Thomas Frank said he was satisfied with Tottenham’s display despite their 5–3 defeat to PSG.
Thomas Frank took encouragement from Tottenham’s display despite their 5–3 defeat to PSG in the Champions League. The clash in Paris was action-packed. Spurs opened the scoring through Richarlison, who tapped in his third goal in three games. Vitinha levelled things up with a stunning strike from distance that crashed in off the bar.
Randal Kolo Muani restored Tottenham’s lead with his first goal for the club, but the European champions soon took control. Vitinha struck again to make it 2–2, before Fabian Ruiz put PSG ahead for the first time. Pacho reacted quickest to a loose ball from a corner to add a fourth. Kolo Muani then grabbed another to give Spurs a lifeline, but PSG wrapped things up when Vitinha completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
The defeat was Tottenham’s first in this season’s Champions League and extended their poor stretch to just one win in five. Still, Frank felt the display was a clear step forward from Sunday’s North London Derby loss.
“I’m pleased with the performance,” he said. “This was exactly the response I wanted. We worked extremely hard to make sure we bounced back from that poor showing. Today you saw more of the identity I’m trying to instil — more character, personality, and aggression. Those three traits are essential no matter the system or style, and that’s what encouraged me.
“We could easily have taken a draw or even a win, so it’s disappointing to concede the goals we did.
“The forwards scored twice, Richarlison and Kolo Muani both made an impact, and the whole team put in a solid shift. Archie Gray showed a lot of promise. And of course, PSG are an elite team.”
Frank also touched on Kolo Muani’s performance: “This is the kind of contribution we hope he can offer. Two goals and an assist every game isn’t realistic — though I’d happily accept it — but he arrived late in the window, missed pre-season, wasn’t fully fit, and had two setbacks plus the jaw issue you saw again today. As he settles in, we expect him to give us even more.”
