Tottenham Hotspur knew it was going to be difficult to beat Arsenal on Sunday. Head coach Igor Tudor had only five days to work with the squad after replacing Thomas Frank on an interim basis until the end of the season. Tudor achieved success in previous short-term roles at Lazio, Juventus and Udinese by employing a 3-4-2-1 formation, but how would he implement it at Spurs with so many key players unavailable through injury or suspension?
To make matters worse, club-record signing Dominic Solanke struggled to train during the week due to a sore throat, while league leaders Arsenal were desperate to respond after dropping points at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Wednesday.
So, with everything that has happened over the past two weeks, Spurs deserve a lot of praise for their first-half performance against Arsenal.
However, it is still embarrassing to lose 4-1 to your bitter rivals.
Many fans will find it unforgivable that it has happened twice in the same season. For Eberechi Eze to be the architect of their misery again, after he rejected a move to Spurs last summer to rejoin his boyhood club, makes it even more infuriating.
The atmosphere at the stadium has been toxic for months, but Frank’s dismissal seems to have temporarily solved that issue, which is one positive. Stadium announcer Paul Coyte gave a rousing speech before kick-off, a tifo was unveiled in the South Stand, and the crowd roared when a pre-match video described Spurs as “north London originals”.
When Micky van de Ven disrupted an Arsenal attack by smashing the ball into the stands in the opening minute, all of the fans jumped to their feet. If they were disinterested in Frank’s final game, which was a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United less than two weeks ago, they looked and sounded reenergised. Tudor’s side have to capitalise on this connection in their remaining 11 league games.
Spurs started slowly but grew into the game. Frank repeatedly praised their resilience and ability to respond to setbacks during his reign, but that mainly happened in away matches. Spurs have only won two of their 14 fixtures at home in the league this season. They tend to wilt under the pressure, but Randal Kolo Muani equalised 122 seconds after Eze gave Arsenal a first-half lead. There is a long way to go until the squad and the fans have repaired their relationship, but on Sunday they were both fired up and brought the best out of each other.
The Athletic predicted Kolo Muani could benefit from Tudor’s arrival, as they worked together at Juventus, and he looked rejuvenated. The France international scored his first goal in what was his 19th appearance in the Premier League. Kolo Muani’s speed is his biggest asset and there were multiple occasions in the first half where Gabriel had to take extreme measures to slow him down.
Tudor refused to give a detailed answer on Kolo Muani’s disallowed goal in the second half, but at the time, he made a motion on the touchline which suggested he thought Gabriel had gone down softly. Spurs should feel aggrieved because it was a similar situation to the goal Hugo Ekitike scored for Liverpool against Tottenham in December. It happened at a crucial moment and Spurs could have capitalised on Arsenal’s nervousness around letting another lead slip.
However, what took place during the rest of the game will have made Tudor realise the scale of the challenge he faces. Viktor Gyokeres gained the upper hand in his battle with Radu Dragusin, while Eze ran through the midfield unopposed every time he received the ball.
Bukayo Saka weaved past his international team-mate Djed Spence and also Micky van de Ven. When Spence moved over to right-back towards the end of the game, he tried to dribble past multiple players and was dispossessed in the build-up to Gyokeres’ second goal.
Xavi Simons has been Tottenham’s most consistent performer over the past couple of months, but he had barely any impact along with Conor Gallagher and Pape Matar Sarr. Spurs were set up in a 5-3-2 formation out of possession, but looked vulnerable defensively throughout. Dragusin blocked a header from Gyokeres that was bouncing into the bottom corner in the third minute.
Frank never trusted Yves Bissouma and he played like he had a point to prove against Arsenal. He played with a tenacity and focus that have been missing too often throughout his time with Spurs, but he was caught out in the build-up to Arsenal’s third goal as Eze pinched the ball off his toes. Tudor said there is a “big gap in this specific moment between the two teams” and “a lack of confidence is very evident”.
“I’m very sad and very angry and everything, but in one way it is also good to understand where is our goal,” Tudor added. “What is the goal of this club. What is the goal of this team. What is the goal of this coach, these players, this staff. To become serious. Serious, not just a group of 20 players, and the medicine is you look in the mirror. Each of us look in the mirror and really try, really start to change the habits. Working hard is the only way.”
Spurs have only had a few training sessions with Tudor. He has a track record of making an immediate impact, but this was the worst possible game to start with. The north London derby will never be a free hit, but it is difficult to recall any time in the past decade when expectations were so low heading into this fixture.