Igor Tudor’s 3-5-2 formation was ruthlessly exposed in Tottenham’s 4-1 loss to Arsenal.
During Thomas Frank‘s eight-month tenure at Tottenham, he vacillated between playing two central defenders and three, with mixed results.
In the end, neither approach did him much good as the Dane was sacked, leading to Tudor‘s swift appointment at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until the end of the season.
The Croatian was given a brutal reality check in his first game in charge when Spurs were routed in the North London derby on Sunday, a result that left them just four points above the relegation zone.
Ahead of a trip to Fulham on Sunday, data suggests that moving away from the 3-5-2 formation may be the way to go for the former Juventus boss.
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The worrying Tottenham trends that needs addressing
Tottenham have not won in the Premier League since a 1-0 victory at fellow strugglers Crystal Palace on 28 December.
They are currently on a nine-match winless streak, something 18th-placed West Ham have taken advantage of – after three wins in their last six games – as they eye Premier League safety.
One approach that may stand Tottenham in good stead, however, is ditching the 3-5-2 formation Tudor utilised against Arsenal.
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Indeed, Opta states Tottenham have won just one of their last 10 league games when playing three at the back (three draws and six losses) and none of their last six (two draws and four losses).
Moreover, Tottenham are in danger of matching an unwanted record with their winless run. Opta adds that only once have they gone 10 games without victory, doing so between January and March 1994 under Osvaldo Ardiles.
Finally, Tottenham are the only Premier League side without a victory in 2026 so far. It’s only the fourth time they’ve gone through January and February without a league win, along with 1935 (seven games), 1994 (seven games), and 1999 (six games).
The key factors that are not helping Tottenham’s relegation fight
While Tottenham are enduring a wretched season, and the coaches in charge have not done a good job, their hands have been somewhat tied.
Undoubtedly, a team such as Tottenham should not be hovering just above the relegation zone in 16th, but injuries haven’t helped, either.
Indeed, they have been without playmakers Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison for the whole season due to serious knee injuries.
They may not return this campaign, while midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur are also sidelined amid this barren run.
Winger Mohammed Kudus may not return until April, while fellow wideman Wilson Odobert could miss most of the calendar year with a knee problem.
Spurs are hopeful that Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso will be back available after respective thigh and ankle injuries as the north London team aim to beat the drop.
Games against Fulham and Palace in the next fortnight represent a good opportunity to pick up points. But Tudor will need his side to be a lot better than they were against Arsenal to do just that.