Thomas Frank defiant as late Bournemouth blow deepens Tottenham pain

Frank cut a frustrated figure after seeing his side lose 3-2 at the Vitality Stadium, a match overshadowed by a bizarre moment in which he was pictured holding a cup bearing an Arsenal logo. The Tottenham boss was adamant the incident was meaningless and criticised the attention it received.

"I definitely didn't notice it," Frank said. "It would be absolutely, completely stupid of me to take a cup from Arsenal. Of course I would never do that. That's extremely stupid."

Frank explained the situation in detail and made clear he felt the focus was misplaced. "They were in the changing room before us. It's normal to take a cup and get an espresso. I do that before every game," he said. "I think it's actually a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question about that. We're definitely going in the wrong direction if this is what we worry about."

On the field, Tottenham made a bright start when Mathys Tel scored early, but first-half goals from Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi turned the game in Bournemouth's favour. Spurs responded strongly after the break and thought they had saved a point when Joao Palhinha equalised with a spectacular bicycle kick.

Yet the blow came late. Antoine Semenyo struck in stoppage time to secure the win for Bournemouth, leaving Tottenham with just two victories from their last 12 league matches and prompting angry scenes at full-time.

"I think it's fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, it's a tough one to take today," Frank said. "Overall the performance was good, especially the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more. That is extremely painful to be part of."

Frank acknowledged the growing frustration among supporters but stood by his players. "Hopefully people can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction," he added. "Of course people are frustrated. That's natural."

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola praised match-winner Semenyo, who scored his 10th goal of the season on his 26th birthday. "He deserved this moment," Iraola said. "He never finds excuses, and football gave him a moment he will not forget."

The Bournemouth victory over Tottenham, sees Spurs drop to 14th place in the Premier League standings and Bournemouth moving up to 15th place, just one point behind. The win ended Bournemouth's 11-match winless streak.