Dominic Solanke eases pressure on under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank

Dominic Solanke scored on his first start of the season to ease the pressure on Thomas Frank after Tottenham claimed a much-needed 2-0 win over 10-man Borussia Dortmund.

Frank’s seven-month tenure looked close to being over after they lost at home to West Ham on Saturday to make it eight defeats in 14 matches.

Spurs supporters chanted Frank was “getting sacked in the morning”, but despite talks over the future of the Danish coach he remained in post for the Champions League visit of Dortmund and watched his fortunes change.

Captain Cristian Romero fired Tottenham ahead in the 14th minute from a Wilson Odobert cross before the same man set up Solanke for a fortuitous close-range finish.

Dortmund, who had Daniel Svensson sent off after 26 minutes, attempted to rally in the second half, but depleted and out-of-form Spurs cruised home to put themselves in the driving seat for a top-eight finish and ensure Frank will live to fight another day.

The pressure had mounted on Frank after Spurs conceded in stoppage time against West Ham and the Danish coach was given no assurances over his future in a meeting with key figures at the club on Monday.

Nevertheless, Frank and Tottenham faced an uphill battle with 13 players unavailable against a Dortmund side unbeaten in seven.

Solanke was fit enough to start for the first time since May 25 in a timely boost and Spurs started strongly with Odobert and Pedro Porro able to get in behind before the same duo were involved in a 14th-minute opener.

Porro’s corner found Odobert and although he made a mess of his initial volley, the French attacker cut back for Romero to sweep home his fourth goal of the season.

Xavi Simons had a shot deflected wide and then raced back down the other end to crowd out Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi.

A mistake by Guglielmo Vicario soon after went unpunished and then Tottenham’s cause got a little easier when Svensson was sent off.

Dortmund wing-back Svensson stretched to win the ball from Odobert, but planted his studs high up on the leg of the Spurs attacker and referee Glenn Nyberg produced a red card after being sent to the monitor by VAR.

Djed Spence almost capitalised when he fired over before Tottenham’s second arrived seven minutes before half-time.

Odobert was central to it again after he combined with Porro and crossed for Solanke, who made a mess of his finish with a flick on to his standing leg which rebounded back off his other foot but the ball rolled in for his first goal of an injury-ravaged campaign.

Dortmund made a double change at the break and substitute Julian Ryerson curled a free-kick wide early into the second half before Frank was hit with another injury.

Lucas Bergvall limped off and 17-year-old Jun’ai Byfield was handed a professional debut.

Solanke made way soon after and despite Xavi and Romero going close, it ended 2-0 after Vicario tipped over from Nico Schlotterbeck’s stoppage-time header to earn Tottenham a first win of 2026 and extend their unbeaten home record in Europe to 24 matches.