Tottenham: Ollie Watkins blamed for sparking Joao Palhinha clash in post-FA Cup brawl

Thomas Frank has claimed that Ollie Watkins provoked Joao Palhinha during a mass brawl following Tottenham’s 2-1 FA Cup loss to Aston Villa.

The incident occurred when Palhinha pushed Watkins after he celebrated in front of the travelling Villa fans at the full-time whistle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The push then triggered reactions from Villa midfielders Morgan Rogers and Lamare Bogarde, while both teams’ benches rushed onto the pitch to intervene.

Speaking about the incident, Frank emphasized the importance of his players staying calm but criticized Watkins for walking into Palhinha.

“I don’t think so. I guess you’ve seen the situation? I just wanted to make sure I saw it correctly. Of course, it’s about keeping a cool head,” Frank said in his post-match press conference.

“The players gave everything, but losing a close game when the season isn’t going perfectly is tough. I think Ollie was very provocative. The way he went to celebrate in front of the Villa fans and walked into Joao could easily have been avoided. Anyone who’s been in a competitive environment knows this can trigger reactions.”

Tottenham have struggled with emotional outbursts this season, with Cristian Romero recently receiving an additional one-game FA suspension following his red card against Liverpool.

However, Frank refused to label his team as having a discipline problem, insisting he wants his players to show passion despite the challenging run of results.

“Playing with passion sometimes means pushing the limits, maybe even going a bit over the line. I see players with huge passion who want to perform well for the club, and that’s important. Of course, you also need to keep a cool head.”