As a maelstrom of pressure engulfs yet another Tottenham Hotspur manager, and another north London derby acts as the perfect prism for their unease, it’s worth reflecting on what the best-case scenario was on Sunday in Thomas Frank’s head. If that sounds a little sarcastic, it is intentional.

Tottenham weren’t just defensive as means to an end but emphatically one-dimensional. They had four touches in Arsenal’s penalty area – two from a central defender and two from a substitute. So what was the ideal version of this strategy working? Gutsy 0-0? Inexplicable late win thanks to a set piece against the best set-piece team?

Again hypothetically, say one of those two scenarios had implausibly played out. Would Spurs fans be heralding Frank as a defensive master? Would this joy vacuum-ball be

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