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Mikel Arteta has made a bullish statement about the Arsenal players ahead of their showdown with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

While the North London derby may have been chalked off as an easy win for the Gunners a couple of weeks ago, things have changed over the past few days.

There has been a managerial change at Tottenham Hotspur, with Igor Tudor now attempting to inject energy into a squad that appeared to be lacking confidence under Thomas Frank.

Additionally, Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead mid-week against Wolves, demonstrating that they are far from invincible.

Mikel Areta says Arsenal players have reacted tremendously ahead of Tottenham showdown

Having been held to a draw by Wolves, the pressure is now mounting on Arsenal, who know that they cannot slip up on Sunday, with Man City breathing down their necks.

However, Arteta has now revealed that rather than feeling deflated at their draw at Molineux Stadium, his players have reacted really well and are determined to put things right in the North London derby.

Ahead of the clash against Tottenham, the Spaniard said (via Sky Sports): “What I have seen is a tremendous reaction again, and I am not surprised at all. But this is football, and that is the beauty of football. That was a chapter. We have a long season, and chapter 27 says we drew against Wolves in this manner.

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“What I am interested in is the next one. What is this team made of? What do we do about this, and how we write our own destiny from here and going forward?

“That’s it. You have to react to it because life moves on and as unfortunate as it was, there is nothing we can do. However, what we can do a lot about is what happens next.”

Arteta insists Gunners cannot wait to play Spurs

The feeling ahead of the North London derby is always different to other games, irrespective of where the two sides are in the table.

Arteta admits that his side want to use that excitement to showcase their best and that they cannot wait to run out onto the field at N17.

He added: “It’s the one that is next, and it is one we cannot wait to play. We’d all love to play the game today to get that feeling we have in our tummies and use it in the right way. We have to show it on Sunday.”

Johan Lange has reflected on Tottenham’s decision to sack Thomas Frank, as well as his own role in the wrong calls that have been made at Spurs.

Barring the first few games of the season, it never looked like a happy marriage between Frank and Tottenham.

The club eventually decided to put the Dane out of his misery last week, with the 52-year-old leaving Spurs just five points off the relegation zone.

Many Tottenham fans felt that the club should have sacked Frank a lot sooner, and they persisted with him too long amidst abject performances.

Johan Lange says Tottenham wanted to give Thomas Frank every chance to succeed

The Tottenham sporting director reveals that the decision to ultimately call time on the Frank experiment was made at the boardroom level.

He also stood behind the decision to appoint Frank in the first place, insisting that due diligence was done and that the club wanted to give the former Brentford boss an opportunity to get things right.

When asked about the decision to sack Frank, Johan Lange said (via Football.London): “We as the leaders constantly evaluate performances, evaluate results and after the Newcastle game, we made the decision. Ultimately, it was a board decision but we made the decision and that was why we decided it was the right time to change.”

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When asked if the way things unfolded has shaken the foundations of how the managerial hiring decision was made, he responded: “No, I think when you make a decision, you’re always making the decision that you’re confident is the right one at the time. We evaluated, and we wanted to give Thomas every opportunity to succeed. But ultimately, it’s also our responsibility to make the decisions, and we came to that point where we saw the performances, the results, and then you come to that decision.”

Lange accepts his own responsibility for his role in Spurs’ mistakes

The club’s decision to hire Frank, persist with him for so long, and some of their transfer failings, have led to some supporters losing faith in those calling the shots at the top.

Lange insisted that the pressure and expectations from the supporters are part of working at a club like Tottenham and accepted blame for some of his mistakes.

When asked about the missteps the club have taken, he responded: “I, of course, accept my responsibility at all times, but every decision that I make and we have made has been in the best interests of the club.

“I think when you work for a big club like Tottenham, then pressure, or whatever you want to call it, is part of it. I’m sitting here today because I want to take responsibility for the club, everything that comes into football. Part of being here is expectations. That is part of why it’s fantastic to be here because if you are working for a big club there are big expectations, but also big opportunities and big possibilities.

“If you work for a very small club, if you work for a club with less fans, then maybe there’s less pressure or expectation. I think we are a big club and we work with high expectations and that is why I personally, really, really love working here because of the expectations.”

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their decision on season-ticket prices for next season and have announced further measures that have been met with a positive reaction from fan bodies.

A few weeks ago, THST Trust released the findings of the Five Principles Survey, which found that the Tottenham owners’ popularity among the fans is at an all-time low since the survey began.

The club have now taken some positive moves to seemingly repair their relationship with the fan base.

It emerged a couple of days ago that Tottenham are set to freeze season-ticket prices for the 2026-27 season, and the club have now confirmed their stance and announced additional perks to the supporters.

Tottenham announce positive ticket initiatives

The club sent an email to the registered ticket holders, announcing all the initiatives and information regarding the 2026-27 match tickets.

They revealed that, along with freezing general admission season tickets and match tickets, they have also made junior concession tickets in all non-standing areas and have reduced the number of A-category fixtures.

Here are the main points of the club’s ticketing policy:

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◦ General admission Tottenham Season Ticket and Match Ticket prices frozen for 2026/27, across Men’s and Women’s teams

◦ Junior concession tickets to be made available in all non-standing areas, reflecting our commitment to the next generation of fans

◦ Young Adult ticket category to be extended to 18-25 and made available across all areas of the stadium

◦ New Senior Concession Season Tickets to remain available with a ‘one in, one out’ model prioritising Tottenham supporters with the longest tenure

◦ Number of Category A Premier League fixtures reduced from next season

The club explained that they arrived at this decision after their communication with the Trust and the Fan Advisory Board (FAB).

They vowed to keep these communication channels open and to continue their constructive discussions with the fans.

The club’s announcement continued: “We have conducted a formal consultation process with our Fan Advisory Board (FAB) and Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) and, for a second consecutive year, can confirm that there will be no increase on either Season Ticket or Match Ticket prices next season, across both our Men’s and Women’s teams.

“We have engaged in constructive dialogue throughout this consultation and listened to fan feedback across the areas that matter most to our supporters. We believe, collectively, that our key focus should be on supporting the next generation of Spurs fans and we are committed to making it easier than ever before for our young fans to be part of the matchday experience.

“We are therefore pleased to announce that the following measures will be introduced for the 2026/27 season:

◦ Junior concession tickets will be available in all areas of our stadium, with the exception of safe standing areas – at 50% of the Adult price

◦ The Young Adult age category – which carries a 25% discount – will expand from 18-21 to 18-25

◦ Young Adult concessions will be available in all areas of the stadium, including Safe Standing areas

“Alongside securing our future generation of support, we are also ensuring that new Senior Concessions Season Tickets remain available within the current structure, with a ‘one in, one out’ model prioritising supporters who have held an adult Season Ticket for the longest period of time. Further information will be communicated to eligible supporters in due course.

“In addition to pricing and concessions, we have also re-evaluated the categorisation of Premier League fixtures and looked to reduce the number of Category A fixtures across a season. We can confirm that Newcastle United will now become a Category B fixture from the 2026/27 season.

“Our stadium is a home for Spurs fans of all backgrounds and ages and, with more concessions available and more young supporters eligible for discounts, we are making matchdays more accessible to the widest representation of our incredible fanbase than ever before.

Fan Advisory Board welcomes Spurs’ decision

The Tottenham FAB welcomed the club’s decision to freeze ticket prices and to extend junior concessions from next season.

While they suggested that the measures may not satisfy all supporters, it is a step in the right direction, and they expressed their intention to continue their dialogue with the club.

The FAB’s statement reads: ”This is really welcome news. Freezing ticket prices, extending Young Adult concessions up to 25, and expanding Junior concessions across the stadium will make a real difference for younger Tottenham supporters and families, and help make matchdays more accessible. Affordability matters. It’s about giving young fans the chance to build a lifelong connection with the Club and recognising that supporters come at different stages of life.

It’s also important to see senior concessions remaining in place and encouraging to see a bit of common-sense flexibility on match categorisation alongside these more structural changes. We know not every supporter will feel this goes far enough or lands exactly where they’d want, but it’s a positive step forward and we’ll continue to listen, raise concerns and push for fair outcomes across all supporter demographics.

“The FAB and Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust have been working closely with the Club on these issues for over a year, so it’s genuinely pleasing to have reached this point and to see that work reflected in these decisions.”

Whoscored have revealed their combined North London Derby eleven based on this season’s performance ratings ahead of the big showdown between Tottenham and Arsenal on Sunday.

While most people’s combined Tottenham-Arsenal team was dominated by Spurs players a few years ago, the situation has completely reversed.

Not many Tottenham players will now get in over their Arsenal counterparts, with the Gunners becoming regular title contenders and proving that they have staying power at the top.

Spurs Web’s combined Tottenham-Arsenal eleven has three Spurs representatives: Micky van de Ven, Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke.

WhoScored names four Tottenham players in combined North London Derby XI

While the combined elevens are usually very subjective, Whoscored have now made an objective team, based on the average performance ratings of each Arsenal and Spurs player this season.

They have four Spurs representatives, but none of Van de Ven, Xavi or Solanke makes the cut.

Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Joao Palhinha and Richarlison are the four Tottenham stars who find a place in their eleven.

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The quality gap between Spurs and Arsenal is not as big as it may seem

Arsenal have double the amount of points Tottenham do this season, with 29 points separating the two sides. However, that is not a fair reflection of the gap in quality between the two sides.

Tottenham’s first-choice backline is arguably as good as Arsenal’s, with not a lot to choose between the two centre-back pairings.

Spurs’ forward line, when the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus are fit, is also arguably not a long way away from the Gunners.

It is only in the middle of the park where Arsenal have a clear edge over Tottenham, and that is why the Lilywhites may need to prioritise upgrading in that department in the summer.

Harry Redknapp believes that we will see plenty of goals on Sunday when Tottenham Hotspur take to the field against Arsenal in the North London Derby.

Spurs fans would have been dreading this fixture just a couple of weeks ago, but there is now a newfound sense of optimism after a managerial change at N17.

Igor Tudor is determined to make a swift impact at Tottenham, with the Croat no stranger to taking over clubs mid-season and galvanising struggling teams.

However, he has a very stern test first up, with the table toppers visiting the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for what is a huge game for both sides due to their objectives at different ends of the table.

Harry Redknapp predicts a high-scoring draw between Tottenham and Arsenal

Redknapp has admitted that Sunday’s derby clash is difficult to call, given the unknowns about Tottenham under Tudor.

He suggested that Arsenal may also be starting to feel the pressure of a title race, and predicted that points would be shared at N17.

Redknapp told BetVictor: “The big one, and a very hard game to predict. Let’s be honest, who knows what to expect from Spurs. I like Thomas Frank, but the performances of late have been really poor, and they probably needed a change. Tudor’s come in and he’s got a decent reputation in Italy, but how will he get on at Spurs? Only time will tell. Talk about an early test for him though!

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“As for Arsenal, who knows what to expect? I cannot believe they blew that game against Wolves, that’s just so unlike them and boy, has that put pressure on this game. Are those Arsenal lads beginning to feel the pressure?

“That Spurs crowd should lift the players and make this a closer game that some might expect. I can see a nervy, entertaining draw!”

Prediction: Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal.

Redknapp identifies Arsenal winger as North London Derby dangerman

Tudor has just 13 fit first-team players to choose from, with the Tottenham squad ravaged by injuries.

Arsenal may also be without Leandro Trossard, who was forced off with an injury against Wolves in midweek, but Redknapp believes that Bukayo Saka is the danger man for the home side.

When asked to name his player to watch for the derby, the former Spurs manager said: “Saka has signed a new deal, and he’ll want to celebrate in style here. He’s due a goal as well.”

Igor Tudor takes charge of his first Tottenham game, tasked with the challenge of giving fans a long-awaited North London Derby victory as his side host Arsenal on Sunday.

It was never going to be a quiet two weeks for Tottenham. Despite not kicking a ball last weekend, the club still found itself at the centre of attention after Thomas Frank’s tenure finally came to an end following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle.

It’s fair to say his dismissal had been coming. Just 2 league wins from the previous 17 had dragged Spurs into the relegation zone, sitting 16th in the Premier League table and only 5 points clear of West Ham in 18th.

With Frank gone, the door opened for former Juventus boss Igor Tudor to step in and try to bring some much-needed consistency between now and the end of the season.

Arsenal, meanwhile, sit top of the league, but the noise around them has started to shift. What once looked like a possible nine-point cushion has now been cut to five, with Manchester City having played a game fewer.

They have won just two of their last seven league matches, including a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Wolves most recently, where they somehow managed to let a two-goal lead slip in stoppage time.

What time does the North London Derby kick off?

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Tottenham vs Arsenal: Head to head record

A major turning point in Thomas Frank’s time at Tottenham actually came in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Arsenal humiliated Spurs 4-1 at the Emirates, courtesy of an Eberechi Eze hat-trick, definitely not helped by Frank attempting a dig at the English midfielder before the game.

That victory was Arsenal’s third consecutive win in this fixture. Tottenham have managed just one victory in the last 9 North London Derbies, drawing one and losing the rest, with that sole win coming back in May 2022.

Tottenham team news

Tudor prefers to operate with a three-man backline, but thanks to some rather strange squad planning, he may not even have the numbers to do so properly. Kevin Danso remains a few weeks away from a return, while Cristian Romero serves the second of his four-match suspension following his red card against Manchester United.

Wilson Odobert is the latest name added to the list of players unlikely to feature again this season, joining Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur. There are still no clear signs of Dejan Kulusevski or James Maddison returning anytime soon either.

Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall are both at least a month away from full fitness. However, there is some good news here, as Richarlison was spotted back in training.

Full-backs Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro are understood not to be fully ready for this one, though Porro is considered touch-and-go.

Arsenal team news

Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are both doubts after being forced off through injury in the draw against Wolves. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino were not involved in that match either, but only Merino is certain to miss this fixture.

Predicted Tottenham Line-Up

TOTTENHAM: Vicario; Spence, Dragusin, Palhinha, Van de Ven, Gray; Gallagher, Sarr, Simons; Kolo Muani, Solanke

ARSENAL: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Eze, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Our prediction

Spurs fans have already warmed to Igor Tudor’s first few interviews, and a win in a fixture of this magnitude would make him an instant hero.

Tottenham know that 3 points here would not only increase the gap between themselves and the relegation zone, but also deal a huge blow to Arsenal’s title hopes. Should the Gunners lose and Manchester City take advantage in their next two games, we could well be looking at Arsenal in a very familiar second place in the coming weeks.

Keep an eye on Randal Kolo Muani. He has not quite hit top form since arriving, but reuniting with his former manager could give him the confidence boost he needs on a stage like this.

For Arsenal, Gabriel will be the obvious threat from set pieces. No matter how much Tottenham feel they have improved in defending dead-ball situations this season, the Brazilian remains a constant nuisance in the box and will need to be managed carefully.

With home advantage and the unpredictability that often comes with a new manager’s first game, we hope that Tottenham can edge this one.

Alan Shearer has sent in his Tottenham versus Arsenal score prediction ahead of this weekend’s north London derby encounter.

Igor Tudor knows that he must lift the spirit of this group of Tottenham Hotspur players, who look void of confidence.

The record of just two wins in their last 17 is disappointing to say the least, and it is no surprise that Spurs find themselves in a relegation scrap.

This weekend, however, provides an opportunity for Tottenham to turn their fortunes around as they prepare to welcome their biggest rivals, Arsenal, to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Both sides come into this fixture in contrasting fortunes, with Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League table while Tottenham are looking to avoid the drop.

Tottenham vs Arsenal: Alan Shearer predicts North London Derby

A victory for Spurs on Sunday could provide the spark they need to help turn their season around, while also putting a dent in the Gunners’ title aspirations.

Tottenham fans are looking forward to the north London derby and have teased the forever tifo as they look to spur their side on.

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Alan Shearer, however, is not convinced that Tottenham have what it takes to secure a win this weekend.

Speaking to Metro, Shearer explained why he believes Arsenal are under pressure to deliver and admitted Spurs give him little confidence, before making his prediction clear.

He said: “Arsenal have to win the game. I mean, it is pretty simple. It would be a disaster if they did not, and they are not in great form, losing a 2-0 lead in the way they did against Wolves, they go into it under huge pressure. It might even be more if City beat Newcastle on Saturday night.

“But Spurs give me no confidence, even with the new manager bounce that they would hope that they are going to get, so I am going to say an Arsenal away win.”

Prediction – Arsenal win

Spurs home record compared to Arsenal away form

While fans will be looking to get behind their side on Sunday, Tottenham’s record at home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium does not inspire confidence.

This season, only two sides have a worse home record than the Lilywhites, and that is the two bottom-placed sides, Burnley and Wolves.

Igor Tudor has addressed the growing talk of a relegation battle at Tottenham Hotspur, making his stance clear ahead of a pivotal north London derby.

Tottenham Hotspur must turn results around on the pitch, with poor form dragging them into a relegation scrap.

The threat of going down has also brought serious financial repercussions, with one sponsor set to leave at the end of the season.

Tudor’s job is clear – steady a wrecking ship and bring some belief back to a club in desperate need of a lift.

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor responds to relegation fight question before Arsenal fixture

Spurs welcome Arsenal to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend and, should they suffer defeat while West Ham United win their own clash, the gap between Tottenham and 18th place will be just two points.

However, Tudor is adamant that Spurs will not go down this season. The interim manager has now been asked if Spurs are in a relegation fight, and he has outlined his mindset.

Speaking to Tottenham’s official channels, Tudor explained why he refuses to focus on league position and instead concentrates on daily work on the training pitch.

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He said: “This is not important in which way, to be more clear. We are fighting for every position, relegation, first position.

“For me, it is all about… you achieve what you do during the week. So you achieve your position, how you do the things on Sunday.

“So it is always a consequence of that. This brings you nothing if you start to think about the relegation or ‘I am fighting for this’… All these goals are far away.

“I think you understand me. I never give them importance. I never speak about results. I never speak about what we need to achieve at the end of the season.

“I do not believe in this. I believe in today’s training. This is for me all I want the players to think about. I go strong on the things that we need to do in training.

“After we speak, I go man to man to give concrete advice. All I have is love, also support, but also the right advice. So it is all about that. Then the position in the classification (table) is a consequence of this.”

Spurs must turn mindset into points quickly

Regardless of what the interim manager says, the reality for Tottenham is that they cannot afford to drop more points in the league.

Getting wins on the board is the only way for Spurs to move clear of the relegation scrap they find themselves in.

Pape Matar Sarr was asked to pick one former Tottenham star he would like to play alongside, and Spurs fans will really appreciate his response.

Given Sarr’s age, he may not have been exposed to Spurs legends of yesteryear, such as Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne or even Ledley King, but he had no shortage of players to choose from.

The Senegal international, of course, has played with two of Tottenham’s biggest legends in the club’s recent history in Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

He has now admitted that he would have loved to play with another Spurs fan favourite, who combined brilliantly with Kane and Son for several seasons.

Pape Sarr wishes he played with Dele Alli at Tottenham

The 23-year-old picked Dele Alli as the ex-Tottenham man he would have liked to play alongside in the middle of the park.

The attacking midfielder is still extremely loved by the fan base, with Spurs fans still signing Dele’s name on occasions. Sarr admits he has been impressed by the videos he has seen of the England international at his pomp.

The former Metz man told the Premier League’s YouTube channel: “I would like to play with Dele Alli. I’ve watched a lot of videos of him, and he did a lot of good things for the club in big games and scored a lot of goals.”

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Tottenham fans continue to root for the 29-year-old to rediscover his mojo after what has been a challenging few years for the former Spurs midfielder.

Dele is currently a free agent after being released by Como at the start of last season, but he may soon return to where his journey began.

Reports indicate that Dele may be in line to return to MK Dons, where he first made his name before making the big move to Tottenham in 2015.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of a young Dutch starlet just got a lot harder as two European giants are now battling it out for his signature.

Spurs reportedly explored signing a creative midfield passer in January after adding Conor Gallagher to their squad.

Having failed to do so, they may reignite their pursuit in the summer, and one young Eredivisie star was allegedly part of their wishlist.

According to reports, Tottenham are fans of AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, but it has emerged over recent weeks that Liverpool are also eyeing a move for the £52m-rated Smit.

Real Madrid enter race for Tottenham target Kees Smit

The 20-year-old is continuing to deliver outstanding performances for AZ, and according to Defensa Central, his displays have attracted the attention of Real Madrid.

Los Blancos see the youngster as having ‘great potential’ and have been tracking him for several months now, with the player ‘highly regarded’ by the Santiago Bernabeu hierarchy.

It is revealed that Madrid’s pursuit of Smit will not be easy, as PSG, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich are also closely tracking the youngster.

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However, it is another Premier League giant that has stolen a march on the La Liga giant in the race for the midfielder.

Liverpool are leading the race for Smit

Defensa Central say that Liverpool ‘may beat Madrid to the punch’ to a summer deal for the Netherlands U21 international.

The Reds have already made initial contact over a deal for Smit and have been in talks with him and his representatives.

Liverpool are aware that their ‘toughest rival’ in the race for the AZ starlet is Madrid and are thus keen to finalise an agreement as quickly as possible for the player.