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Speaking in his press conference ahead of Tottenham's crunch clash with London rivals West Ham on Saturday, Frank spoke about new signing Conor Gallagher following the midfielders move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday from La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

He said: “I think it's a top signing. I can't praise Fabio, Johan and Vinai enough, the ownership for doing it and get it done, get over the line. I think what he brings in terms of abilities, first and foremost, he's a very good player, great experience in the Premier League, also in La Liga, captained several teams.

"So that character, that leadership, that experience, and still young, 25, with plenty of development to reach, but coming in on a good level, bring his pressing abilities, his directness, scoring goals, but also being able to find good positions on the pitch, is exactly what we need.”

He added: "I think every experience makes us better, in a way. Either clearly impact or reflection and learn from the experience. Quite a few conversations I had with Conor, he really liked the experience at Atletico Madrid.

"He really liked working with Diego Simeone. He really liked everything about it. Of course, we were privileged that he would like another chance and it was possible. I think that experience, added to how he ended his last year in Chelsea. I think he was at times unplayable."

Frank also highlighted the 25-year-old Premier League pedigree as Gallagher is set for his Tottenham debut when West Ham visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

He said: "I think he was a fantastic player for Chelsea that season. So, that's the Conor Gallagher we are looking at. That's the Conor Gallagher I'm thinking can step straight into this team and help us straight away.”

"I think of course one thing is the Premier League. Secondly is the project and the opportunity here. The role he could get in the team. I think first and foremost as a player that can help the team with his abilities.

"The character and the culture architect I think he is as well, in terms of pushing the group every single day, training and matches. I think you can see he is very exciting. There is some very exciting potential in this club.”

“Conor, I think, has a lot of good offensive abilities. You know, his ability to arrive in the box and score goals, his way of finishing. I think he's a clever finisher. As well, I think his skills around the last third is good in terms of arriving in the right positions.

"I told him about the project and the plan with him and the club and what we are aiming for and all that suited him very well and also I think he suited us and I think we suited him.”

Tottenham have not won in four games in all competitions since their 1-0 away win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, thanks to an Archie Gray header from close range.

Manager Thomas Frank is under increasing pressure going into Saturday's London derby with West Ham following their Third Round FA Cup exit to Aston Villa last weekend.

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Frank said the aim is for his Spurs side to be at the top of the Premier League.

He said: “Everything. You learn about the club, how it is working. You learn about the staff, the players. Every person I am working with here. That definitely makes me better, no doubt about that.

"The more you know, the better decisions you hopefully can make, the more precise you are about what needs to be done to get us to where we all want to be. Where this fantastic club should be, at the top of the Premier League. That is where we want to be.

Frank also touched on recent pressure he is facing following the inconsistent results of late.

He said: “For me, it is only focussing on what I can affect. There is a lot of noise. I know that because I have been told that, I am not stupid. Of course, I know we want more good results, but I am also focussing on what I can see is actually working.

"We need to do more of that. I know we need to focus on being calm and do the right thing and keep carrying on. If we do that, then you know it is a random game.

He added: "If we keep doing the right thing, then that randomness, hopefully, because we do more things right, and we have done that especially in the last six games, that randomness will turn, because we keep going after the positive and believe what we are doing is the right thing, then things will turn.”

Frank also expects the pressure to lift at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium once Spurs' poor home form lifts.

Tottenham have only won two home games in the Premier League this season against Burnley on the opening day and then against Thomas Frank's former side Brentford early in December.

He said: "I definitely think something, especially when we turn this around and we won three games at home in every competition in a row, that would be a big step. I think it would be a very good idea to start on Saturday, that unbeaten run at home, in many ways.

"Sometimes it can feel a little bit not as smooth or easy, just coming, but as soon as you turn that corner, things will be a little bit more smooth, if that makes sense. So, hopefully that energy and then the collaboration between the team and the fans that you felt second half against Villa, first half against Sunderland, that is what we need to get more of.

"When you have that, then it is a fantastic place, our fantastic stadium, our home. That is where we need to be. I mean it. Any successful team needs to create a fortress. I know it has been difficult, but that is what we are aiming for. The more we do, the more we believe, the more we do together, the better chance we have.”

Tottenham Hotspur are currently 14th in the Premier League and only have one win in their last five league games. They are not a team in good form and also suffered an FA Cup Third Round exit at home to Aston Villa at the weekend.

Manager, Thomas Frank, is under increasing pressure because it has not been good enough. Spurs had a tough season last year and finished 17th in the table but they did lift the UEFA Europa League trophy. This season fans expected an improvement and wanted to see their team competing higher up the table. There is still a long way to go and there have been some positive signs but in recent weeks they have faded and it is not looking great.

Last time against West Ham United, it was an emphatic 3-0 win for Spurs at the London Stadium. That was a day where everything Spurs did went their way but it has not been smooth sailing since then.

Last week Frank's side lost 3-2 at Bournemouth after a late goal. It was all the more frustrating as Bournemouth were without a league win since the end of October.

The Hammers, however, come into this game in 18th place and seven points from safety. They suffered a 2-1 defeat to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest last week and that result could prove costly in terms of their survival chances.

A chance to kickstart their season?

It could be argued that Spurs need this game to kickstart their season and hopefully start a climb up the table. They have suffered lately and things have not been going their way. At times their performances have looked disjointed and it has been hard to get any form of momentum going.

They may be at the point where results take priority over performances but their displays of late, even in the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, did not offer enough for supporters to feel like a corner has been turned.

Nuno Espirito Santo's West Ham should not be underestimated because they are a side who should be playing with a point to prove. It is also a London derby so it will be a game with an extra edge to it. However, given the result from earlier in the season, Spurs should come into the game with a degree of confidence.

Their home form in the last year has also been very poor and fans have not had much to cheer about in north London but some fans might believe that West Ham are the ideal opponents to give them a lift.

How much longer will Thomas Frank get?

Thomas Frank has made the step up from Brentford to Spurs and the expectations are inevitably higher at a club like Spurs. It would be fair to say that they are not a club who have experienced too much league success in recent seasons. Therefore, Frank is not the only manager to find life difficult at the helm.

It is to be expected that people would start to question his position after a poor run. The last week has not helped his chances as an early cup exit is always disappointing and the manner of the defeat at Bournemouth was not good. Also, before the game, Frank was pictured holding an Arsenal cup and after the game players were seen in discussions with fans.

He probably does need a good result to buy himself some more time. He will tell the media that it is a project and that he cannot make all the changes he wants to make immediately. However, he has to prove to fans that he is the man for the long term and the one to be backed during the transfer window.

Is Dominic Solanke back fit and ready to fight for his place?

The striker has missed much of the season due to injury, which has been frustrating for the player and the fans, but he made his comeback against Villa in the cup.

Spurs will be hoping that Solanke can start scoring goals again and get his career in white going. They have been light up front at times so will be hoping that he is able to help solve some of their problems.

There are other key players who will be missing

Frank will not wish to use this as an excuse but there are key players in his squad who will be missing due to injury.

Richarlison went off against Villa with a potential hamstring injury and it has been confirmed that Rodrigo Bentancur could be out for a while after he went off injured in the Bournemouth game. Former West Ham player Mohammed Kudus will miss the visit of his old employers as he is also out with an injury.

Lucas Bergvall and Destiny Udogie could be fit for the West Ham game but it is unkown at this stage.

Then, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have been out from the start of the season and will not be back anytime soon.

It is the same for every side but Frank would like to have some of these players available as they would be able to make an impact in games.

Thomas Frank shared his opinion on a 2-1 defeat for Tottenham against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Spurs have struggled for home form in the Premier League under their new head coach, and trend seemed set to continue after goals for Emiliano Buendiaand Morgan Rogers in the first half. The third best team in the division went through the gears after the Argentine’s strike, and it looked like the hosts would have a long afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if things did not change.

There was a response, helped through a goal from Wilson Odobert, but the pressure continues to pile on the Dane, who was determined to take positives from the performance after the boos of full time.

“I think the first 20 was probably relatively even. After that (first) goal, we couldn't really get near them. We needed to react quicker to that. The four, five, six times we went high pressure, we actually won it, but we didn't get that enough. That changed in the second half.

“The second half was excellent. That's the game we want to play, with intensity, passion, aggression, good high pressure, playing forward, penetration with runs and passes, good goals.

“The first half was not as good. The second goal is what kills us. We're facing a good team, they scored a quality goal, the first one. The second half, when we’re all together, the fans, the energy, how they feed off each other, that's brilliant.

“There were a lot of good things in the second half, no doubt about that. I agree, Xavi Simons was excellent, especially in the second half. He wanted to get on the ball, he wanted to be decisive, he wanted to make the final action, either with a pass or a goal or an assist or a second assist.

“The intensity from the whole team driving forward, I loved that. We need to put that together over two halves and cut out the mistakes, particularly the second goal.”

Unai Emery expressed his thoughts on a 2-1 victory for Aston Villa against Tottenham.

The Villans have moved into the fourth round of the FA Cup thanks to a triumph over Spurs for the second time in three months by this score. Once Emiliano Buendia broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, the guests showed class, doubling the lead with a close-range finish from Morgan Rogers.

The men of Thomas Frank were under extreme pressure, and they attempted to forge a fightback for their fans as Wilson Odobert drilled home a goal for the hosts. However, Emery’s men held off their opposition, and the Basque boss believes his players managed the contest well enough to earn this result, progressing in the tournament.

“90 minutes against one team like Tottenham, you must try to dominate, to get your momentum, getting some advantage like we did. And then the momentum, be resilient and defend like we did, and set-pieces as well, be strong.

“In 90 minutes, the first half, we dominated more. They had their momentum, but we were more or less defending well, and we were getting in their box, and we were dominating with the ball, keeping ball possession, and creating chances, and we scored two goals.

“After the second half, we started worse than the first half because they pushed, because they tried as well to get more opportunities or more chances to score, and they did one. They scored one goal.

“But then, progressively again, we were recovering our good position, recovering our personality with the ball to stop them and control and dominate the match through keeping ball possession.

“We didn’t score one goal, but we were controlling the match like we did the first half more, the second part of the second half: we even finished the match, pushing them and stopping them more.”

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Both Bournemouth and Tottenham have been on a torrid run of form, having both endured positive starts.

The Cherries inflicted Thomas Frank's first league defeat as Spurs manager, coming out 1-0 victors in North London in September.​

Andoni Iraola’s side will be looking to create history in completing the double over Tottenham for the first time on Wednesday evening.

Improving Cherries

Despite not winning since the end of October, optimism is rising on the South coast after spirited performances against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Bournemouth pushed runaway leaders Arsenal all the way at the Vitality, falling to a narrow 3-2 defeat, becoming just the third team to score more than once against the Gunners this season.

The encouraging outings underline that the Cherries tend to perform better against teams that dominate possession.

With their high press suffocating the opposition and their pace and power punishing sides on transitions.

Struggling Spurs

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Since their impressive win at Everton in October, Tottenham have floundered, winning just twice in the league.

​They were held to a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Sunday, with a late Brian Brobbey goal denying a rare win.​

With pressure mounting on boss Frank, the next three in the league are vital, playing three of the bottom six.

Team News

Bournemouth

The Cherries will be without midfield stalwarts Ryan Christie (Knee) and Tyler Adams (MCL) for the visit of Tottenham

Scotland international Christie, who only returned from injury in December, is currently dealing with an ongoing knee problem.

While long-term absentees Ben Gannon Doak (Hamstring) and Veljko Milosavljević (Knee) remain out.

Back-up goalkeeper Will Dennis suffered an ankle injury in training last week, with the club awaiting results from an MRI scan.

Justin Kluivert will miss the game due to an injury to his left knee, with the Dutchman set to undergo surgery on Thursday

Tottenham

Striker Dominic Solanke will miss the trip back to Dorset with an ankle injury.

While Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma both progressed with their respective countries at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Destiny Udogie is progressing well; however, this game will likely come too soon following a thigh injury.

There is also a concern surrounding summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who was forced off on Sunday with an abductor injury.

Long-term absentees James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain out with knee injuries.

Potential Lineups

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1) : Petrovic, Truffert, Senesi, Hill, Jimenez, Scott, Tavernier, Semenyo, Kroupi, Brooks, Evanilson

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies, Gray, Palhinha, Kolo Muani, Bergvall, Tel, Richarlison

Players to Watch

Bournemouth - Evanilson

The Brazilian netted his third of the season against Arsenal on Saturday capitalising on an error from Gabriel.

Despite struggling to rediscover last season goalscoring form Evanilson continues to bring far more than goals for The Cherries.

His hold up play and relentless pressing from the front has been the catalyst to their strong recent performances. .

The striker also has an impressive record against Wednesday opponents scoring twice in just three appearances.

Tottenham - Richarlison

Fellow countryman Richarlison is having an excellent season, netting seven times in the league this term.

​The Brazilian international has been handed an opportunity following an injury to Solanke and has deputised well.

​Richarlison has been unfortunate not to have netted more, consistently finding himself in right positions proving a nightmare for defenses.

Match Details

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Where will the match be played?

The Match will be played at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth.

What time is Kick-off?

Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 GMT.

Will the game be broadcast in the UK

The game will be shown on Sky Sports Golf.

Thomas Frank reflected on the management of the Tottenham squad as attacking options decrease.

Mohammed Kudus pulled up with an injury in the 1-1 draw against Sunderland only hours after Brennan Johnson became the record signing for Crystal Palace. With Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison already missing, Spurs are looking short of offensive numbers.

“It was not a game where we were just, boom, on top of it, and we just need that goal, and we were just controlling the game. So if that was the case, then it could have been a different decision. I think when we put Joao Palhinha and Lucas Bergvall on, there's been a lot of running, and it was a little bit back and forth.

“So Lucas played 10 many times, and been a very good creative player for us, so that was more or less like-for-like [positionally in this game] for Wilson Odobert, and then with Joao for Archie Gray, it was a game where we, I think it's fair to say, maybe lacked the exact cutting edge.

“Maybe it would be good just to make sure we could win 1-0, which we unfortunately couldn't.

“I'm very happy with Mathys Tel stepping in and looking very positive. That was a big positive, I would say.

“You can say that if we had Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus for today, then I think we have enough. But now we, for this game, didn't have them. Mo only for, what, 10 minutes? So there's just some games where you're very light, and that happens for teams.

“I think the depth is one thing. Sometimes, you know, the decisions make more sense further down the line. And now there was an opportunity to sell a player, which the club hasn't been that good at in the past and sometimes that window can be small, if you want to do that, for example.

“We are out there. We are really, how can you say, alert. The club really wants to see what we can do to strengthen the squad and the team. I say many times it's a difficult window and we still need to have the short-term solution to be the long-term solution as well.”

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has spoken to the media ahead of his side’s visit to the Vitality Stadium to take on AFC Bournemouth.

Spurs, who sit 13th with one win and two draws in their last five games, will be on the hunt for redemption after narrowly missing out on a win over the weekend at Sunderland.

Their opponents place just below the north London side in 15th, with no wins and three draws in their last five – so will be in desperate need of a victory at home.

Who could play?

Frank has confirmed the likely absence of Mohammed Kudus, after the midfielder picked up an injury during Sunday’s match versus Sunderland, going down in the 19th minute clutching his left leg.

Frank said: “He's going for a scan here at one o'clock to clarify the issue. So, unfortunately, I don't have a big update on it.

“He’s most likely ruled out for Bournemouth.”

Also out of action for tonight’s visit to Bournemouth is former Cherries player Dominic Solanke, who has not played since August since suffering a recurring issue with his ankle.

Some solace was provided for Spurs fans, with Frank explaining:

“Today you could see in training that he's nice and composed on the ball, good decisions, good touches.”

However, it could take a while longer for a full return to normality to be made for the forward, with Frank adding:

“When we’re a little bit more competitive in the small-sided games, he is of course lacking and he looked a little rusty, which is completely normal.

“Even if he's ready for whatever time in the near future, hopefully, then I think you will be surprised to just see him hit the ground running – very few players do that.”

Destiny Udogie remains an unknown for tonight, but Frank expressed his positivity with his performance in training. Cristian Romero is confirmed to be playing.

A strong opposition

Frank praised Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side after their performance against Arsenal over the weekend, stating the importance of his side remaining forward-thinking and being fully focused ahead of tonight’s clash.

“We need to look optimistically and positive on the future, but also understanding where we are and keep working very hard to improve and make sure we are ready against a very good Bournemouth team.

“I know they haven't won as much lately, but they are a team that is very competitive with Iraola.

“They play a very aggressive pressing game, [they are] one of the best pressing teams in the league, if not the best.”

The Spurs boss went on to express where he felt his squad should challenge the Cherries most effectively, saying:

“They have a very lively front four, no matter who plays, so that's where we need to be good and compete, but also be smart.”

On the draw with Sunderland

Tottenham hosted 8th placed Sunderland on Sunday afternoon, keeping a 1-1 draw after allowing in a late Brian Brobbey goal in the 80th minute – leading to vocal expressions of disappointment from the home fans.

Frank provided his own thoughts when asked about his side’s performance:

“Sometimes it's not only about the possession, you like to dominate but they went man-for-man, so there was a lot of open spaces to run into.

“For me, that's the critical areas that we didn't manage to punish from this game.

“Second half, I felt we dropped off in our drop-off runs to open up and keep the ball.

“I think also, it’s not like we won five games in a row and everything is just free and smooth – when you're up 1-0 and you really badly want to win, that can be a little bit nervy.”

He concluded his response to this question by saying:

“One thing is our name and our fantastic history, another reality is where we are right now.”

Praise for key players

Ben Davies, the longest-serving player in this current Lilywhites squad, received his fair share of praise from Frank after scoring the opening goal at home against Sunderland – his first since 2023.

“Ben [Davies] is a fantastic character, a true pro and I would say ambassador for this club.

“The things he experienced in the last 11 years here with all the ups and the downs and the ups and the downs… he's a fantastic guy to have.

“The way he stepped on the pitch with composure and personality just helped us a lot… I think he did very well.”

Also in the eyeline of Frank is Mathys Tel, with the Spurs’ skipper maintaining that the position on the left wing is ‘up for grabs’ in light of there being ‘no one who’s really grabbed that shirt’.

“I would say that he definitely had a positive impact… let's see what will happen against Bournemouth.

“It is also that fine balance of giving some players the trust for a run of games, so they can maybe hopefully find a bit of rhythm and also increase their performance level.”

Frank also suggested there are areas of improvement for the young winger, stating that he "did some positive things and got into good situations."

“I think he was also taking more care of the ball. I think it's a big thing, we spoke about that against Brentford and Crystal Palace, we lost the ball maybe 20 or 25 times – you should never lose the ball.

“That's also part of it – you can't break through, okay, you protect it, one more pass, two more passes, okay, then we go again… but overall, positive."

The Black Cats will be looking to continue their unbeaten run after an impressive goalless draw against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side on New Year's Day.

Regis Le Bris’ team are now four games unbeaten, drawing their last three games, despite losing seven players to the African Cup of Nations.

Spurs themselves have started 2026 unbeaten following a goalless draw at Brentford; this came off the back of a 1-0 away win against Crystal Palace to end 2025.

Team News

Tottenham Hotspur

Lucas Bergvall is a doubt ahead of Sunday’s game, but Thomas Frank confirmed Dominic Solanke is getting closer to full fitness and expects to have the England striker back in contention by the end of January.

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie all remain sidelined, and Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr are still on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

Xavi Simons is serving the final game of his three-match ban following his red card against Liverpool.

Sunderland

Defender Dan Ballard is expected to be back in contention after missing the last two games with an ankle injury.

Habib Diarra, Bertrand Traore, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Arthur Masuaku and Reinildo Mandava all remain at the African Cup of Nations with their respective countries.

Likely Line-ups

Tottenham Hotspur

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van De Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bentancur, Gray; Kudus, Odobert, Richarlison

Sunderland

Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Cirkin; Xhaka ©, Geertruida; Mayenda, Le Fee, Mundle; Brobbey

Key Players

Sunderland – Enzo Le Fee

The French attacking midfielder has been flying under the radar for Sunderland this season.

While Granit Xhaka deservedly receives most of the plaudits for the success of Le Bris’ team, Le Fee himself has been instrumental.

The Former Roma midfielder has two goals and three assists to his name so far this season and delivered another impressive performance against Manchester City on Thursday.

Le Fee completed 80% of his 41 passes, created two chances, made four tackles, five interceptions, three recoveries, and won eight of his 10 duels.

Sunderland’s counter attacks seemed to flow through Le Fee against City, and the same will be required again from the Frenchman on Sunday if the Black Cats are to come away from Spurs with a result.

Tottenham Hotspur – Mohammed Kudus

Kudus has been an important part of Frank’s team since joining from West Ham in the summer.

His two goals and five assists makes him second among all Spurs players this season behind Richarlison.

However, Kudus hasn’t registered a goal or assist in his last four games and only has one goal and one assist in his last 10 Premier League games.

If Spurs are to unlock Sunderland’s stingy defence, then Kudus could be the key.

Spurs will need a big game from their Ghanaian winger against a side that has only conceded once in their last four games and ranks third for goals conceded behind Arsenal and Manchester City.

Kudus ranks seventh in the Premier League for successful dribbles per 90 and could prove to be a tough task for former Spurs player Dennis Cirkin, who has only played two times this season.

Match Details

Where is the match being played?

The match will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

What time is the match?

Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 GMT on Sunday 4th January 2026.

How can I watch?