Tottenham suffered a 4-1 loss to Arsenal in the North London derby.
The North London derby against Arsenal presented a tough challenge for new Tottenham Hotspur coach Igor Tudor. Arsenal, regarded as favorites, demonstrated their superiority with a decisive 4-1 victory, highlighting the significant gap between the two teams.
The first half was competitive, with Spurs equalizing at 1-1 after Randal Kolo Muani responded quickly to Eberechi Eze’s goal. However, Arsenal stepped up their performance in the second half and overwhelmed the home side.
Igor Tudor acknowledged Arsenal’s dominance in his post-match comments. The Croatian coach, who started training the team just a week earlier, honestly assessed his squad’s performance, recognizing the difficulties Tottenham faces against a team at the top of the league. He made a clear distinction between players lacking quality and those with unproductive habits.
Steve Nicol stated that Tottenham demonstrated effort despite the loss, insisting that the club will avoid relegation.
Tottenham is currently struggling to secure positive results in the Premier League and remains winless in 2026, raising concerns about relegation. Following Thomas Frank’s dismissal, Tudor’s task is to instill discipline and determination in the players to ensure their safety in the league.
Despite the heavy defeat in Tudor’s first match, ESPN FC analyst Steve Nicol believes Tottenham showed enough resilience during the game. He feels the renewed spirit among the players is crucial for their fight for survival and that they have the talent to remain in the Premier League.
“Was I the only one that actually saw some spirit in Spurs?” Nicol asked during an ESPN FC segment.
“I know it finished 4-1, but I saw some spirit there. And if you have got that, they have got enough good players.
“It is why they are going to be able to stay up. I said last week that the only job Igor Tudor had was to get the players together and get them playing for each other.
“Because of the talent they do have. Yes, they have got the injuries, so I thought I saw some spirit there.”