Thomas Frank insisted he had no idea he drank from an Arsenal-branded cup during a "painful" 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth that piled pressure on the beleaguered Tottenham boss on Wednesday.
Frank was pictured holding the cup with an Arsenal badge clearly visible while he stood on the touchline at the Vitality Stadium.
Tottenham's bitter north London rivals Arsenal were the previous visitors to Bournemouth, winning 3-2 on Saturday, leading to suggestions the cup was left in the visitors' dressing room.
But the bizarre gaffe by the Dane sparked outrage from Tottenham fans on social media, leaving Frank with more awkward questions to answer following the latest wretched result of his troubled reign.
"I definitely didn't notice it," Frank said. "I think it's fair to say we're not winning every single football match so it would be absolutely, completely stupid of me to take a cup from Arsenal.
"They have been in the changing room the game before us. It's normal to take a cup, give me an espresso, I do that before every game, so I think actually it's a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question about that.
"We're definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to be worry about me having a cup with a logo of another club. Of course I would never do that. That's extremely stupid."
Thomas Frank before Tottenham’s match against Bournemouth.
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) January 7, 2026
What’s that in his hands?…👀 pic.twitter.com/sLovQ0hcEo
Joao Palhinha's bicycle kick looked set to earn Frank a reprieve after first-half goals from Bournemouth duo Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi overturned Mathys Tel's early opener.
But Antoine Semenyo, who is on the verge of a move to Manchester City, smashed home his 10th goal of the season in stoppage-time to push Frank closer to the sack just eight months after he arrived from Brentford.
The loss left Tottenham with just two wins from their last 12 league games and prompted heated exchanges between fans and some of Frank's players at full-time.
"I think it's fair to say everyone involved in Tottenham, it's a tough one to take today," Frank said.
"Hopefully everyone can see how hard we worked to get everything in the right direction.
"Overall the performance was good, especially the second half, in a game where we deserved to get more.
"That is extremely painful to be part of, so of course people are frustrated, that's natural."
Semenyo, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, was given a standing ovation when he was substituted moments after his winner before being serenaded by Bournemouth supporters following the fairytale ending.
"He deserved this moment; I'm happy football has given him this moment he will not forget," Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola said.
"It's not easy to do what he has done because a lot of the players would have acted differently. He's never found excuses."