Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles continued over the weekend with another disappointing home defeat to Chelsea, and frustration is starting to boil over among fans and players alike.
The London derby ended 1-0 in Chelsea’s favour, extending Tottenham’s winless run and raising more questions about the team’s consistency and mentality under Thomas Frank.
After the game, criticism flooded social media, with many supporters singling out underperforming stars. One frustrated fan summed up the feeling by saying, “Randal Kolo Muani did he even play? Xavi Simons is looking like the worst £60 million ever spent, like a youth team player who’s never played first-team football. Shocking.”
That harsh verdict reflects the growing impatience among supporters, particularly toward Xavi, whose recent performances have been far below expectations.
Manager Thomas Frank has repeatedly defended the Dutch midfielder, urging patience and reminding fans that adaptation to the Premier League takes time. Before the Chelsea match, he even described the criticism of Xavi as unfair, insisting the 22-year-old would soon prove his worth.
However, his latest performance did little to silence the doubters. Against Chelsea, Xavi’s confidence seemed completely gone—simple passes went astray, his movement lacked purpose, and he often looked out of rhythm with the rest of the team.
Reports from within the club suggest that Tottenham still believe in Xavi’s talent and expect him to come good once he adjusts fully to the demands of English football.
But for now, both he and the team are struggling to find their footing. Tottenham have managed just one win in their last five league games, a poor return for a side with top-four ambitions.
Saturday’s defeat was another tough watch for the home fans. Chelsea were sharper, more disciplined, and far more composed in possession.
Tottenham’s attacking play lacked imagination, and defensively they looked nervous throughout. The only reason the scoreline remained respectable was because of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who once again delivered a standout performance despite being on the losing side.
Vicario made eight crucial saves and prevented over two expected goals, doing everything possible to keep Tottenham in the contest.
After the match, the Italian shot-stopper gave an honest and emotional assessment of the team’s display. Speaking to the club’s media channel, he admitted that the performance was far from the standards expected at Tottenham.
“Not the best performance for sure,” Vicario said. “It was a bad day for us, football-wise. It’s hard to accept, but this is the reality. We need to look inside ourselves and do more—everyone. When you play for this club, you have to give a hundred percent every single day.”
The 28-year-old keeper didn’t shy away from discussing where improvements were needed. He stressed that composure and bravery were lacking, especially when playing out from the back. “We probably need to be a little braver on the ball,” he continued. “At times there’s too much anxiety. We don’t have cool heads when we need them, and that makes a big difference in how we perform.”
Inside the dressing room, the mood was understandably somber. Vicario admitted the defeat hurt deeply and said the players were disappointed with themselves. “Of course it’s tough when you lose these kinds of games. You expect to perform with energy and passion, but when it doesn’t go your way, it hurts. We know that personally, everyone needs to do a bit more. We want to make the fans happy, and we want to make ourselves proud—but today wasn’t enough.”
Looking ahead, Vicario called for a quick response, urging his teammates to put this setback behind them and refocus on upcoming fixtures, including a key Champions League clash. “Today was a bad day for us, but we have to move on. It’s a game to park and forget. Now we must focus on Tuesday—it’s a big night for us, and from there we build again.”
Tottenham’s issues run deeper than one bad performance. Confidence is fragile, creativity is fading, and the pressure from fans and media is mounting. Yet, as Vicario and Frank both emphasize, the only way forward is through resilience and unity. Spurs must find their spark again—rediscover the energy and fluidity that once defined their play—if they hope to turn this season around. With two crucial matches before the international break, the next week could define whether this campaign becomes one of recovery or decline for Thomas Frank’s side.
