A last-gasp goal from Antoine Semenyo deepened Tottenham’s Premier League problems, as Bournemouth’s 95th-minute strike sealed a 3-2 defeat that Thomas Frank described as extremely painful for everyone
at the club, on a night that also brought confrontations between frustrated players and travelling supporters.
The loss left Tottenham with six defeats from their last 12 Premier League matches and kept Frank’s side in 14th place, six points above 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and seven behind fourth-placed Liverpool, underlining how quickly optimism around their season had faded despite several competitive recent displays.
Frank’s team had actually started strongly, with Mathys Tel opening the scoring, yet Bournemouth turned the match around when Evanilson and Junior Kroupi both struck from second-phase situations, and although Joao Palhinha later levelled at 2-2, Semenyo’s stoppage-time winner decided a match that Tottenham believed they had controlled for long spells.
The decisive goal arrived in what Andoni Iraola later confirmed would be Semenyo’s final Bournemouth appearance, adding extra narrative to a chaotic finale that left Tottenham players stunned on the pitch and ensured the club suffered another damaging Premier League reverse during a period already filled with pressure.
Defeat at Bournemouth added to an uncomfortable statistical picture for Tottenham. Since the beginning of last season, only Wolves, with 36 defeats, had lost more Premier League games, while Tottenham’s 30 defeats in that spell left them level with West Ham and Southampton in that unwanted category.
This match also ended a specific late-game record. It was the first time Tottenham had lost a Premier League fixture to a goal in the 90th minute or later since November 2023, when they led Wolves 1-0 heading into stoppage time but still left Molineux beaten 2-1.
Tottenham Premier League tension between players and fans
Emotions ran high after the final whistle. Joao Palhinha, Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven were all seen confronting sections of the travelling support, although Frank, speaking later to Sky Sports, chose to calm the situation and praised those supporters rather than criticise their visible anger.
"I think the travelling fans were amazing today, their support throughout the game was very, very good," he said. "The players are frustrated, I'm frustrated, the fans are hurt, we're all hurt. I think it is fair to say there have been ups and downs, but the last four performances have been strong and competitive. I definitely feel like I've been tested today. "
Tottenham Premier League performance and Frank’s assessment
Frank later told BBC Match of the Day that the outcome did not reflect Tottenham’s overall display, highlighting both work-rate and mentality, but also admitting that the defending at key moments, particularly during Bournemouth’s second goal, fell below the standard required in such a tight Premier League contest.
"That's football, unfortunately. It's extremely painful to be on the Tottenham side after that game," Frank added, speaking to BBC Match of the Day. "We put everything into the game, the boys worked really hard, the staff worked so hard to come down here and try to get a result. We went 1-0 up, then conceded two second-phase goalsespecially with the second one, we have to do much better. Then in the second half, the character and mentality, the focus to stay in the game and keep going against a difficult counter-attacking team. it was very pleasing to see. I thought we were closer to winning than Bournemouth were. "
Tottenham Premier League context and key numbers
Those comments reflected Frank’s belief that performance levels over the previous four matches had generally been strong, even if results had not followed. However, with Tottenham sitting closer to the relegation battle than to the Champions League positions, the head coach accepted that the squad required additions during the January transfer window.
"We are very much in the market and working very hard to do what we can to improve the squad," he added. "January is a tough window and we only want to get players in if they improve the team. "
The combination of another late Premier League defeat, worrying long-term statistics and public tension with supporters left Tottenham facing fresh scrutiny over the direction of the season, yet Frank maintained there had been competitive signs in recent weeks and expressed hope that targeted January recruitment could stabilise results and ease the pressure.
