Football London

Here's the Tottenham team that Igor Tudor has gone for in his first match in charge of the north London side for the derby against Arsenal

Igor Tudor has named his first Tottenham Hotspur team as he faces his debut in the Premier League season's second north London derby on Sunday.

Spurs have a new man at the helm with former Juventus boss Tudor parachuted in to improve the 16th-placed side after Thomas Frank was sacked last week. The Croatian's first challenge is a derby against Mikel Arteta's title hopefuls who need to win after Manchester City's victory against Newcastle on Saturday night.

Tottenham, who will be missing 11 players for the game, are looking for their first Premier League win of 2026 and have Dominic Solanke on the bench after the striker required antibiotics in the week for a throat problem. That means Randal Kolo Muani plays up front and the Frenchman knows Tudor well after impressing for him in the back end of last season at Juventus. Richarlison is also back on the bench after returning to training following his hamstring injury.

Tudor appears to have gone with his favoured back three with Joao Palhinha alongside Radu Dragusin, who played for Juventus when the Croatian was Andrea Pirlo's assistant, and Micky van de Ven. Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr start in midfield with Xavi Simons and Conor Gallagher as the number 10s in what could be a 3-4-2-1.

James Wilson, 18, is on the bench for the first time after his mid-season move from Hearts, after scoring for the U21s last week.

Here's the Tottenham starting line-up:

Kick-off

Here we go here in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the North London Derby. Who will take the points?

Will it be Arsenal in their hunt for the title, or will their bitter rivals deal an almighty blow to those hopes?

Mikel Arteta reveals impact Martin Odegaard's injury woes have had on Arsenal team-mates

Martin Odegaard's injury setbacks have been "tough" for him, but Mikel Arteta is confident the Arsenal captain can return to his best to get their Premier League title bid back on track.

Injuries have again haunted Arsenal’s season with more than 30 separate incidents of players missing matches already, closing in on a tally of 39 from the previous campaign, with more than three months left to play.

Odegaard suffered what was his fourth issue of the campaign in the 1-1 draw with Brentford, overextending his knee in a collision with goalscorer Keane Lewis-Potter.

Article continues here.

David Raya prediction made

David Raya has been backed to put right his error that cost Arsenal two points against Wolves in midweek ahead of Sunday's North London Derby.

Arsenal go into the clash on the back of two consecutive draws in the league. On Wednesday they could only draw 2-2 with bottom side Wolves, with Raya's mistake at the end gifting Tom Edozie the chance to score his first senior goal.

Former goalkeeper Graham Stack has backed Raya to put the mistake behind him and return to his best. Stack, speaking exclusively to Reach via the best betting apps, said: "I would say that the most experienced and best goalies in the world, the most successful ones, are the ones that are able to deal with failure really quickly, to move on and not dwell on it.

"The best make the fewest mistakes, don't they? But those fewest mistakes, they're probably highlighted the most because of the platform and the team and scrutiny on teams and players at the top of the league. Raya might make one error and even when he make ten absolute worldies in the same game, it'll be that one error that would be spoken about.

"With Raya, I think the team he has around him, in terms of his goalkeeping coach, who he's worked with previously at Brentford, his manager and the players, I guarantee you now they will be giving him nothing but self-belief and confidence throughout the week, which he may or may not need in truth. The strongest individuals are able to park it up, deal with it and move on within minutes, and it's all about the next action in the game. Raya falls into that category for sure of one with an abundance of resilience and mental strength."

Mikel Arteta gives emphatic response to Arsenal 'bottling' the Premier League title race

Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal’s collapse at Wolves was a “shock in the system”, but he insists his players are not 'bottling' the Premier League title race.

The surprising result on Wednesday meant the gap to Manchester City extended to just five points, having played a game more than their title rivals.

It was the first time a team at the top of the Premier League had dropped a two-goal lead to a side in the relegation zone, and the emotions from the players, but also the fans, at full-time were telling.

Article continues here.

Former goalkeeper Graham Stack has had his say on Arsenal and Tottenham ahead of the North London Derby

David Raya has been backed to put right his error that cost Arsenal two points against Wolves in midweek ahead of Sunday's North London Derby.

The Gunners make the short trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday to take on Igor Tudor's men, who are without a win in the Premier League in eight games. Arsenal are now just two points ahead of Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's side beat Newcastle 2-1 on Saturday night, and Arteta will want to extend that gap to five points with a win at Spurs.

Arsenal go into the clash on the back of two consecutive draws in the league, however. On Wednesday they could only draw 2-2 with bottom side Wolves, with Raya's mistake at the end gifting Tom Edozie the chance to score his first senior goal.

Former goalkeeper Graham Stack has backed Raya to put the mistake behind him and return to his best. Stack, speaking exclusively to Reach via the best betting apps, said: "I would say that the most experienced and best goalies in the world, the most successful ones, are the ones that are able to deal with failure really quickly, to move on and not dwell on it.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

"The best make the fewest mistakes, don't they? But those fewest mistakes, they're probably highlighted the most because of the platform and the team and scrutiny on teams and players at the top of the league. Raya might make one error and even when he make ten absolute worldies in the same game, it'll be that one error that would be spoken about.

"With Raya, I think the team he has around him, in terms of his goalkeeping coach, who he's worked with previously at Brentford, his manager and the players, I guarantee you now they will be giving him nothing but self-belief and confidence throughout the week, which he may or may not need in truth. The strongest individuals are able to park it up, deal with it and move on within minutes, and it's all about the next action in the game. Raya falls into that category for sure of one with an abundance of resilience and mental strength."

Tottenham are currently 16th in the league and just four points above the relegation places. With Tudor taking charge of the Lilywhites for the first time on Sunday, the Croatian could really do with a win but the odds are firmly stacked against the home side.

"I really do think Arsenal will win the game, and that's not my heart speaking," Stack predicted. "I know there'll be arguments saying how can you say they're going to go and turn them over when they've obviously struggled at home against Wolves."

He added: "But I'm not being funny, Tottenham with a new manager will be buoyed, but I think Arsenal will win the game, and that's my brain, that's my football head talking. I really do, because I think Tottenham, I jut think the club is in a bad place and moment in time.

"They're not a good footballing side versus their teams that we’ve seen in past years, I think the stadium is toxic because I think their supporters have had enough, I think they're clutching at straws in terms of they've got a manager until the end of the season, I just think they've completely lost their stability at the club at the minute, I really do, I don't think they've got much stability at all."

Igor Tudor is missing multiple first-team players for his first game as Tottenham boss against Arsenal, but is set to welcome two back on Sunday afternoon

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor will begin his reign in England with a mouth-watering North London Derby against Arsenal. Spurs welcome Mikel Arteta to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, looking to deal a blow in their arch rivals' title hopes.

The Gunners have slipped up in their previous two games against Brentford and Wolves. Manchester City's 2-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday means the gap at the top of the table is now just two points.

Like Thomas Frank, Tudor will be forced to work with a limited squad due to injuries to a number of players. Just 13 fit senior players are available, with the hope that Dominic Solanke can make that 14.

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Here, football.london brings you the lowdown of the injuries at Spurs....

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

Dominic Solanke

Solanke has played just 11 games for Tottenham this season after an ankle injury kept him out for several months. He returned to action last month, but has suffered from a throat problem this week.

The issue has required antibiotics and Tudor confirmed he will have to decide if the striker is well enough to feature.

What Tudor said: "Solanke, Dominic, had some problems with his throat, but he made today some training. So, all others, probably someone next week."

Possible return date: Arsenal (H) - Sunday February 22

Pedro Porro

There had been hope that Porro would push for a return this week after suffering with a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw against Burnley last month. However, the defender is still out.

What Tudor said: "[Porro] no."

Possible return date: Fulham (A) - Sunday March 1

Richarlison

The Brazilian picked up a hamstring injury in the FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa on January 10 and was initially ruled out for up to seven weeks. Frank had previously suggested that he could return in time for today's north London derby and Tudor confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he will be available.

What Tudor said: "Richy is back."

Possible return date: Arsenal (H) - Sunday February 22

Lucas Bergvall

After being a key part of the Spurs team, Bergvall has been out with an ankle injury since the 2-0 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund over a month ago.

He has undergone surgery and no timescale has been put on his recovery. However, reports in Sweden have suggested he is no longer wearing a protective boot and his rehabilitation is "going in the right direction."

Possible return date: Late March/early April

Kevin Danso

Danso has missed the last three games after snapping a ligament in his toe in the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt. It's expected that the defender will miss weeks before returning.

Potential return date: Late February/early March

Destiny Udogie

Udogie is expected to miss up to five weeks after his hamstring injury, which he picked up in the 2-0 loss to Manchester United, forced him to endure another period out.

Potential return date: Mid-March

Mohammed Kudus

Kudus has missed nearly two months of action after suffering a hamstring injury against Sunderland on January 4. He was initially ruled out until after the March international break, but recent reports have claimed he was in Amsterdam to see a specialist to speed up his return.

Potential return date: April

Wilson Odobert

Odobert is the latest player to join the long list of absentees for Tottenham following his knee injury picked up against Newcastle. The winger has since had surgery and no timescale has been provided.

Potential return date: Late 2026

Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski hasn't played for Tottenham since the end of last season due to a patellar injury. Before being sacked, Frank admitted he was unsure if the forward would play again this season.

What has been said: “It's a complicated injury where it’s important to make sure there’s no pain in the knee,” said Frank. “That’s why he got an injection and it hopefully will help. So in three to four weeks’ time, he’ll be on the grass pain-free."

Potential return date: Unknown

Rodrigo Bentancur

Bentancur is expected to miss the majority of the season after undergoing surgery on his hamstring last month. The midfielder was ruled out for three months at the time.

Potential return date: Spring 2026

Ben Davies

In the 2-1 loss to West Ham United, Davies suffered a broken ankle and has had two operations. He is a doubt for the World Cup, should Wales qualify, with his contract in north London due to expire at the end of the season.

Potential return date: Unknown

James Maddison

Maddison suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season and has yet to play for Spurs this campaign. He has undergone surgery but is expected to be out until the summer.

Latest injury news on Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard as Arsenal take on Tottenham in the Premier League looking to get their title challenge back on track

It's North London Derby day and Mikel Arteta will hope to guide the Gunners back to winning ways with as many healthy players as possible. After giving up leads to record draws in two consecutive matches, the Spaniard might even be more desperate than usual to get one over Tottenham.

Manchester City sit just two points behind following their win over Newcastle on Saturday, and anything but a win will allow Pep Guardiola's side a significant opportunity to leapfrog Arsenal with their game in hand. Tense times.

Arteta has uncertainty over a number of his stars heading into the clash against the Lilywhites. football.london takes a look at the Spaniard's injury situation going into this afternoon.

Mikel Merino

Spain midfielder Mikel Merino is a long-term absentee and is likely ruled out for the season. The ex-Borussia Dortmund ace is recovering from an ankle injury and has undergone surgery.

"Well, I think the doctors were really happy the way it went," Arteta said earlier this month. "Yeah, now it starts.

"Obviously, it's a long process. You're talking about bone healing, so you need to be patient. You respect the timings, and I'm sure Mikel is going to do everything that he possibly can to speed up the process. We're talking about months, whether it's three, four or five, we don't know."

Return date: 01/06/2026

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal's captain has been out with a knee injury but could return in time for this afternoon. The ex-Real Madrid ace has a 'big possibility' of being available to face Spurs, according to Arteta.

Return date: 22/02/26

Kai H avertz

Like Odegaard, Havertz is in contention to make his return this afternoon. The German star has only recently returned from a serious knee injury and missed much of the month due to a hamstring injury.

Return date: 22/02/26

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Max Dowman

The youngster is getting closer to a return from the ankle injury that has kept him out for two months.

"He's doing very well," said Arteta. "I think he will be with us in a week or so, and then he just needs to pick up the rhythm and be available for us. He's doing very well. I think he will be with us in a week or so, and then he just needs to pick up the rhythm and be available for us."

Return date: 01/03/2026

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal's talismanic figure came off the field during Arsenal's draw with Wolves but appears to be fine to return. Saka limped off with what appeared to be an issue with his knee but conducted post-match media duties and has been pictured in training.

EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham handed relegation warning as financial implications laid bare - 'Could be farcical'

Tottenham are preparing for a crucial north London derby at home against rivals Arsenal under new boss Igor Tudor, as they sit close to the relegation places

Tottenham sit dangerously close to the relegation places with a clash against Arsenal next on the agenda. And a football finance expert has theorised what may happen should they unfathomably go down.

After finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, Spurs have suffered more domestic agony this campaign. Under the now-sacked Thomas Frank, they slipped close to the foot of the table and are yet to win a top-flight game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2026.

Igor Tudor now takes over as they prepare to contest a North London derby in home territory. But the prospect of being relegated, while inconceivable, still lingers.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has delivered his verdict on what may happen to the club should their poor run continue and the Championship beckon. He also points out that an absurd set of circumstances could develop regarding European football.

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

Maguire told football.london: "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."

He continued: "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.

"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."

Maguire does believe that if Spurs were to go down, one aspect of their finances could act as a saving grace. He added: "What Spurs do have in their favour is their wage bill. They pay, on average, around £100,000 a week.

"By the standards of the remainder of the Big Six, that is far, far lower. That would act in their favour. That is also highly incentivised to get into better positions than they are at present and so on. So they've got that sort of historic benefit. But even then, what the owners would have to do, the owners would have to go and provide some funding."

A footballing icon compared a potential transfer to Tottenham Hotspur to committing a criminal act

Transferring to a rival club is an occurrence in football that is traditionally frowned upon by fans, and rightly so.

In the case of iconic AC Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta, it was his love of Arsenal that stopped him signing a contract to become a Tottenham Hotspur player. A veteran of 21 years for the Italian giants, the 59-year-old won seven Serie A titles and the Champions League five times.

Given his status as one of the world's best defenders during his career and Milan's downturn in fortunes in the mid-90s, the opportunity for Costacurta to seek pastures new was available several times.

In particular, a move to the white half of north London was a potential reality after he spoke to then-Spurs boss Gerry Francis in 1996 about making the stunning move from Milan to London.

Costacurta - who retired in 2007 after his Champions League final victory over Liverpool - said in 2016 ahead of AC Milan vs Arsenal legends match that a transfer to Spurs never came to fruition because of his life-long love for the Gunners.

Ensure our latest football headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

"The idea of living in London was very exciting," Costacurta said to Arsenal.com. "But I finally refused and you know why? Because I couldn’t betray my English love. The truth is that I’ve been a keen Arsenal fan since my childhood, and playing for ‘our’ bitter rivals would have been high treason.

"When I was younger I liked the Arsenal shirt, the stadium, and some of the players from the 1980s such as Liam Brady. And I’ve always gone against the tide. All my friends were Manchester United or Liverpool fans, so I picked Arsenal and I’ve never changed my mind."

With 24 major honours to his name, it was surprisingly his experience playing at Highbury in the 1995 Cup Winners’ Cup that he chose as one of the best moments of his legendary career.

He explained: "The first game is possibly one of the favourite matches of my entire career. Not so much because of the game itself, which was very intense but perhaps not very exciting as the final score was a 0-0 and the only time we were really under threat was at set pieces.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

"It was more for the setting of Highbury. [The] Emirates is wonderful and over time it will gain its own mythical aura, but Highbury was unique.’ The two bitter rivals clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the second north London derby of the season.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon Igor Tudor will select in his first match as the club's interim head coach as Arsenal come to N17

Igor Tudor is set to name his first Tottenham starting line-up and he must do so for a north London derby on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs' new interim head coach is looking to prove his worth in order to stick around beyond the short-term deal he has signed until the end of the season to take over from Thomas Frank The Dane was sacked last week with Spurs 16th in the table and they are now four points above the Premier League drop zone after West Ham's draw with Bournemouth.

Tudor must navigate the biggest of first games against Arsenal, who are looking to kickstart their stuttering title hopes, and the Croatian will have to tackle Mikel Arteta's side with just 13 fit senior players available. Dominic Solanke has just returned to training after a throat problem that required antibiotics and the new head coach will have to decide if the England international is well enough to start in a high energy derby.

If he isn't fit to start then Tudor knows Randal Kolo Muani well and the Frenchman impressed for him at Juventus so the new boss will not be worried about calling on a man who scored five goals in 11 appearances for him last season. Richarlison is back in training and could feature among the substitutes.

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

The main choice for Tudor will come with the formation. If the 47-year-old goes for a back three and his favoured 3-4-2-1 then Archie Gray and Djed Spence are likely to be the wing-backs, although there could be a case for a first Spurs start for Souza to ensure left-sided balance to the team.

If it's a back three then Joao Palhinha could step into the defensive trio with Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin, while Tudor's arrival brings a fresh start for Yves Bissouma, which could see the Mali international get a chance in the centre of the pitch.

Here's the Tottenham team we reckon Tudor might go for to face the Gunners:

(3-4-2-1) Vicario; Palhinha, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Gray, Bissouma, Sarr, Spence; Gallagher, Xavi; Solanke.

Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are predicted to start for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League

Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby at their rivals’ ground, needing to win to recover their Premier League title-chasing form. The draw at Wolves was extremely damaging to their hopes, and has put the race back in Manchester City’s hands too.

Mikel Arteta has some big calls to make with some injury worries ahead of the game, not as many as new head coach Igor Tudor has to contend with, but all the same, there are some major absences. Question marks remain over the likes of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz remain.

While Leandro Trossard received a head injury at Wolves, which forced him off too. Arteta needs to get his eleven spot on with rising pressure.

With that said, here is how football.london believes Arteta will select for his Arsenal starting XI...

David Raya

After making a glaring error in colliding with Gabriel Magalhaes, the Spaniard is perhaps under more scrutiny than ever before. But he'll still start this giant clash.

Jurrien Timber

Ben White has been called for by many supporters, but the likelihood is that the out-of-form Jurrien Timber is expected to continue.

William Saliba

Avoided the scrutiny from the Wolves game and had a decent performance, but will need to be at his best at Tottenham.

Gabriel

In the spotlight with Raya following Wolves' equaliser, but should arguably have been trusted by his keeper to just head the ball clear instead of being impeded.

Piero Hincapie

Another goal contribution at Wolves. That is two in two games for the defender, and he is perhaps one of the few players in good form.

Martin Zubimendi

After six months of top displays, Martin Zubimendi is facing considerable criticism of late, and calls for Christian Norgaard have never been greater.

Declan Rice

This is the game where you need your biggest players to step up, and there are none bigger perhaps now than Declan Rice.

Martin Odegaard

Mikel Arteta alluded to the attacking midfielder having a "big possibility" of being involved, and if he is ready, I can totally see him starting here.

Bukayo Saka

After signing a new deal and scoring against Wolves, the hope is that Saka has found some form and can end the season strongly.

Viktor Gyokeres

Zero shots and five miscontrols against Wolves; not ideal, and not good enough. But neither was Gabriel Jesus, and with questions over Kai Havertz's fitness, the Swede starts.

Leandro Trossard

Mikel Arteta confirmed that the Belgian is fine despite being substituted following a clash against Wolves with what appeared to be a head injury.

Igor Tudor will lean on Micky van de Ven to lead Tottenham Hotspur through a difficult period

Micky van de Ven has revealed what he thinks about Igor Tudor. The 47-year-old, who was appointed as interim Tottenham Hotspur head coach at the start of the week, has only had a few days on the training pitches, and he appears to have made a great first impression.

Tudor will hope his hard work has paid off when the Lilywhites lock horns with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. In an interview with Sky Sports, Van de Ven claimed that he's appreciated the Croatian's honesty and directness.

"It's good – he's on us," said the Netherlands international. "He's really honest. He's straight into it, straight forward, and tells us, straight away, what he wants us to do and what he expects from us.

"Of course, it needs some time, but you can see in the way how he behaves. He wants to go into it straight away, and just wants to do it as quick as possible."

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

On what Tudor said to the players upon his arrival in north London, Van de Ven said: "He came in, obviously, with a job also, because we're in a tough time right now.

"He said to us: 'I want to do everything to help you guys come out of this tough moment, and we're playing in a beautiful competition with the Champions League, where we're still on the top 8 and straight into the round of 16, and I want to come there as far as possible, but I want to do everything about it to help you guys.'"

Tudor has won the first match in charge in each of his last five stints in the dugout, starting with his second spell at Hajduk Split in February 2020. On the North London Derby, Van de Ven said: "Yeah, we know it's a massive game.

"Arsenal's doing really well, top of the league. We're struggling this season, but everybody knows, in these type of games, anything can happen.

"We know how big it is for the fans, and also, in here, for us, we know how big this game is, so, we're gonna go into it with a good mindset, and ready to make it really difficult for Arsenal."

Tottenham have been dragged into a relegation battle this season, having failed to win a Premier League game since the turn of the new year. When asked what his and the club's targets are for the remainder of the campaign, Van de Ven made his feelings clear.

The Dutchman said: "Just play every game this season and just come out of the season with as many games as I've played already and a better position in the league.

"That's the most important thing right now, and obviously, we have 12 more games, but we need to watch step by step, but the most important is that we climb up the ladder."