'We didn't fight,' says Tottenham's Vicario after derby drubbing

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario apologized to the club's fans on Sunday, saying his team lacked fight in a dispiriting 4-1 Premier League defeat at Arsenal.

It has been 15 years since Spurs last won a Premier League game away to Arsenal and that dire record never looked like changing, as Eberechi Eze helped himself to a hat-trick for the league leader.

"A very bad night for us. First of all we have to apologize to the people that support us every day," the Italian said.

"They expected us to fight, and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable in football at this level.

"It's a tough night, a very bad defeat."

Set up defensively, with manager Thomas Frank opting to start the game with a back five, Tottenham was virtually non-existent as an attacking force, with the sole highlight being an audacious Richarlison goal that came out of the blue to make it 3-1.

Tottenham's expected goals was a mere 0.07, and by the end, most of its fans had long since left the stands at the Emirates Stadium.

In truth, the final score could have been a lot more lopsided, with Vicario forced into several fine saves.

Spurs must now pick themselves up for an away Champions League clash with holder Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

"We have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of," Vicario said. "The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and to apologize to the people that support us and have traveled today.

"I think we waited too long to get into the game. We were too passive. The game plan we prepared was different."

Frank was also forced to apologize after his first taste of the north London derby raised fresh questions about his cautious tactics.

"Where do I start? It was hugely disappointing that we didn't perform better against our biggest rival. I can only apologize to the fans for that," he said.

Frank had already been criticized for his pragmatic approach to games, and Tottenham's latest tepid display forced him to defend his philosophy.

"Very emotional and frustrated right now. I take full responsibility. But what I will say is that we needed to be more aggressive, no matter the system," he said.

"We didn't win enough of those duels, whether that was due to a lack of fight, or whatever it was."

Agencies