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Tottenham Hotspur star Micky van de Ven has called out four of his teammates amid growing fears of a potential relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs, under interim boss Igor Tudor, were easily swept aside by North London rivals Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday evening.

A brace each for Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres meant Arsenal came away 4-1 winners. Randal Kolo Muani was the scorer for Spurs.

As a result, Spurs are now slowly but surely being dragged into a relegation battle. They are only four points ahead of West Ham United, who sit 18th in the Premier League table.

With matches against the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace and Liverpool to come in the next few weeks, the pressure is mounting on Spurs.

Speaking ahead of the match against Arsenal, Spurs defender Van de Ven called out four fellow experienced players to show up and lead the younger players out of trouble.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Van de Ven said: "If you are a club like Tottenham Hotspur, you have this quality of place (training ground), and you are, what I say, as big as the most, it’s unacceptable that you’re standing at this place on the table, and the results need to be way, way better.

"It’s fair that [the fans] are disappointed, but they need to know, as well, that we keep working every day and day out to do everything about changing this around, because even for us, the vibes in the dressing room, the vibes after the games, if we lose, the meetings, it’s tough. It’s really tough. So we do everything to turn things around."

He added: "Of course, we still have some quality players left. We have a really talented squad and some top players, but we also miss some key players for us, and it’s really important for the players who are fit right now to step up.

"You have some young players, obviously, in the group, and you can’t really ask them to be the guys that need to push us forward. So, then, normally, I have Cuti next to me, who is now unfortunately suspended, but you have [Guglielmo] Vic behind me, who has a lot of experience, Joao Palhinha, in the midfield, who has a lot of experience, [Dominic] Solanke, who has a lot of experience."

Spurs could be forced to sell several of their most valuable players if they are relegated from the Premier League, with the side just four points above the drop zone with 11 league matches remaining this season – but who could stay loyal if the worst-case scenario does occur?

Losing 4-1 at home against Arsenal is enough to infuriate most Spurs fans, but the threat of relegation poses an altogether bigger problem for the football club.

Coming into the campaign under Thomas Frank’s tutelage, fans and players would have at least expected the north London side to challenge for a Europa League spot by finishing between sixth and seventh in the league.

Just over eight months on from Frank’s arrival, the Dane has already tried and ultimately failed at Spurs, which resulted in his departure earlier in February.

Former Juventus boss Igor Tudor replaced him but got off to the worst possible start, with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal proving simply too good for his side on Sunday (22 February).

Braces from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres saw Arsenal go five points clear of Manchester City at the summit of the league, while 18th-placed West Ham gained a point on Spurs with a 0-0 home draw against Bournemouth on Saturday in their quest to stay in the division, with the Hammers just four points off their London rivals.

Despite welcoming marquee names such as Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus to the club in the summer, Spurs could be playing their football in the Championship next term if things do not improve.

Who could leave Spurs if they are relegated?

Aside from the nightmare scenario of Arsenal winning the league alongside Spurs getting relegated, no doubt tormenting those associated with Tottenham, board members will be concerned with the potential financial ramifications dropping down to English football’s second division could bring.

As reported by The Telegraph, players are not thought to have salary-reduction clauses in their contracts in the event of relegation.

The report also suggests that players will miss out on a European qualification bonus if they are relegated, which would at least save the club some cash.

But having players on Champions League wages may not be viable if the club do indeed drop down a division, which would likely result in a potential fire sale.

It would be safe to assume that the highest earners would be the first to leave, with nine first-team players – Simons, Cristian Romero, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Kolo Muani, Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Joao Palhinha and Dejan Kulusevski – currently earning in excess of £100,000 per week, according to Capology.

Just below them, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Radu Dragusin earn between £85,000 and £90,000 per week.

Of course, getting high wages off the books will be one thing to consider, while outright selling players and receiving transfer fees will be another.

Based on Transfermarkt’s valuations, Van de Ven, Romero, Simons, Kudus, Kulusevski and Porro are Spurs’ most valuable players, with three of them – Kudus, Simons and Romero – among the top six earners.

A previous report from The Athletic also included January signing Gallagher in the list of potential departees alongside Kevin Danso, Djed Spence, Destiny Ugodie and Rodrigo Bentancur. It is also hard to imagine Tel or Yves Bissouma playing in the Championship.

Van de Ven would likely have several suitors around Europe, with both Real Madrid and Liverpool among those with reported interest in the player.

In January, talkSPORT reported that the club values the Netherlands international in excess of £100 million.

However, this price may decrease if Spurs actively seek a sale due to relegation.

Romero, who has been outspoken about ‘squad shortages’ in recent times, may also look to move on, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid among those keen on the player, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Who could stay at Spurs if they are relegated?

With the so-called ‘big-name’ players likely to leave, this may benefit younger players such as Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert, as well as second-choice goalkeeper Antonín Kinský, with first-choice shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario also likely to exit.

Academy starlets Luca Williams-Barnett, Jun’ai Byfield and Tynan Thompson may also be afforded opportunities, while players currently loaned out, such as Dane Scarlett, Jamie Donley, Mikey Moore, Luka Vušković and Alfie Devine, may see opportunities arise which they wouldn’t have if Spurs stayed in the Premier League.

Highly rated Sweden international Lucas Bergvall, who won the club’s Player of the Season award in 2024/25 despite struggling this term, may also stay despite reports of interest from Aston Villa and Chelsea.

Nineteen-year-old January signing Souza, who arrived from Santos, may also see playing in the second tier as a way of gaining first-team experience in England.

Of course, at this point Spurs are outside of the relegation zone, meaning they may well avoid selling their best players despite concerns among fans.

For now, Tudor and his side will be focusing on the upcoming London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage on 1 March.

A former Premier League winner has explained why he was concerned with Arsenal’s behaviour following the Gunners’ emphatic 4-1 win over Spurs in Sunday’s north London derby.

Arsenal came into the match knowing a slip could prove costly in their pursuit of a first Premier League triumph since 2004, as Manchester City reduced the gap to two points with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Newcastle United at the Etihad on Saturday (February 21).

On Sunday (February 22), summer signing Eberechi Eze, who previously scored a hat-trick against Spurs in the reverse fixture in November, opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, but the home side hit back through Randal Kolo Muani just two minutes later.

However, following the half-time interval, Mikel Arteta’s side took just two minutes to go 2-1 up thanks to Viktor Gyokeres’ powerful long-range strike, which left Guglielmo Vicario with no chance.

Arsenal increased their lead 14 minutes later when Eze bagged another to register his fifth goal against Spurs in just two games this term. And in second-half stoppage time, Gyokeres rounded off an impressive performance by adding a fourth to make it 4-1 to Arsenal, which was a repeat of November’s scoreline.

The result saw Arsenal go five points clear of Man City, with the Gunners having played a game more, while Spurs remain 16th, just four points above the relegation zone.

Despite Arsenal having played one more game than City this term, they remain favourites to win the league with 10 fixtures remaining.

However, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has voiced his concerns about the Gunners’ behaviour despite the convincing win at Spurs.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Sutton said: “Slightly concerned with the over celebrating from the Arsenal players. Celebrate at the end of the season when you have won the title.”

Of course, this is not the first time a pundit has taken this view, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher criticising the Gunners’ celebrations two seasons ago.

"Just get down the tunnel,” Carragher said in response to Arsenal’s celebrations after a 3-1 win over 10-man Liverpool during the 2023/24 campaign.

"You've won a game. You've been brilliant. Back in the title race. Get down the tunnel. I'm serious, honestly."

At the time, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard responded: “If you're not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate? We're happy with the win and we'll stay humble.”

Regardless of the pundits’ stance, one thing is for sure: there will be a party at the Emirates in May if Arteta’s side do go on to win the title.

The Gunners return to action at home against Chelsea on March 1.

A football financial expert has explained how much relegation from the Premier League could cost Tottenham Hotspur.

On Sunday evening, Spurs hosted Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, looking to halt the Gunners' Premier League title charge.

Meanwhile, Arsenal were looking to go five clear of Manchester City, who won against Newcastle United on Saturday night.

It turned out to be a brilliant evening for Arsenal as Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres scored a brace each to seal a vital 4-1 win. Randal Kolo Muani netted for the hosts.

As a result, Spurs remained in 16th place in the Premier League table, just four points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham United.

It is likely to be a nervy end to the campaign for interim boss Igor Tudor, who replaced the sacked Thomas Frank.

Speaking recently to Football London, financial expert Kieran Maguire touched on Spurs' potential relegation and the impact it could have on the club.

He said: "We could be in a farcical situation where they win the Champions League this year and they qualify for next year's competition and are in the second tier of English football.

"But if we ignore that, the good news for Spurs is that it's now an entertainment complex with a football club as a sideline. So the other side of the business, the events, those would be protected. Those would just go on as before if they went down.

"I think the amount of ticket income would be impacted and there would be some big impacts in terms of a loss of revenue. They made around about £600million of revenue last season."

Maguire added: "So the chances of being able to repeat that, I think, would be fairly unlikely, if at all possible. There are other things that could sort of fly under the radar. Spurs do have an awful lot of debt. One season in the Championship, clearly not ideal. Based on my figures, they owe over £300m in unpaid transfer fees to other clubs. So that would need to come out of somebody's pocket.

"I think there would be constraints. They'd get parachute payments. But, again, looking at my numbers here, last season, they made around about £190m in TV money. In the Championship, even with parachute payments, that £190m drops to around about £45m. So there could be some big hits for the club. Less money coming in.

"You've still got the issues that they've made legacy transfers, which haven't worked. But not only have they bought the players, they've still got to go and pay for those instalments on players. So it won't be great."

Spurs are back in Premier League action next weekend when they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The referee in charge of the 199th North London derby between Spurs and Arsenal is blocked from refereeing two clubs in the Premier League.

Spurs host Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the weekend's featured fixture, with ex Juventus boss Igor Tudor taking charge for the first time since replacing Thomas Frank at the helm.

The game could have huge implications on the Premier League title race after Manchester City capitalised on Arsenal's slip-up at bottom club Wolves and closed the gap to just two points at the top of the table.

Spurs could do City a huge favour if they manage to take something off their rivals, who thrashed them 4-1 in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

Peter Bankes has been appointed to referee the all-important clash, with Eddie Smart and Blake Antrobus assisting as linesmen and Sam Barrott taking on the role of fourth official. Darren England is on VAR duty, assisted by Tim Wood.

Bankes has refereed 18 Premier League games this season and officiated Arsenal on 13 occasions, with nine wins, three losses and one draw for the Gunners.

Bankes has never refereed two teams in the Premier League

The 43-year-old has been recognised by FIFA since 2021, having refereed a Premier League game for the first time two years prior.

But while he's been a regular in the English top tier, Bankes has never refereed Everton or Liverpool.

That's because his County FA is the Liverpool Football Association and in line with Premier League rules, he has never been involved in their games.

Premier League clubs are required to confirm the team which they support and are not allowed to referee games involving the club or any that could directly impact them in any way.

It is not known if Bankes supports either of Merseyside's two big games but his affiliation to the Liverpool FA means he cannot referee them regardless.

Similarly, Michael Oliver cannot referee Newcastle - the team he has supported his whole life - as well as rivals Sunderland and any other teams connected.

"We have to declare if we have an allegiance to any club or if a family member works at a club," he explained in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"You can't do any match involving that team, and I can't do Sunderland, either, for obvious reasons.

"If Newcastle needed a point to survive and the team they were fighting to get above was, say, Villa, I couldn't referee Villa's game either. I wouldn't want to. It's not worth the hassle."

Tottenham Hotspur's horror run of form in the Premier League has been brought up by a Swedish politician during a session of the nation's parliament.

Spurs have endured a nightmare campaign domestically, and they now sit in 16th place - just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Thomas Frank was sacked earlier this month after a run of just two wins in 17 matches, before being replaced by former Juventus boss Igor Tudor on an interim basis until the end of the season.

There have been some doubts raised among fans about former Croatia midfielder Tudor, who is now entering his 13th separate stint as a manager since 2015.

Much of his managerial career has been spent in Italian football, having taken charge of Udinese (twice), Hellas Verona, Lazio and Juventus.

He was sacked by Juve in October after winning 10 of his 24 matches, with the Italian giants in eighth place after eight Serie A matches at the time of his departure.

Now, he must guide Spurs comfortably clear of the relegation zone while competing on two fronts, with Spurs in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Tudor will have to do without Sweden midfielder Lucas Bergvall during the opening weeks of his reign, as the 20-year-old underwent ankle surgery last month.

Fellow Swede Dejan Kulusevski, meanwhile, hasn't kicked a ball all season after suffering a right patella knee injury towards the end of last season.

Kulusevski recently shared a video of himself in the gym, but previous boss Frank expressed doubt over whether he would be available to play this season, revealing he underwent an injection in December in an attempt to be able to train pain-free.

The presence of Bergvall and Kulusevski means there is plenty of interest in Spurs back in Sweden - and one politician mocked the club during a session of Swedish parliament.

Social Democratic Party politician Mikael Damberg, who is the nation's former Minister for Finance, compared Sweden's current economic policy to that of Tottenham's own transfer strategy.

"I naturally think of Tottenham Hotspurs," Damberg began. "Also known as Spurs.

"It is one of England's most distinguished clubs. A rich club, with an enormous stadium. Dedicated and large supporter base. Everything to be considered a top team.

"Despite this, Tottenham find themselves in crisis. They are fighting at the bottom of the table, just a few points above the relegation zone.

"Not because they lack resources. Not because they lack benefits. But because they have squandered their opportunities. Due to making wrong decisions, general jerkiness, and thinking in the short-term.

"Have they lost their direction and stability? The club has even given this a name, 'Spursy' - when you have opportunities but get no results.

"Madame Speaker, that is precisely how the Minister of Finance is handling the Swedish economy."

Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has already been clear about what he truly feels about Spurs, as the North London club are in the market for a new head coach following Thomas Frank’s sacking.

On Wednesday (February 11), Frank was sacked by Spurs after a run of just two wins in 17 Premier League games, which has resulted in the side being five points above the relegation zone with 12 league matches remaining this term.

Despite Tottenham automatically qualifying for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 due to finishing fourth in the 36-team league phase, their performances in Europe were not enough to save Frank’s job.

Since the Dane’s departure, which came the day after Spurs’ 2-1 loss against Newcastle United, the Lilywhites have been linked with several managers, including former Brighton and Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi, as well as ex-RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose.

However, on Friday (February 13), The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that the Spurs have “verbally agreed” to appoint Igor Tudor, who previously coached Lazio and Juventus, among others, as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Croatian’s contract will reportedly not include an option to make the move permanent. If this is the case, Spurs may be on the lookout for a permanent head coach once more this summer.

Of course, between now and then, managers will be out of work, with several likely to step down as international head coaches after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

One of the currently unemployed managers is former United boss Amorim, who was sacked by the Red Devils back in January.

Despite being linked with potentially replacing José Mourinho at Benfica — with the ‘Special One’ linked with taking over from Portugal boss Roberto Martinez as national team manager — a return to the Premier League may be too attractive a proposition for Amorim to turn down if Spurs come calling this summer.

But what has the 41-year-old previously said about Spurs?

Unfortunately for Amorim, Spurs handed him one of his worst nights in football when the Londoners defeated United 1-0 in last season’s Europa League final, which meant the Red Devils missed out on European football.

At the time, Ange Postecoglou was Spurs boss, with Amorim praising the side ahead of the fixture in Bilbao.

The Portuguese said: “I think they are a team that have a lot of intensity, they have a really strong identity, they will play in the same way and you can see it.

“They score a lot of goals, they suffer also because they want to score every time. We know Spurs, they know our team, we also have a strong identity so it’s going to be a good game.”

A Premier League icon and a Tottenham legend is open to leaving his job to replace Thomas Frank, according to stunning reports.

Frank was sacked on Wednesday following Spurs' bruising 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United.

He lasted just eight months in the role following his summer appointment after replacing Ange Postecoglou.

Frank leaves Spurs in 16th place in the Premier League, with the club just five points above the relegation zone following a woeful run of form, having not won their past eight league games.

Spurs are on the hunt for a new manager, with The Sun claiming Robbie Keane is one of the names in the frame to replace Frank.

According to the report, Keane would be open to leaving Ferencvaros should Spurs come calling.

He has been in charge of the Hungarian side since January 2025 and only recently penned a new deal.

But Keane is ready to come to Spurs' rescue.

A move to Spurs would see the 45-year-old return to North London having enjoyed two spells at the club during his playing days.

He spent six seasons in his first stint before returning to Spurs for a second spell.

The Irishman made over 300 appearances for the club and scored 52 goals. He helped them to Carabao Cup glory in the 2007/08 season.

Keane, who also played for the likes of Liverpool, Inter Milan and Celtic, began his managerial career with Indian Super League team ATK before being appointed by Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Who else is in the frame to replace Thomas Frank?

Several names have been linked with Spurs' managerial vacancy, including former boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently preparing USA's home World Cup.

His contract takes him through the 2026 World Cup, with a return mooted.

Oliver Glasner, who is set to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season, has emerged as a candidate, too.

Roberto De Zerbi and Marco Rose are among the other names bandied about.

A shock manager has emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Thomas Frank as Tottenham Hotspur head coach after the Dane’s sacking on Wednesday (February 11).

Frank was finally relieved of his duties as Spurs boss earlier this week after a run of two wins and 12 points from his last 17 Premier League games in charge, which has left the north London side 16th in the English top-flight, just five points above the relegation zone, with 12 games remaining this season.

Tuesday (February 10) proved the final straw for Frank as he watched Newcastle beat Spurs 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to strikes from Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey.

So who could replace the departed Frank?

Initial reports suggested that former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi was being lined up after he mutually agreed to leave Marseille on Wednesday.

The Italian guided the Seagulls to a record-high sixth-place finish in the 2022/23 campaign, which secured Europa League football.

The following season, Brighton finished 13th before De Zerbi left for Ligue 1 giants Marseille. The 46-year-old finished second in his first season, but the side struggled this term, which resulted in his exit.

However, another European manager has emerged as the favourite to take the reins as Spurs head coach.

According to William Hill, former Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig head coach Marco Rose has emerged as the favourite at odds of 5/4, while De Zerbi is second in the running at 3/1. Former Spurs boss and current USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino makes up the top three at odds of 9/2.

Rose was sacked by Leipzig in March 2025 and has since been without a managerial role. The 49-year-old German also coached RB Salzburg between 2017 and 2019, winning two Austrian Bundesliga titles and one Austrian Cup with the club.

He also guided RB Leipzig to the 2022/23 DFB-Pokal with a win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.

Speaking to Kicker in October, the German made it clear that he wants to return to the dugout after several months out of the game.

Rose explained: “I definitely want to get back on the bench, but it doesn’t have to be today, tomorrow, or the day after… I believe the day will come. You’ll certainly see me back on a training ground and in the stadium… It just has to be right, and maybe this time it’s going to be abroad.”

Next permanent Spurs head coach odds

Marco Rose – 5/4

Roberto De Zerbi – 3/1

Mauricio Pochettino – 9/2

John Heitinga – 5/1

Robbie Keane – 7/1

Oliver Glasner – 16/1

Yes, the scenario is an unlikely one, but what will happen if Spurs are relegated from the Premier League but somehow win the Champions League come the end of the 2025-26 season?

Following their 2-1 defeat against Newcastle this week, Spurs dropped down to 16th in the Premier League table, just five points above the relegation zone.

Thomas Frank would insist his job was not under threat as he spoke to reporters, but the Dane was soon relieved of his duties, with results and performances being deemed unacceptable.

Spurs have struggled in the league of late. In fact, they are currently on a miserable run of two wins from their last 17 league matches.

On the other hand, they managed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage with a fourth-placed finish in the group phase, having picked up five wins from eight games.

According to Opta, the Lilywhites have a 6.19 per cent chance of reaching the final in Budapest on May 30 and an even slimmer 2.29 per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time in their history.

That being said, their top four finish in the group phase has put them in a strong position ahead of a round of 16 clash against either Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge or Galatasaray.

The Premier League side will play the second leg of the round of 16 at home, and if they happen to progress, that advantage will carry into the quarter-final stage.

So, what happens if they win the Champions League but suffer relegation from the Premier League?

UEFA rules state that the Champions League winners automatically qualify for the following season’s Champions League, regardless of where they finish domestically.

Of course, winning a European trophy does not override relegation.

They would drop down to the Championship and lose out on Premier League TV revenue, although the money from winning a Champions League would certainly offer a crumb of comfort.

If the unlikely scenario does play out, then Spurs would have to play 46 Championship games on top of Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup fixtures, not to mention potentially featuring in the Club World Cup.

Has this ever happened before? No, but back in 2013, Wigan played in the Europa League after being relegated to the Championship following an FA Cup final win over Manchester City.