Tottenham Hotspur welcome Arsenal to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon, knowing defeat would entrench them in a proper relegation scrap.
Spurs sit just five points above the drop zone heading into the weekend, without a Premier League win in eight matches.
The north London derby could hardly come at a more volatile moment for Tottenham.
However, this is also a tentative time for league leaders Arsenal, and Spurs can capitalise on their frailty.
Match preview
New head coach Igor Tudor takes charge of his first Spurs match.
The Croatian insisted he is 100% confident the club will remain in the Premier League, but he needs to walk the walk.
Tudor inherits a squad ravaged by injuries, revealing he has trained with as few as 13 players in recent sessions.
Still, he has wasted no time, promising clarity, intensity and a mentality shift.
Tudor does have a reputation for fast starts. He has won his first game in charge in each of his last five managerial roles. Spurs fans will hope that trend continues.
Arsenal, though, arrive under pressure of their own.
Mikel Arteta’s side have dropped seven points from winning positions in 2026 and squandered a 2-0 lead at Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek.
Their title advantage is dissipating, and nerves are beginning to show.
The derby rarely lacks edge, but with Spurs fighting to pull clear of danger and Arsenal battling to stay top, Sunday’s clash carries enormous weight at both ends of the table.
Match stats
Spurs must be wary. Arsenal have won six of their last seven Premier League meetings with Tottenham.
Tottenham have also lost their last three home league games against their rivals.
Arsenal have won each of the last four Premier League north London derbies. Spurs are winless in eight league matches (D4, L4), their worst run in a single campaign since 2007.
Tottenham are the only Premier League side yet to win in 2026. Arsenal have lost just one of their last 21 away London derbies in the league.
Tottenham team news
Cristian Romero remains suspended, meaning Tudor must appoint a new captain for his first game in charge.
Dominic Solanke is struggling with a throat issue but has returned to light training. Brazilian international (54 caps) Richarlison is back, but Pedro Porro remains unavailable.
Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison, Kevin Danso, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie remain sidelined, leaving Tudor short of options.
The ‘very ambitious’ Mathys Tel will likely start alongside Randal Kolo Muani in attack.
Tottenham predicted XI (4-2-3-1)
Gugulielmo Vicario; Archie Gray, Ben Davies, Micky Van de Ven, Djed Spence; Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha; Mathys Tel, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani; Dominic Solanke.