Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank launched a furious critique of the video assistant referee system following his side's contentious 2-1 Premier League defeat to Liverpool at home on Saturday night.
The match, which saw Spurs finish with nine men, was heavily influenced by two major VAR interventions that left Frank exasperated and declaring that "the game is gone".
Frank's fury over Simons red card
The flashpoint that ignited Frank's anger came in the first half when midfielder Xavi Simons was shown a red card. Referee John Brooks had initially issued a yellow for Simons's late challenge on Virgil van Dijk, but upgraded it to a dismissal after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor at the VAR's recommendation.
"I don't like those types of red card because I think the game is gone if that's a red card," Frank told the BBC post-match. He argued the tackle was neither reckless nor made with exceptional force, and that the on-field official's original call should have stood.
Frank later tempered his "game is gone" statement, calling it "probably too big", but stood by his view that the automatic three-match ban Simons now faces is excessive. "I just think it's too harsh that a tackle like that can be three games," he added.
VAR fails to spot push for Liverpool winner
The Brentford boss's frustration was compounded by VAR's decision not to disallow Liverpool's winning goal. Hugo Ekitiké netted the decisive second-half strike, but Frank was adamant the striker pushed Cristian Romero in the back in the build-up.
"A big mistake," Frank stated. "Two hands in the back from the striker: as far as I know the laws of football you are not allowed to do that. That's fine to happen on the pitch, the referees are only human but then the VAR bails you out, which they didn't do."
Romero was later sent off himself, receiving a second yellow card for kicking out at Ibrahima Konaté in added time as Spurs chased an equaliser. Frank also felt this decision lacked feel for the game, suggesting it was not a second yellow offence.
Slot's concern overshadows Liverpool win
For Liverpool manager Arne Slot, the victory which moved his team level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea was marred by an injury to record signing Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker came on at half-time, scored the opening goal, but was forced off just 11 minutes later after a heavy challenge from Micky van de Ven.
"I don't have any news on him but if a player scores, gets injured and doesn't try to come back on then that's not usually a good thing," Slot said, admitting his "gut feeling" on the injury was not positive.
Despite the setback, Slot took heart from his team's recent form, having taken 11 points from their last five league games. He acknowledged the performance wasn't perfect but emphasised the team is still in a period of adaptation after summer changes.
The defeat marks Tottenham's 11th home league loss in 2025, a new unwanted club record, leaving them languishing in 13th place. Nevertheless, Frank sought positives, praising his players' resilience and mentality in dealing with setbacks during a difficult match.
