The North London Derby is one of the season’s key fixtures, and the rivalry between Spurs and Arsenal truly is like no other. For Tottenham, the fixture has taken on a rather sinister turn as this term, the Lilywhites could be relegated.
Arsenal are sitting top of the table with a strong record (17 wins, 7 draws, 3 losses so far), holding a significant lead, while Tottenham are struggling mid-table (around 16th, with a poor recent form like LDDLL) and starting life under new interim manager Igor Tudor after a recent coaching change, as Thomas Frank who most people felt was a decent appointment, flat lined.
Troy Deeney, in his column for The Sun ahead of today’s clash, has pulled no punches:
“Tottenham are in denial, they are not a serious club and their mentality is all wrong for their relegation fight.
There will be players and staff pointing fingers or pretending nothing is quite as bad as it really is. But it is not realistic.
They were in denial when they finished 17th last year and have not moved on from it.
The former Premier League ace has a point.
The messaging that came out of Tottenham last season was dishonest. Yes, we won the Europa League trophy, that isn’t up for debate. However, the context was key. Avoiding relegation by one place, despite some abysmal domestic form, came with 22 losses, many at home. This was not just a club record, but one for the Premier League, which usually relegated sides that rack up as many defeats.
Some fans actually chanted that we were Champions of Europe, which was equally dishonest.
Deeney questions the mentality of the modern Spurs side:
I never played with a single footballer whose dream was to play for Spurs or would have thought they had ‘made it’ by reaching that club.
I played with some who moved from Tottenham who always said it was a great place to work, but there was no winning mentality.
This is damning stuff, backed up by a series of results that don’t appeal to anyone other than our opponents.
Spurs fans have been delighting in booing and basically treating the club as badly as the players have. The atmosphere at the stadium has frequently been toxic.
Arsenal are clear favourites for today, buoyed by their dominant recent derby form (e.g., thrashing Spurs 4-1 in the reverse fixture earlier this season in November 2025) and overall strong season, despite some recent draws causing a slight wobble in their title chase.
Spurs are under pressure in a must-not-lose scenario at home, but face an uphill battle given injuries, form, and the managerial transition.
It’s time to get serious.