pledged ahead of kick off. “That’s what all Spurs fans are dreaming about. That’s what I’m dreaming about.”

The match turned on two dismissals. Xavi Simons was shown a red card when his studs-first challenge on Virgil van Dijk prompted VAR to intervene. Later, Cristian Romero, the Spurs captain, received a second yellow for a flick of the leg at Ibrahima Konaté after winning a foul while Tottenham were pushing for an equaliser.

Frank tried to dispute the early sending-off but to no avail. “It’s probably a good idea to also defend a bit,” Frank warned after conceding 18 goals in his last eight games.

Tottenham started brightly at times. Randal Kolo Muani missed a header from six yards and Djed Spence wasted an opening at the end of a quick move. With Spurs reduced, Liverpool introduced Alexander Isak at the break and opened the scoring when Isak moved a loose ball to Hugo Ekitiké, who laid it for Florian Wirtz to slip the No. 9 through ten minutes into the second half.

Ekitiké’s goal was followed by a second from Liverpool that left Spurs chasing. The visitors then appeared to wind the game down, but a corner that was not cleared fell to Richarlison, who lashed home to equalise with nine minutes remaining.

Romero’s second yellow left Tottenham down to nine for stoppage time. Despite that, Spurs out-shot Liverpool and accumulated a superior expected goals figure, but they could not fashion a decisive second strike. The night will be remembered as one of missed chances and avoidable errors that undermined Thomas Frank’s stated ambitions.

Tottenham Hotspur will keep Thomas Frank in charge for now despite a run of results that has put the manager under sustained scrutiny. The report says Frank’s team have taken just eight points from their subsequent nine league games, a return only bettered by three teams in the division over the same period, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United.

Any momentum built from back-to-back victories over Brentford and Slavia Prague was wiped out by Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. The club also have fewer Premier League points this term compared with the same stage last season, when they went on to finish 17th.

Frequent discussions about Frank’s future have taken place among Tottenham’s new-look hierarchy, according to The Athletic, but the powerbrokers have opted to give the Danish coach more time. Frank was appointed by former executive chairman Daniel Levy last summer shortly before the long-serving club figure was dismissed in September. Peter Charrington was later appointed as the non-executive chairman while the majority shareholding Lewis family have a pronounced role. Vivienne Lewis, her brother Charles Lewis and son-in-law Nick Beucher are prominent figures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The decision to stick with Frank, who is contracted to the club until 2028, will not have been a surprise to the manager. After the City Ground loss, the 52-year-old was asked if he expected to be given more time. “I can’t see why not,” he replied. He added: “I think it’s pretty evident that if no one gets the time, no one can turn this around. This is not a quick fix.” Reflecting his frustration after the defeat, Frank said: “I think I do everything to control my emotions, which is a hurricane inside me, because, of course, it’s deeply frustrating that we are not doing better today after three good performances,” Frank seethed over the weekend.

The club remain at a crossroads. Spurs may have won their first trophy in 17 years under Postecoglou but also recorded the club’s worst league finish since 1975.

Mauricio Pochettino has made plain that a return to England’s top flight remains central to his long-term goals even as he prepares the U.S. men’s national team for World Cup duty. In an interview with BBC Sport released the day after the World Cup draw he said plainly: “The Premier League is the best in the world.”

Pochettino outlined a clear appetite to return to the competition he described as “the most competitive league.” “Of course I miss it. I am so happy in the USA, but I am always thinking about returning one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again.”

On the field with the USMNT, Pochettino’s side were listed as co-hosts and placed in a group described in the draft as relatively kind. He has already overseen victories against their two confirmed opponents, Australia and Paraguay, and the team will next face the playoff winner from UEFA’s pathway C, which could be any of Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.

The draft also summarises Pochettino’s recent club record. It lists Southampton finishes of 14th in 2012–13 and 8th in 2013–14. His Tottenham seasons are given as 2014–15 5th, 2015–16 3rd, 2016–17 2nd, 2017–18 3rd, 2018–19 4th and 2019–20 14th. The 2023–24 season at Chelsea is listed as 6th.

Pochettino remains explicit about unfinished business from his time in England. The draft recalls his tenure at Tottenham, noting he “never finished lower than fifth with Spurs and took the north London outfit to second place in 2016–17.” Tottenham also reached the 2019 Champions League final under his watch, losing 2–0 to Liverpool. When asked for one remaining ambition he replied without hesitation: “To win the Premier League and the Champions League.” He added: “We were so close in Tottenham,” and “I want to achieve this. I am still young, I have the energy, experience and motivation to try in the future.”