Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has issued an apology to the club's supporters following a heavy 4-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the North London derby. The Spurs boss described the loss as "extremely painful" and took full responsibility for the team's performance.

Arsenal dominated the match, with Eberechi Eze scoring a hat-trick and Leandro Trossard adding another goal. Richarlison scored a stunning consolation goal for Tottenham, lobbing the ball over the Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya from 40 yards out. However, it wasn't enough to spark a comeback, and the Gunners secured a comfortable victory.

Frank acknowledged that his team "didn't win enough duels" and lacked the necessary "intensity". He admitted that the game plan they had prepared was not executed effectively and that they were too passive. "I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team but we didn't win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want but we didn't win enough," Frank said. He also stated, "The game plan we prepared was different. Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise first of all for this".

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario echoed Frank's sentiments, apologising for the team's lack of "fight". "A very bad night for us. First of all we have to apologise to the people that support us every day,” Vicario said. “They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football in this level". Vicario added that the team "waited too much to get into the game".

Frank initially opted for a 5-4-1 formation, a decision he later took responsibility for, especially after changing it at halftime. Despite Vicario being unsighted for Eze's first goal due to Arsenal players in offside positions, he didn't attribute the loss to that, stating, "I think the way the game went it wouldn't have changed anything".

The defeat leaves Tottenham sitting ninth in the Premier League table, while Arsenal moved six points clear at the top. Frank stressed the importance of sticking together and moving forward, with a big match coming up on Wednesday. "But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night," Frank said.

The result is a significant blow for Tottenham, especially given the magnitude of the North London Derby. Arsenal's dominant performance has not only boosted their title aspirations but also intensified the rivalry between the two North London clubs.