Premier League sack race: Thomas Frank and Arne Slot latest after shattering defeats
Arne Slot and Thomas Frank appear to be in a tight race to be the next Premier League manager to face the sack.
Tottenham drew 2-2 with Burnley on Saturday, extending their run of consecutive Premier League games without a win to five.
The Lilywhites are just eight points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham, and could be dragged further towards the relegation zone if a change is not made.
Elsewhere, Liverpool lost 3-2 to Bournemouth after Amine Adli bundled in a stoppage-time winner.
Arne Slot is expected to face big questions at Liverpool in the summer, but the Dutchman should be fearing the next few weeks as well.
Thomas Frank leads sack race
Football Insider revealed on Saturday that Tottenham are prepared to allow Frank even more time to turn his side’s form around.
But fan pressure is increasing by the game, and the Dane’s departure feels a matter of when, rather than if.
Micky van de Ven had given the visitors the lead on Saturday, but goals from Axel Tuanzebe and Lyle Foster had Tottenham facing successive Premier League losses to sides in the relegation zone.
| Burnley | Match stats | Tottenham |
| 38% | Possession | 62% |
| 9 | Shots | 18 |
| 4 | On target | 11 |
| 1.44 | Expected goals (xG) | 2.05 |
| 1 | Corners | 3 |
Cristian Romero‘s stoppage-time header spared Frank‘s blushes, somewhat, but there was no sense of celebration.
Tottenham fans booed the manager and chanted for his sacking, just as they have on several occasions in recent weeks.
At the Vitality Stadium, the pressure increased further on Slot as his side were beaten by Bournemouth.
While the score line ultimately suggested a narrow result, Liverpool were lucky not to be further behind.
The Cherries produced 2.35 expected goals (xG), and enjoyed six big chances compared to the Reds’ one. For now, Slot’s side remain fourth, but they could easily be leapfrogged on Sunday.
Frank leads the Premier League sack race at 1/2, with Slot following closely behind at 7/2 and Oliver Glasner (6/1) further back, according to one major bookmaker.
What Frank said after Tottenham disappointment
Frank was keen to look for the positives after Saturday’s draw, but he must be aware of the sharks circling his feet.
“You can’t say we didn’t do everything to win,” he said. “We just need to keep improving. The only way it can be is calm heads, carry on and keep doing what we think is the right thing.
“We do more than enough to win the game, we just need to defend better in two situations. And, of course, score another goal that could make the difference at 1-0.”
Up next for Tottenham in the Premier League is a nightmare run of Man City, Man United, Newcastle United and Arsenal.
Considering that run, it would be a surprise to see Frank still have his job by the time March rolls around, although Daniel Farke has shown at Leeds United that a difficult run can be a manager’s saviour.