Tottenham's Thomas Frank blames Ollie Watkins for post-match scuffle in loss to Aston Villa

Villa's 2-1 victory sealed a third-round exit for Spurs and deepened a difficult spell for Frank, whose side are now out of both domestic cups and sitting 14th in the Premier League. The closing moments at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were overshadowed by a brief but ugly post-match clash.

Watkins celebrated the win with Villa's travelling supporters in close proximity to Joao Palhinha, which Frank believes was deliberate. Palhinha reacted by shoving the striker, prompting teammates including Morgan Rogers, Micky van de Ven and Ezri Konsa to step in before the situation quickly subsided.

"Of course it's about keeping a cool head," Frank said. "The players gave everything. When you lose a tight game and the season is not going perfectly, emotions are high. Ollie is very provoking in the way he celebrates - he can easily walk around."

The incident came after another turbulent week for Spurs, with Palhinha and Van de Ven involved in a heated exchange with supporters following the midweek defeat at Bournemouth, while Cristian Romero was absent against Villa as he served an additional ban for failing to leave the pitch promptly after his red card against Liverpool.

On the pitch, Tottenham left themselves too much to do. Emiliano Buendía and Donyell Malen scored before the break to give Villa control, and although Wilson Odobert pulled one back early in the second half, the hosts were unable to complete the comeback.

Frank admitted the slow start proved costly. "We are all hurt," he said. "Second half was very good, but we could have done better in the first."

Villa boss Unai Emery felt his side deserved to progress and played down the late confrontation, while acknowledging frustration over Boubacar Kamara's early injury following a challenge involving Palhinha.

As boos greeted the final whistle, the pressure on Frank continued to mount, with Tottenham's FA Cup elimination adding to a growing sense of unrest around the club.

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