VAVEL.com

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, and will be vying for a better result after their dismal loss to north London rivals Arsenal last week.

Spurs, who are currently 16th with 29 points, have not won a single of their last five games and are in need of three points to push them further away from relegation, a word which team boss Igor Tudor has avoided using with his players, saying the only focus should be ‘on ourselves’.

Fulham have won two out of their last five, and have gathered 37 points to sit them just inside the top 10.

Tudor spoke to the media ahead of his side’s vital clash, describing Sunday’s opponents as ‘a very good team with a coach who is there for a long, long period.’

He said:

“[Regarding Fulham] very recognisable team in the way how they do things, very serious team, always difficult to beat them, so it will be tough.

“We need to be focused on us, what to do, because we need to make better our performance.

“On the training, that's the only thing we can change, so there is nothing to think about the future or the points even.

“The points come as a consequence of the training and the game, so that's the focus, that's the main and only focus we need to have.

“In Italy, they use the terms, have a mentality of a small team.

“So that's the key always – with the humble, with the willing, with the wish to have always motivation, like you play against a bigger team, so that's the start, of course.

“Then we work a lot of that… They [the players] are aware of everything [the situation they are in], of course.”

In terms of who could be playing this weekend and possible formations, Tudor was asked if his tactics could change amid a possible return for Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro.

On this, he said:

“We're going to see when they're back, how they're back, what are the other players, so this is work in the work to recognise what this team can do.

“That's also one part of the style, how you want to be without the ball, but then if you have too many problems back, then you need to think about the style – it’s the right style, it's the right way, you can call it how you want.

“So, I need to be smart to understand deeper the moment and the way how to take the points, even not looking to the style now in this moment.

“Style needs to be in the second moment, because now it's a question of life and death… sportingly.”

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor reflected on his side’s performance against north London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, admitting his new job is ‘very tough’ ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Fulham this weekend.

In their most recent match, Tottenham faced a 4-1 defeat at home to Arsenal.

At the post-match press conference, Tudor conceded that the match was ‘too much’ with ‘the problems we have’, and stressed the importance of Spurs having a goal for the future and changing some habits.

Now, speaking to the media ahead of Fulham this weekend, the Croatian made reference to some mentality shifts he wishes to see in the team and players.

He explained:

“I believe that the mentality changes by training, by doing the right things there and then to have enough training sessions that you can transmit this thing to your teams – so that on Sunday this can be seen from the fans in the stadium.”

“Daily work, focus, raising in all things we need to do, physical condition, mental, confidence, performance and waiting for the players to come back.

“So, we need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that's always good and it should be good.”

As well as league performance being a pressing matter for the north London club at the moment, there is also the topic of Champions League football – with the start of the knockout stages on the horizon.

“It's a beautiful competition to play, everyone wants to play.

“The problem is the lack of numbers of players, the amount of players we have in the team, that's the problem.

“Because if you need to play every three days with 10, 12, 13… that's the problem, not that we play Champions League or not.

“Also, it's not about only spending physical energy, but also mental energy when every game for us in the league is the final.”

Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in a relegation battle and in a tough run of form. They come into this game having lost their last three Premier League matches and have only a four point cushion to the drop zone.

Thomas Frank has left the club and Igor Tudor has come in. The north London derby was never going to be an easy first match but it ended in a 4-1 defeat to Arsenal and will likely have fans worried.

Fulham, meanwhile, are tenth in the table and after they had a run of three successive defeats they responded with a 3-1 win at Sunderland at the weekend.

The side from west London are having a good season and may still have ambitions of qualifying for European football next season.

The Cottagers are also unbeaten in their last three games against Spurs so Tudor's side will need to be careful not to underestimate their opponents. Fulham have won their last two meetings with Spurs, including a first win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November.

Away games may be easier than home matches

Spurs have a poor record at home this season, with their last home win in the Premier League coming at the beginning of December.

Remarkably, they have only recorded two home wins in the league all season. This makes them one of the league's worst performers on home soil.

Away from home they have fared better with five wins and four draws. It could be that there is greater pressure on them at home to get a result and play an exciting brand of football.

Whereas, away from home they may be able to attack more on the counter.

The poor run at home continues from last season under Ange Postecoglou.

This is despite having some impressive wins at home in the UEFA Champions League this season.

However, Fulham have won seven games at home compared to five away from home so it will be a test for Spurs to get a result.

Igor Tudor's chance to make his mark

The new manager will not be judged solely on his side's showing against Arsenal but there will be an expectation that they are better this week.

Whilst Fulham are a strong side they are not at the level of the Gunners.

Spurs have played Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal in their last four games and earnt just a point from those fixtures.

They were games against top sides and, given Spurs' problems across the last two seasons, it may not come as a surprise that they struggled in those games.

However, Fulham will be viewed as a game that is an opportunity to gain three points. Spurs' last three points came at the end of December away at Crystal Palace.

They may only need one or two wins to provide some momentum and get them looking up the table, as opposed to down. However, there will likely be a feeling that it has to start this weekend.

After Fulham, they host Palace at home. This is before a trip to Liverpool and then a big game against the side below them, Nottingham Forest.

There may be a feeling that it is not about the performance but is about coming away from Craven Cottage with a positive result. It is an opportunity that cannot pass them by.

Why could this be a significant weekend?

At the same time as Spurs kick off, Nottingham Forest will be beginning their match at Brighton and Hove Albion.

That is a fixture, after narrowly losing to Liverpool last week, where Forest may feel as though they can also pick up some points.

If Forest were to get a win on the south coast then they would go above Spurs in the table and have a one point advantage over the Londoners.

However, a Spurs win and a defeat for Vitor Pereira's Forest would give Tudor's side 32 points and leave Forest on 27.

Meanwhile, the two other sides in the battle, Leeds United and West Ham face potentially challenging fixtures. Leeds face Manchester City and the Hammers head to Liverpool.

There is still 11 games to play and Spurs may feel as though they have enough to avoid the drop but this weekend is a good opportunity for them to show that.

Previously, in January, they were only able to draw against Burnley and suffered a defeat at home to West Ham.

These are the games now in the coming weeks and months that will define their season.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered another disappointing defeat and this time it came in the north London derby.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal had dropped points in the week and ended up drawing 2-2 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, despite being 2-0 up at one point. Therefore, the Gunners arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under a bit of pressure, followed by Manchester City's win on Saturday.

There may also have been an expectation that Tottenham could put further pressure onto their rival's title challenge and that they would be keen to impress in Igor Tudor's first game in charge.

However, there was not too much for the home fans to celebrate as Arsenal ran out 4-1 winners. Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres scored two goals each.

Randal Kolo Muani did pull a goal back for Spurs to level the game at 1-1, immediately after Eze gave the visitors the lead so there was an element of fighting spirit there. They could not stop Arsenal scoring more though.

Kolo Muani did have a strike ruled out in the second half and David Raya did make a great save at 3-1 to deny Richarlison and prevent any chance of a nervy finish.

Instead, Gyokoeres scored his second of the game deep into stoppage time and condemned Spurs to another defeat.

Here are four takeaways from the game:

Defensive issues again

Whilst, at times, Spurs can look a threat going forward, they were poor defensively.

They have conceded 41 goals this season and that is more than Nottingham Forest, who are a place below them in the table.

Defensively, they were always going to have to be strong to keep out an Arsenal side who are still favourites for the league title. The organisation at the back left a lot to be desired against Arteta's side though.

The players in red and white were able to run straight through the Spurs midfield and then the defenders could not get a tackle in on numerous occasions.

If Igor Tudor is to guide Spurs to a higher position in the Premier League table then he will need to start from the back and ensure that they cut out the errors and look more like a unit.

Scoring goals is one aspect of the game and, compared to Forest below them, that is not one of Spurs' biggest issues, but they concede too many goals to look competitive.

Spurs could not deliver a performance

Results are inevitably what is needed but Spurs could not deliver a performance to offer too much encouragement.

Previously, they have been able to deliver good performances in one-off games. Last season, they narrowly lost 1-0 and 2-1 to their North London rivals but there was not too much between the sides. This season both matches between the sides have finished 4-1 to Arsenal.

Eberechi Eze nearly signed for Spurs in the summer but opted for Arsenal instead. He has struggled for regular football under Arteta but has scored five goals against Spurs in the two games against them.

Last month, Spurs delivered a good second half display to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City. Following that there was a hope that it could be a turning point for former manager Thomas Frank and Spurs this season. It was not to be.

Their last league win came at the end of December and it is now nearly March. Their last home win goes back even further to the beginning of December.

No new manager bounce

It was never the ideal game for a new manager in the dugout but there was not much evidence of a lift since the departure of Thomas Frank.

Frank would have suggested that he was going to keep Spurs up and was building for the future but the club acted as they were creeping closer to the drop zone.

Igor Tudor has arrived and he faces a challenge ahead of him because Spurs look devoid of any confidence and momentum.

A positive result could have really given them the lift required and a belief that they can kick on and survive the drop.

Tudor will know, and even moreso after the Arsenal game, that it is not an easy club to walk into at the moment.

He will not be judged on this one game but there will be an expectation that he has learnt from this match, against a tough opponent, and that next week against Fulham his side are more competitive.

They rolled the dice and got rid of Frank but did not benefit from any new manager bounce against their rivals.

Arsenal represent consistency as Arteta rode the storm and has turned them into title contenders in recent seasons. Spurs are anything but that.

Could they be relegated?

A couple of weeks ago it may have seemed a strange suggestion to imagine a club like Tottenham Hotspur playing in the Championship but it is something that needs to be addressed.

They finished 17th last season under Ange Postecoglou. They did win the UEFA Europa League, but there were evident problems. A side that finished fifth in Postecoglou's first season ended up down the table. Had it not been for the three promoted sides being poor and being relegated again that season, Spurs may have been in more trouble.

This year, the worry is that they are down there again and Leeds United and Nottingham Forest are picking up points. Spurs have lost their last three games.

The problems cannot be ignored as they are just four points above the drop zone. They still have to play Forest and Leeds in a couple of weeks so they are potentially big games.

There are enough games left to turn it around and it could only take a couple of positive results. However, things need to improve and quickly if they are to move away from the question of relegation.

Dropping down a level would be costly for any side but for Spurs it would be hugely significant and one that many would not have predicted.

There will likely be an expectation from many that they will have enough to avoid the drop, but it will certainly be close and it is that kind of complacency that could be dangerous.

Tottenham slumped to a second successive 4-1 defeat against Arsenal in the North London Derby.

Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze both helped themselves to two goals each, with Randal Kolo-Muani initially striking back to make it one apiece at half-time.

It is the Gunners’ largest margin of victory on N17 since the advent of the Premier League and extends their five game win streak in the famous fixture.

With the ousting of Thomas Frank eleven days ago, the players could not hide behind a figurehead in the aftermath. Under the tutelage of new head coach Igor Tudor, here is how Spurs performed.

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario - 6

Could not do much about all four goals conceded. Early diving header could have been costly. Did okay on some inswinging corners.

Joao Palhinha - 4

Was not too busy in the first half as Arsenal focused down the right but collected a catalogue of errors in the second half. Some hearty tackles could not patch up a difficult second half. Subbed off 82 minutes.

Radu Dragusin - 4

Had a decent enough first half, contesting with Gyokeres on the break and some good positioning for blocks. Similar to other defenders, he became much too brittle in the second half.

He was dragged away by Eze to create an opening for the Swede’s second goal before a sloppy header back into midfield and soft challenge in the immediate aftermath led to the Gunners a third.

Micky van de Ven - 4

Captain for the day and set an aggressive tone with his defending first half, but wilted soon after the interval. Did not take up the mantle on the ball as expected either.

Archie Gray - 4

Some nice defensive snapshots in the latter stages of the first half, but generally ineffective throughout as the right wing-back.

Yves Bissouma - 5

Became awfully exposed in the second half as the deepest midfielder. Not necessarily his fault as he could have been helped when Arsenal began targeting his area of the pitch. Aside from that, did not do much on the ball and tackled well in the first half.

Pape Matar Sarr - 3

Did not offer much in the middle and was beaten far too easily by Bukayo Saka in the build-up to Eze’s first goal.

Conor Gallagher - 4

Did not keep the ball well enough when he had the chance and was ineffective as a ball winner. Could have had an assist, however, if Kolo Muani’s second was not ruled out. Subbed off 62 minutes.

Djed Spence - 4

Was caught out a bit in his aggressive defending but improved in 1v1s. Again, seemed to ebb away in the second half, with some cheap giveaways. No attacking threat throughout as the left wing-back.

Xavi Simons - 3

Loose and weak in possession and lacklustre set-piece delivery. Had one shot - a comfortable catch for David Raya - to show for his day’s work.

Randal Kolo-Muani - 7

Did not track Eze for the Englishman’s goal but put himself about more than any other Spurs forward. Created his goal by unpicking Declan Rice and unfortunate not to have a second after Gabriel Magalhaes went down. Subbed off 68 minutes.

Substitutes:

Dominic Solanke - 5

Subbed on 62 minutes. Huffed and puffed as a forward, even dropping as deep as holding midfield to try and get involved. Nothing to really show for it, however.

Richarlison - 5

Like Solanke, he fed off scraps. Still, almost scored a clever flick had it not been for Raya.

Mathys Tel - N/A

Subbed on 82 minutes.

Head coach Martin Ho dissected Tottenham's eye-popping 7-3 win against Aston Villa in the Women's Super League.

In a second half that burst into life, six of the games ten goals being scored after the 68th minute. The three points takes Spurs to level on 29 points with rivals Arsenal, though the Gunners have two games in hand.

"Crazy in spells," Ho reflected. "I thought we started really well. They changed system, so I thought the players adapted really well, which they haven't done before. And with that change, I thought we opened them up really well.

"I said to the players at half-time we need to be diligent because the next goal can change the momentum. They got that second goal, but I thought our response straight away was very good.

"We were fluid. Our movements were good, our link-up play was good. We lacked, maybe at times, some technical details in certain moments, but I can't discredit this group of players. They gave everything today.

"I've demanded from them this week to make sure we're ruthless and they've done that today."

Along with more familiar scorers in Bethany England, Olivia Holdt and Cathinka Tandberg, three of Spurs' goals came through January signings netting for the first time in lilywhite.

"Some of those individual players needed to get [on] the scoresheet - Maika [Hamano], Julie [Blakstad], Signe [Gaupset]. I think that'll give them so much confidence and I'm delighted for them."

It is Tottenham's largest margin of victory since Ho took charge, eclipsing the 3-0's over Leicester and Birmingham City. The Englishman continuously praised his side's forward play and cool heads in front of goal.

"We're creating a lot chances. Against Chelsea we created, many other games, some games maybe just got the result, just over the line.

"I think once it clicked today in front of goal and there was more composure, more belief, more enthusiasm that they were going to go in.

"Credit to the players. I put pressure on them to finish, I put pressure on them to shoot and be dynamic in that part of the pitch.

"All credit to them. They do the work on the pitch, they have to deal with the pressure of scoring when we're in that attacking third. They [did] that today. It probably could have been more."

The blistering goalscoring may have been something to behold, but for Ho there were still enough blemishes at the back. He began by recalling a break in play when Spurs were 3-1 up.

"We just wanted to make some small changes to how we were building up, to maybe give us easier progression, and then, off the ball, how we defend in terms of nullifying their threats.

"I thought we did that in large parts. You're never going to stop every attack, it's impossible. They have some very, very dangerous players in that forward line. So you have to be prepared to defend the box. I thought we did it well in the first half, but second half we didn't defend it well enough.

"I never want to concede three goals in a game. It shouldn't be a shootout of we score one, they score another one. We want to make sure we can shut those games out."

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Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea looked to get back to winning ways against Tottenham Hotspur after the French coach suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in her managerial career.

The Blues offered Bompastor a contract extension midweek, and she made two changes to the side who were torn apart at the Etihad Stadium last week – Sjoeke Nusken came in to replace Wieke Kaptein, while Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was brought in for Sandy Baltimore.

With Madonna watching on, Tottenham would have been hoping to give her an A-list performance by avoiding defeat to their London rivals for the first time after suffering 17 consecutive defeats to the current WSL champions.

The hosts began the game brightly, causing plenty of issues to a nervous Chelsea side, and they fell to an unfortunate deficit after the opening period, with the superb positioning of the experienced Keira Walsh giving The Blues a first half lead.

The visitors began the second period much like they ended the first – this time with an excellent eye from Scottish midfielder Erin Cuthbert to find Nusken over the top whose shot was saved into the path of Alyssa Thompson, who struck in consecutive games for the second time already in 2026.

Chelsea then continued to find themselves right in the game as the second half progressed, and The Blues saw out what ended up being a comfortable 2-0 victory to send them back above Arsenal and into the top three.

Here are VAVEL’s Chelsea player ratings for the clash.

Chelsea Player Ratings

Hannah Hampton – 6.5

Had a much better and more comfortable performance in between the sticks today. Hampton was forced into a couple of saves, but none of which truly tested her. England’s number one perhaps should have conceded late on, but an effort from Olivia Holdt went straight into her arms.

Naomi Girma – 6

Looked a touch more switched on than last week against Man City, and Girma made some important blocks and tackles throughout. Central to many of the times defensively where she was required to get the ball clear when under pressure.

Millie Bright – 6

Looked to remain calm and composed after what was a nervous opening period. Bright led a much a tighter and more compact defence in the second half which helped seal the win once The Blues defence was able to settle into the game.

Came off with injury late on in the game.

Ellie Carpenter – 6.5

Rapid and threatening down the right flank. Carpenter caused plenty of problems for the Tottenham backline throughout, including whipping in multiple crosses into dangerous areas.

Sjoeke Nüsken – 7.5

Showed some excellent ability to read the play defensively in the opening 20 minutes after Spurs looked like they may break the deadlock before Nusken came to the rescue and blocked the effort.

Equally, going forward, Nusken made the brilliant run which drew in a brilliant ball from Cuthbert which led to Chelsea’s second goal.

Veerle Buurman – 5

Buurman failed to make much of an impact in this game. She did make a couple of blocks and interceptions in defence but overall was unable to truly contribute to this victory. She wasn’t at her best with the ball either, and lost seven duels during the game as Chelsea continued to look nervous in the opening period.

Lauren James – 5

Failed to offer much of her trademark dangerous dribbles in the first half. James looked much more like herself in the second period, and drew in a couple of important fouls throughout, forcing opposing goalkeeper Lize Kop into a strong save.

Erin Cuthbert – 6

Excellent ball to find Nusken early in the second half in a pass that effectively made the second goal happen. Cuthbert looked strong in midfield, cutting out passing lanes well and efficiently looking to get the ball up the pitch once Chelsea looked more settled.

Keira Walsh – 6.5

Walsh made a brilliant, precise ball over the top early on in the first half, creating a chance The Blues perhaps could have utilised to gain an early lead.

Minutes before the interval, Walsh took on that role herself, firing the visitors into what was a surprising lead after positioning herself excellently from a corner to blast her team ahead.

Alyssa Thompson – 7

Was not really involved too much in the first period, Thompson’s first real contribution of the game was finding herself in a perfect position to feed off a parried save to double Chelsea’s lead.

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd - 6.5

Getting the nod to start up front this week, Kaneryd took full advantage of the chance, making numerous darting and dangerous runs as Chelsea looked very threatening down the right flank.

Substitutes:

Lexi Potter – 6.5

Wasn’t really required to have to stand out too much in the second half. Potter did her job exceptionally well and played a role to a tee – didn’t really step a foot wrong or put her team in trouble.

Sandy Baltimore – 5.5

Failed to really get into the game since coming on. Had the ball on few occasions and was dispossessed or gave the ball away on multiple occasions.

Guro Reiten – 6

Reiten did not quite have enough time to have an impact on the match, only playing 11 minutes in all.

Samantha Kerr – 6

Much the same as Reiten, Kerr was not able to have much of an influence on the match as she would have hoped. Came on more for fresh legs as Chelsea generally looked to see out the game.

Chloe Sarwie – N/A

Thomas Frank was quick to step in and defend Cristian Romero's captaincy after the Argentine was sent off during Tottenham's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.

The central defender was handed a straight red card by Michael Oliver 29 minutes into the game after the English referee judged his tackle on Casemiro to be dangerous.

The sending off, which was Romero's second this season, was the catalyst that led to yet another disappointing afternoon for Frank's men as they continue to search for their first league win of the new year.

Tottenham's captain will also serve a four match ban as a result of the booking, missing games against Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Fulham and the North London Derby.

When asked if he had any regrets about making the 27-year-old his captain, Frank said: "No, there's not. Also, he said he was sorry for the incident, apologised to his teammates in the changing room. No, I think he's one of the most important players and I think when he performs top, he’s driving the team.

"I think if you look at how many red cards he has had, it's not like he had that many throughout his career. You play with passion and you play with aggression and there's a fine line when did you do that."

Since making his debut for Spurs in August 2021, Romero has been sent off a total of six times across all competitions - the most for a Premier League player in that period.

The defender's lack of discipline at certain moments has prompted many to question his suitability as a leader for Frank's men.

"I think it's fair to say I don't think he had any intention to get a red card after 28 minutes," said the Danish manager, who stuck by his captain.

"The red card is a red card. I watched it now about five times. Cuti clearly tried to go for the ball, thought he'd just moved before and then it was a red card.

"We haven't spoken specifically about the situation because he apologised to the players, to us, to the players, to the team in there. That's enough for me for now. That’s it, nothing more to do now."

Thomas Frank was quick to express pride for his Tottenham side despite the North Londoners suffering yet another league defeat - this time at the hands of Manchester United.

Frank's men walked into Old Trafford looking for their first league win of 2026, however, a first half red card for captain Cristian Romero sent Spurs into survival mode.

The 60 minutes plus added time that followed saw The Lilywhites struggle to rescue a point in Manchester, but to no avail as goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes sealed their fate.

“I'm very happy with the players and what they're showing," said Frank, who sees his team sit six points above the relegation zone, with just one win in their last ten league games.

"I think they actually show a lot of resilience because it's very, very tough to get out there every week and don't get enough of the good results.

"I think it was a good away performance, very even against a Man United team in flow and playing with confidence. So, happy with that. Of course, the red card changed the momentum. I'm very proud of the players in general."

The Danish manager also acknowledged that, despite the side's poor form, it is important to keep going if they are to turn their good performances into results.

He said: "We can't run away from that - we haven't won enough in the Premier League. We're just coming on the back end of four good games where we also showed a lot of resilience. Before that, we also did it, but we didn't get enough of the results when we turned around in the second half.

"I think there's no other alternative than keep going. I think that's fair to say, which we will do, of course, but it's in life and football, there's very tough times.

"In the very tough times, head up, head down, stand up, face it, keep going. There's no other way. That's what the players are doing. They show it every single week.

"So, I think there's still a lot to hang the hat on in terms of resilience but the performances need to be backed up with a little bit, do more, and get a little, keep doing the right things because then the results will show."