Thomas Frank moved to play down a viral incident with an Arsenal coffee cup after Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth, insisting there was no intent behind it while pressure grows following another damaging Premier League setback that left Spurs 14th in the table.
Antoine Semenyo struck a 95th-minute winner at the Vitality Stadium as Bournemouth edged a five-goal contest, extending Tottenham’s poor league run and raising fresh questions over Frank’s impact since taking charge at Spurs.
Since the start of last season, Tottenham have suffered 30 Premier League defeats, a figure exceeded only by Wolves with 36 losses in the same spell, leaving Frank struggling to improve on the level that saw Spurs finish 17th under Ange Postecoglou, despite Postecoglou delivering
the Europa League trophy to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That wider context added extra scrutiny to an off-field moment, as footage and images circulated on social media before kick-off showing Frank drinking from an espresso cup carrying Arsenal’s badge, a logo strongly associated with Tottenham’s north London rivals and therefore sensitive among the club’s supporters.
Frank explained that the Arsenal-branded cups were already in the home dressing room at the Vitality Stadium, left behind from Bournemouth’s previous match against the Gunners, and said the focus on the clip ignored the routine pre-match habits that coaching staff and players follow before major fixtures.
"They've been in the changing room the game before us. It's normal to say, 'give me a cup of espresso' before every game," Frank said. "I definitely did not notice it. It would be completely stupid of me to take it if I knew. "
The Tottenham head coach expressed frustration that the episode became a talking point after the late defeat, arguing that attention should remain on performance rather than an accidental choice of cup, especially given the intensity surrounding rivalries in English football and Tottenham’s current league position.
"It's a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked about it. I would never do something that stupid. I think we're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with a logo of another club. "
The club’s schedule offers little time for reflection, with Frank aiming for a calmer build-up when Tottenham host Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday, before turning attention back to the league and a London derby against West Ham on 17 January as Spurs try to halt their slide.
Thomas Frank's post-match reaction pic.twitter.com/WLkIBlBQBeTottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 7, 2026
