Spurs slip at Burnley increases pressure on Frank as City win

Published January 25, 2026
LONDON: West Ham United’s Taty Castellanos stretches to control the ball under pressure from Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard and Omar Alderete (L) during their Premier League match at the London Stadium on Saturday.—AFP
LONDON: West Ham United’s Taty Castellanos stretches to control the ball under pressure from Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard and Omar Alderete (L) during their Premier League match at the London Stadium on Saturday.—AFP

LONDON: Thomas Frank’s job is under renewed threat after Tottenham Hotspur dropped more points in a 2-2 draw at relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday as Manchester City provisionally cut the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to four points.

Disgruntled Spurs fans vented their anger at their manager after last week’s damaging 2-1 defeat against West Ham United, chanting: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” The former Brentford boss breathed a sigh of relief after a 2-0 midweek win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

But Tottenham travelled to Turf Moor in desperate need of a win in the Premier League after just two victories in 13 league games.

The visitors dominated the first half and deservedly led when Micky van de Ven produced a powerful left-footed strike after Burnley failed to clear.

But they conceded moments before half-time when defender Axel Tuanzebe side-footed home a Kyle Walker cross and worse was to follow for the visitors when Lyle Foster put Burnley ahead in the 76th minute.

In a nail-biting finale, Xavi Simons rattled the crossbar for Spurs before captain Cristian Romero headed home a leveller in the 90th minute.

The draw leaves Spurs 13th in the table.

Pep Guardiola’s City came into the match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad without a win in four league games in 2026 and smarting after an embarrassing 3-1 Champions League defeat at Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

Erling Haaland was left on the bench after just one goal in five league matches, with Guardiola explaining his star forward needed to “clean a little bit his mind and body”.

Centre-back Marc Guehi made his debut five days after his move from Crystal Palace, easing City’s crippling defensive crisis that has claimed John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

Egypt forward Omar Marmoush put the home side ahead in the sixth minute, finishing sharply from a Matheus Nunes cross for his first Premier League goal of the season.

BURNLEY: Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero celebrates after scoring the equaliser during the Premier League match against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.—Reuters
BURNLEY: Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero celebrates after scoring the equaliser during the Premier League match against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.—Reuters

City made it 2-0 shortly before half-time when Antoine Semenyo scored his third goal for the club in all competitions since arriving at the Etihad from Bournemouth earlier this month.

The win lifts City to 46 points — four behind Arsenal, who host Michael Carrick’s Manchester United on Sunday.

But bottom club Wolves, 14 points from safety, appear to be doomed despite a recent uptick in results.

Fulham came back from a goal down to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at Craven Cottage.

Samuel Chukwueze cancelled out Yasin Ayari’s spectacular first-half strike for the visitors and Harry Wilson grabbed a winner in stoppage time.

Earlier, West Ham blew Sunderland away 3-1 to make it two wins out of two and climb to within two points of Premier League safety.

The home side effectively had the game sewn up by half-time after Crysencio Summerville’s opener, Jarrod Bowen’s penalty and a long-range rocket from Mateus Fernandes.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026

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