Tottenham Hotspur suffered a heavy defeat to Arsenal, but there could be some positives to look out for ahead of their next Premier League fixture.
Tottenham Hotspur’s first Premier League match under Igor Tudor was an absolute trainwreck, but making a quick start does not guarantee success.
Thomas Frank almost won the UEFA Super Cup in his first competitive game at Spurs and this was followed up with victories over Burnley and Manchester City.
However, Tottenham do need to improve quickly in order to steer further away from the relegation zone, making their match with Fulham this Sunday of great importance.
Here are three things Spurs supporters can expect from Tudor’s second London derby as the club’s manager.
Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro could return from injury
Tudor has revealed that Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro could be fit to face Fulham, which is great news for Tottenham.
Danso is desperately needed in order for Tudor to play his preferred formation, because his current options let him down against Arsenal.
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Joao Palhinha is not a centre-back and Radu Dragusin should be nowhere near the first-team based on his performances in a Spurs shirt. Whereas Danso has been fairly reliable when called on and would make a big difference at the back.
Then there is Porro, who was actually experiencing a poor run of form before his injury. Hopefully this will change once he returns, as he would be far more natural as a right wing-back than Archie Gray.
Igor Tudor will stick with a back three
Tottenham fans will have fond memories of playing with a back three under Mauricio Pochettino, but Tudor’s first time attempting the system at Spurs was a very different story.
However, it is a well known fact that this is the Croatian’s preferred formation, so he is unlikely to ditch if after a single game.
Hopefully Tottenham will be able to get forward against Fulham more than they did in the North London derby and that is where having wing-backs could become highly useful.
Tottenham fans will get a better understanding of what Tudor is all about
Judging a manager based on one game against the Premier League leaders would not be fair on Tudor, but Spurs fans will have gained a better understanding of him by full time on Sunday.
Tottenham need to start winning matches otherwise relegation to the Championship is a genuine possibility.
Does Tudor have what it takes to get results? Well for now, the answer to that question remains unknown, but everything will become clearer with each game he manages.