Jermain Defoe has confidently backed Tottenham to recover from their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal and avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
Spurs had appeared to have clawed themselves back into Sunday’s north London derby as Randal Kolo Muani equalised just two minutes after Eberechi Eze had opened the scoring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But the hosts were well beaten in the second half, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring twice – either side of Eze’s second on the hour-mark – to tighten Arsenal’s grip on top spot.
The result meant the Gunners finished the weekend five points clear of nearest rivals at the summit. Mikel Arteta’s men will look to pick up where they left off when they return to action at home to Chelsea in a week’s time.
It’s back to the drawing board for Igor Tudor, though, with Tottenham hovering just four points above the dreaded drop zone after a winless start to 2026 in the English top flight.
The Croatian will look to pick up his first points as Spurs’ interim manager when his side travel to Craven Cottage to face off against Fulham next Sunday.
‘There is a big gap in this specific moment between the two teams,’ Tudor told reporters following Spurs’ heavy loss.
‘It was too much, Arsenal, for us, in this moment and with the problems we have.
‘Also, it’s nice to understand where we are because you prepare in the best possible way then there is the game to show you the reality. It’s nice from one point of view so each of us understand and come.
‘As I said the players, stay quiet. They come [back to training] on Tuesday and restart after these three or four training sessions to start to work harder than we did until now.
‘To change our habits, to change the state of mind which is now as a team… it is the only way to work.’
Asked if the job may be tougher than he had initially expected, Tudor replied: ‘You never know. You never know because this is a situation that I never saw.
‘We have ten players plus three players [available]. So it’s very, I don’t know which word is best to use, but I like because I see the players want to do.
‘Okay, they are in this position but now we need to restart again and wait for the players who are out.
‘For sure, that’s also a big reason. But it is how it is.’
Less a year on from their historic Europa League triumph, Spurs fans may be forced to resign themselves to the fact that they could feasibly drop down into the Championship should results fail to improve.
According to former Spurs striker Defoe, the responsibility is now on the players to try and turn the situation around with just 11 games remaining of their campaign.
‘Of course [they are in a relegation fight]. The games are running out and that’s the reality,’ Defoe said on Viaplay shortly after the final whistle.
‘I believe the players were up for the game today, like you would be.
‘I said before, it’s not a game that you need motivating for and the atmosphere, you’re probably not going to always get that in the other games. You get that in the north London derby.
‘So the players, going forward, are going to have to try and create that. And what I mean by that is have some quality with the ball.
‘When you get the ball back and you turn it over and then all of a sudden you’re under pressure… in that first half, Arsenal just pinned them back, they suffocated them.
‘Even though they had good shape, they were suffocated. At some stage, you have to show some quality with the ball, create chances and do a little bit more.’
Asked whether relegation could now be a realistic possibility for Spurs, Defoe replied: ‘No, I don’t think they’ll go down.
‘They play against Fulham and Crystal Palace, they’re capable of winning those two games.
‘Hopefully they’ll get the injured players back. I’ve said before about the injuries… the list is unbelievable and it was the same last season.
‘So many key players are missing but there’s some long-term ones as well.
‘That’s the worry but I don’t they they’ll go down.’
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