Football FanCast

Igor Tudor has called the Tottenham job the biggest challenge of his career, and an update has now been shared on his future at the club amid links to USA manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Tudor calls Tottenham his biggest rescue job

Tudor has been parachuted into his first managerial role in England with Spurs’ Premier League future at stake after a horror run of form over the winter months.

A painful 4-1 debut defeat at home to rivals Arsenal extended Tottenham’s winless league run to nine matches and made it only two wins from their last 18 in the division.

Asked if this was his biggest challenge, Tudor said: “Probably, if I see, if I recognise the difficulties there are, probably, yes. It’s even a bigger challenge, even a bigger motivation to do this and we do it.”

The former Juventus boss also admitted the role was harder than expected, but believes work on the training ground can turn around the club’s fortunes before Sunday’s trip across London to Fulham.

“Probably yes,” Tudor reflected. “Yes, very tough, but it’s what I said before, I don’t change my opinion, it is how it is, so, daily work, focus, raising in all things we need to do, physical condition, mental confidence, performance and waiting for the players to come back.

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

Spurs will discover their Champions League opponents for the last 16 on Friday, but Tudor promised to waste no “energy” on fixtures with either Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray due to the current situation.

Tudor added: “I don’t think too much about the draw. If you ask me whether I expect the draw tomorrow, it won’t change for me nothing.”

The Croatian coach will be boosted by the return of defender Kevin Danso and full-back Pedro Porro for Sunday’s fixture at Craven Cottage.

The duo could line-up alongside Micky van de Ven, who has faced criticism this week after a clip on social-media implied the Dutch centre-back had ignored the instructions of Tudor to push up during the loss to Arsenal.

Tudor said: “It was not an instruction to Micky, it was an instruction to the team to go up. It was about the team coming up and what we were speaking before.

“We want to go up because we want to have this style where we press high, but in this moment it’s too much for them, so that’s why I was a little frustrated on that, but this is part of it.

“If you watch carefully now, you see that I don’t speak with (Van de Ven) because after that one (team) advice, I said to him, come closer and he came closer. In that moment, I stood there like this, it was all for the defence to go up.

“We didn’t even speak about this me and Micky because there was nothing to speak about. He’s a fantastic guy, a very good professional and he would never do these things.”

Sharing an update on Tudor's possible replacement this summer, Alan Brazil told talkSPORT that contrary to several reports linking USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino with the role, Tottenham chiefs haven't even contacted their former boss.

"I had a chat with someone yesterday and the latest is Poch... they've not even spoken to Poch," Brazil told co-host Ally McCoist.

In response to McCoist exclaiming Pochettino should have been the "automatic" choice, Brazil continued: "No, not even spoken to him. So I don't know what they're doing and I don't think they know what they're doing."

The 53 year-old's last spell in the Premier League with Chelsea did not go to plan, winning just 50 per cent of his games in charge, but Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was full of praise at the time: "Chelsea have definitely improved throughout the season, they have got better and better, they have top quality players and an outstanding manager."

It certainly is surprising to hear the Lilywhites haven't even sounded out the USA boss, and it's hard to think they could find a more popular appointment elsewhere.

Where would Liverpool be without Dominik Szoboszlai this season?

Earlier this month, after Liverpool beat Brighton 3-0 to advance in the FA Cup, Mohamed Salah remarked that the Hungarian is now "one of the best players in the world".

So many have struggled this year, but Szoboszlai has stepped up and proved his tenacity matches the talent, not only enjoying new prolific numbers but doing a job at right-back when called upon and working his red socks off.

With another summer of change on the horizon, Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes need to secure similar profiles, and not just in the centre of the park.

Liverpool in record-breaking move for defender

In January, Liverpool secured an agreement with Rennes for the transfer of Jeremy Jacquet, who will cross the travel and head to Liverpool this summer.

However, with Ibrahima Konate headed for the door when his contract expires, Slot must press for further reinforcements, even with Giovanni Leoni making good progress in his recovery from an ACL injury.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are interested in signing Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, who is unhappy in north London. The Anfield side are joined in their interest by Manchester United and Real Madrid.

That's not surprising. Spurs have fallen by the wayside and are caught within the barbs of an unexpected relegation battle, and Van de Ven appears at his wits' end after dragging his team through so many struggles since joining from Wolfsburg in 2023.

Tottenham recognise Van de Ven's potential to become one of the world's foremost centre-halves and have placed a £100m price tag on him. However, should Spurs fall from the top flight, FSG would be sure to engineer a far more cost-effective deal.

Why Liverpool should sign Van de Ven

Van de Ven has been a pillar of strength in recent years for Tottenham. He was instrumental in winning the Europa League last season and he's been instrumental in fighting against an endless tide of setbacks down N17.

There's good reason for the Dutchman who boast such a towering price tag against the backdrop of Tottenham's interminable problems. He is a ferocious and unique centre-back, startlingly quick, remarkably powerful.

Hailed as a physical "monster" by journalist Elliot Jackson, Van de Ven may have what it takes to become Liverpool's new version of Szoboszlai, should he make the move to Merseyside this summer.

That might seem strange, with the two stars positionally opposed, but Szoboszlai has emerged as Liverpool's talisman in tough times, growing into a superstar having already joined Anfield with a weight of expectation.

Van de Ven is the complete defender, and while Spurs are in a rut, he's completing 89% of his passes and won 63% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, enduring a lowly 48% success rate for the latter last term.

Given that he would fix a glaring problem in Slot's squad, not just filling a hole in the defensive wall but reshaping that rearguard into something new and more impressive, Van de Ven might just have what it takes to become a standout for a title-chasing side like Liverpool, the symbolic replacement for captain Virgil van Dijk.

Van de Ven has weathered quite the storm at Tottenham, but there's no question that he's shone much brighter than many of his peers in that timeframe, perhaps all of them.

At Liverpool, he would only get better, and the talismanic role he could play from central defence would offer shades of Szoboszlai, stepping into an ageing system and going from strength to strength and reaching superstardom.

Tottenham have already decided to move on from a mainstay player and sell him when the summer transfer window opens, according to a new report.

Igor Tudor given mountainous task at Tottenham

Spurs interim boss Igor Tudor is tasked with steadying the ship in north London until the club turn attentions towards the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino, but the job on his hands is extraordinary.

When Tudor was parachuted into N17 to replace the sacked Thomas Frank, nobody was pretending it was going to be straightforward.

However, even by Tottenham's remarkable standards of chaos this season, the scale of what Tudor has inherited is staggering.

Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League, just four points above the relegation zone, with their season long since reduced to a desperate scramble for survival.

Tudor's opening chapter could hardly have gone worse — a 4-1 thrashing in the North London Derby in his very first game in charge, handed to him by Arsenal with barely a hint of mercy.

Before that, Frank had endured a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford and a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle. The football has been wretched, the results ugly, and the atmosphere around the club toxic.

The Croatian has had little time to drill his ideas into the squad, and the squad itself offer limited comfort.

Micky van de Ven, arguably the one player Spurs could genuinely build around, has had his contract talks placed on hold and is now attracting serious interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Youngster Mikey Moore, currently thriving on loan at Rangers, is also reportedly keen on a permanent Ibrox switch.

Every week brings another story, another complication, another reason to worry.

And now, fresh information has emerged that reveals just how dramatically ENIC are prepared to reshape this squad in the summer — regardless of what division they are playing in next season.

Tottenham decide to 'brutally' sell Guglielmo Vicario this summer

According to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham have already made the decision to 'brutally' sell Guglielmo Vicario when the season ends - 'regardless' of who their next head coach is.

The Italian, who has been first choice since arriving from Empoli in the summer of 2023, will apparently be moved on.The club's hierarchy have resolved to find a younger, more dynamic replacement — and they believe they have found exactly the right man.

His name is Robin Risser.

Just 21 years old, Risser has been one of the most impressive goalkeepers in Ligue 1 this season, playing a central role in Lens' remarkable title challenge.

The Lens stopper has kept nine clean sheets in 23 league appearances, conceding just 20 goals, as his club trail leaders PSG by only two points.

His performances have not gone unnoticed on the international stage either, with sources indicating he is firmly in the frame for France's pre-World Cup friendlies against Brazil and Colombia this summer.

Tottenham's scouting department has been watching Risser closely, and he has risen to the top of their wishlist. Competition, though, will be fierce.

Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are both understood to be monitoring him, and clubs from across Europe have had him flagged. Spurs will need to move decisively if they are to win the race

After Tottenham Hotspur's north London derby defeat, new manager Igor Tudor was asked if he knew what the term 'Spursy' meant.

He didn't but he certainly does now. If they are to swat aside that mantra then the Croat will need to keep Spurs in the Premier League.

He's confident of doing so too. Understandably so. Surely the Lilywhites aren't actually going to be relegated? It would be an almighty blip on Tudor's resume if he were unable to keep them up.

That said, it does feel as though the new boss is fighting something of a losing battle. Spurs' injury list is one of the most disastrous we've seen in modern history but truth be told, they've paid the price for a number of shocking years in the transfer market.

Why Spurs' transfer policy has left them in danger of being relegated

Let's get things straight: Spurs have signed some good players. It wasn't all bad under Daniel Levy.

Just think of the likes of Gareth Bale, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. You can count the likes of Hugo Lloris and Heung-min Son in that category too.

However, what do you notice? Yes, none of them are still at the club. It's felt like for a while Spurs have been living in the past and for over a decade now, they have been getting things badly wrong in the transfer market.

Cast your mind back to what they did with the £85m fee received for Bale. Described as the 'magnificent seven', one of the players they brought in was Eriksen, but alongside him Etienne Capoue, Nader Chadli, Erik Lamela, Vlad Chiriches, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado all arrived.

Soldado was arguably the most disastrous of the lot. Signed for £26m, he ended up leaving English football behind with a return of just seven goals in 52 Premier League outings. Not good at all.

Just three years later they were wasting yet more money on a new centre-forward, this time in the shape of Vincent Janssen. The less said about his time in England the better. Acquired for £17m, the Dutchman netted only six goals in 42 matches across all competitions.

In truth, things haven't been much better since. Richarlison cost £60m and has flattered to deceive while former boss Ange Postecoglou hit out at the club's recruitment policy on the Overlap just two weeks ago.

"Finishing fifth didn’t get us Champions League, we didn't have the money," the Aussie began. "So we ended up signing Dom Solanke - I was absolutely keen on him, I really liked him - then three teenagers.

"I was looking at Pedro Neto, Mbeumo and Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because I said if we’re going to go from fifth to there, that’s what the other big clubs would do in that moment."

That inability to compete has ultimately left Spurs in a tough spot. Of course, they won the Europa League last season but beyond that, there hasn't been much to shout about since they reached the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino.

£26m Spurs signing is the worst of the lot

Make no mistake about it, this is one of the worst Spurs squads assembled in recent memory. While some will blame injuries and a degree of sympathy must be applied as a result, one look at the team that took to the field against Arsenal on Sunday showcased how big the gap is between the two sides.

Their rivals have been widely applauded for their squad depth this season but the polar opposite can be said of Tottenham who are relying on players who simply are not up to scratch.

Conor Gallagher, signed in January from Atletico Madrid, already looks like a questionable capture, lacking the ability to progress and advance the play from midfield areas.

He was playing in a midfield alongside Pape Matar Sarr - who has looked off the boil for a while now - and Yves Bissouma who under Thomas Frank was in danger of leaving. He was notably left out of the squad for the Super Cup final for persistent lateness and it appeared as though his career at Spurs was done. Now he's being relied upon to start every game.

Then you have Radu Dragusin. This is arguably where the biggest difference between Arsenal and Spurs comes to the forefront of our conversation.

In all honesty, Tudor has a mighty fine first-choice pairing at his disposal in Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero. Sure, they don't rival William Saliba and Gabriel, but the dip in quality if one of Spurs' main central defenders is out injured is rather disastrous.

Last weekend, Arteta was able to bring on Cristian Mosquera at right-back for the final half an hour and could have called upon Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly too.

Spurs, however, are relying on a centre-back in the shape of Dragusin who wouldn't get in a lot of defences across the Premier League.

Signed for £26m, he's been a colossal waste of money, perhaps even bigger than the aforementioned Janssen, Soldado, Lamela and Co, purely based on the number of costly mistakes he's made since joining.

While the Romanian did actually have a decent opening to the derby, it wasn't long before he looked miles out of his depth. Viktor Gyokeres purposely targeted Dragusin's channel and was the winner of that duel, scoring twice inside the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Despite starting just three league games this term, he's already made two mistakes leading to a goal and it's safe to say that's been rather commonplace in recent years.

Last season, he made three separate errors leading to a shot and one error leading to a goal in his 14 starts. On that evidence, he's arguably now getting even worse. Damning criticism has come the defender's way with Spurs writer Mitch Fretton even suggesting he'd "rather give a 16-year-old academy product minutes over Dragusin."

For £26m, he's simply not good enough. That's just £1m less than Arsenal paid for both Saliba and Gabriel. It's a remarkable waste of transfer funds.

Tottenham and a star player have put new contract talks on ice amid interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, with the player now weighing up his future, according to a report.

Igor Tudor humbled as Tottenham suffer North London Derby defeat

It was supposed to be a new beginning on Sunday, but for Spurs, it was more of the same.

Igor Tudor in the dugout, a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the buzz that always surrounds a North London Derby. For one afternoon, at least, the hope was that the arrival of a new manager might spark something.

Instead, Arsenal turned up and delivered a clinical 4-1 demolition job.

Tudor's reign could hardly have started worse. The scoreline was emphatic, the performance from Spurs was dismal, and the mood around the club has darkened even more.

The Lilywhites now find themselves just four points above the relegation zone after West Ham's 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, with a previously unthinkable drop to the Championship now a genuine possibility.

The fanbase is quickly running out of patience. And now, emerging from the wreckage of derby day, come reports that Spurs stars have had enough and could decide to leave N17.

Star defender Micky van de Ven may well be among them too, following reports late last year that both Liverpool and Real Madrid are pretty keen on the Dutchman.

Even London rivals Chelsea could look to poach van de Ven from Spurs, and this is backed up by a new report from TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey.

Micky van de Ven debating Tottenham exit amid Chelsea and Liverpool interest

According to his information, contract talks with Micky van de Ven have been placed on hold, with no agreement close and little sign of progress on the horizon.

The defender has been outstanding throughout a campaign that has otherwise been defined by chaos and underperformance — captaining the side on multiple occasions, scoring four goals in 25 Premier League appearances, and providing a level of quality that his teammates have rarely matched.

Spurs had planned to reward that form with a bumper new deal that would have placed him among the club's highest earners, alongside Cristian Romero and Conor Gallagher.

Those negotiations have now been shelved until the summer, with survival the only priority consuming the club right now.

But the delay has come at a cost.

Van de Ven himself has growing doubts about his long-term future at Tottenham, with sources close to the 24-year-old indicating he is not convinced that Tottenham is the right place for the next chapter of his career.

His immediate focus remains on helping Spurs stay up, but beyond that, everything is up in the air.

And where there is uncertainty, Real Madrid will always come circling.

The Spanish giants are in the market for a left-sided centre-back this summer, with David Alaba's departure expected and Antonio Rudiger's future also unclear.

Van de Ven fits the profile perfectly, and it is believed that Madrid have been alerted to his contract situation and are keeping a very close eye on developments.

They are not alone. Chelsea and Liverpool are also monitoring the situation, with the latter viewing Van de Ven as a potential long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who could leave Anfield as a free agent at the end of the season.

For Tottenham, the prospect of losing their standout performer — either this summer or beyond — would be a hammer blow on top of everything else they are dealing with.

Tudor has a squad he himself has described as full of problems. Losing Van de Ven would make an already daunting task feel completely insurmountable.

Eberechi Eze has seemingly been put on this planet to heap misery onto Tottenham Hotspur.

The flashy winger hasn't exactly done much since leaving Crystal Palace and signing for Arsenal in a £67m deal, but he's bagged five times against Spurs after they almost secured his signature last month.

Tottenham were left chagrined after his move was scuppered by Arsenal's interest, but fan worries were (temporarily allayed upon the £52m signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

However, Simons was overshadowed by his Gunner counterpart on Sunday evening.

Xavi Simons' performance vs Arsenal

Tottenham are in a Premier League relegation battle. All it takes is a couple of wins to change that narrative, but that is clearly Tudor's focus for the remainder of the campaign, and not catering to far-fetched hopes of winning the Champions League.

To change the narrative, the hard-nosed Croatian will need to bring out the best in Simons, who has at times showed such promise this season but then crumbles when the going gets tough, as was shown during the defeat to Arsenal.

To not score or assist? That's excusable. But to win only one of 16 contested duels is a greivous affront against the paying Spurs supporters, speaking of a lack of commitment or, at the very least, impetus on a day of rivalry. The supporters showed up, sang and roared and bellowed, but Tudor's side wilted away early on and never recovered. Simons was a part of that feeble pack.

It is be unfair to be too scathing about Simons' performance. He has been one of the brighter sparks in recent weeks, and it's unlikely that Eze would have enjoyed the same snappy success had the roles been reversed.

Nonetheless, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski still sidelined, he's struggled to make his mark all season, and it's not just the two senior stars in front of him that he needs to be watching out for.

Spurs already have a future Simons upgrade

In Luca Williams-Barnett, Tottenham have found the latest in a long line of elite prospects who is considered not only good enough to shine for Tottenham but to stand out as one of Europe's best players.

The 17-year-old has been described by U23 scout Antonio Mango as the "most underrated talent in English Academies", but having scored six goals and supplied five assists from ten matches in the Premier League 2 this season, he's beginning to earn the respect he deserves.

Williams-Barnett has already made his professional debut for the Lilywhites, playing a few minutes on the left wing as Thomas Frank's side defeated Doncaster Rovers 3-0. Happier times.

And with six bench appearances from Tottenham's previous eight Premier League outings, it's clear that he's inching closer to a big role in this sinking Spurs ship.

With that in mind, could he be the player to take the number seven shirt from Simons? Williams-Barnett is silky and stylish on the ball, well-developed as an athlete even at this young age.

Back at the start of the season, content creator Ronaldo Brown said that Simons has been "swallowed in the Premier League", his lack of physicality and composure letting him down.

There's every chance that Williams-Barnett would encounter similar hurdles right now, but given the success he is already enjoying and the faith entrusted in him by Tottenham's senior coaching staff across the campaign, there's every reason for Tudor to start handing him some opportunities. He might just surprise a few.

Could he end up being not just Tottenham's homemade Simons upgrade but their own version of Eze too? He's flashy and boasts a range of attacking qualities; it might just be the case.

He's since steadied himself, but is it enough for him to be a superstar for a team like Tottenham? In Williams-Barnett, the Dutchman might just find the decision made for him, should he not turn things around soon.

Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to sanction a summer exit to Rangers after setting one, unexpected condition ahead of the summer transfer window.

Tottenham ready to green-light Rangers move

When Randal Kolo Muani dispossessed Declan Rice before firing beyond David Raya just moments after Arsenal's opener, Tottenham had all the hope in the world.

Igor Tudor's tenure, in their biggest game of the season, was underway as far as they were concerned. But whilst that moment had such great impact in the 34th minute, it quickly became fleeting and Spurs returned to their reality as Arsenal ran riot.

The Lilywhites were shoved aside by their rivals for the second time this season and remain without a Premier League win in 2026. They are not just staring in the face of shock relegation, they are staggering towards it, drunk on the delusion that surely they are too big to create unwanted history.

Having his say on a debut defeat, Tudor told reporters: "Of course there is enough time. I saw the passion, I saw the will, so I was not angry because they wanted to do (it), but then they were not able to do in this moment the things.

"They wanted to do all what we prepared so I said ‘that is good’ but we need to understand which moment we are in now because we are not able to do it.

"Why we are not able to do is the question we resolve and I speak from day one at the club, I come here to resolve the problems."

It's not just those in North London who want to see Spurs avoid relegation, either. According to TeamTalk, Tottenham are ready to green-light Mikey Moore's Rangers move for another year if they avoid the drop this season.

Impressive Moore would benefit from Rangers extension

All parties are reportedly keen to prioritise game time for Moore and the player himself is happy to stay put in Scotland. But relegation for the Lilywhites would undoubtedly result in an exodus of talent, allowing Moore to step up in the Championship. Should they stay in the top flight, however, another year at Rangers would certainly do him no harm.

The winger is still just 18 years old and, after a rough start under Russell Martin, is benefiting from working with Danny Rohl. With one more year, Rangers could unlock a new level in the teenager to boost their own season and the future of Spurs' frontline.

Full of praise for Moore earlier in the campaign, Rohl told reporters: "Mikey again showed his quality on the ball. He is always available, a lot of good movements. I think this is great."

It's fair to say that Rangers didn't think they'd be relying on Tottenham's Premier League survival to extend Moore's loan, but that is the Lilywhites' current, shocking reality.

After being defeated by Arsenal in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur's interim manager, Igor Tudor, spoke of bad habits that have taken hold of many of the players in this struggling squad.

Old habits die hard, but Spurs have got to kill them quickly, with the 4-1 thrashing by the Gunners only deepening a crisis that has raised genuine concerns over relegation.

It is not so much the lowly league position - as concerning as it is - that is the problem here, but the manner of the side's limp attempts at putting their issues to rights.

Against Arsenal, they were outworked and outclassed, and years of poor recruitment has led to this critical turning point in Tottenham's trajectory.

Why Spurs lost to Arsenal

Arsenal are probably the best team in Europe right now, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that Tottenham have become their own worst enemy, capable of inflicting more damage upon themselves than their arch-rivals ever could.

Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold has bemoaned how "unrecognisable they have become", showing against the Gunners that even a rekindled home support, in full, vociferous voice, could not stop the rot.

It's rot of the outfit's own making. Mishandled transfer recruitment in recent years has led to this, with the likes of Radu Dragusin and Xavi Simons among the bright signings of the past few years to have been reduced to mincemeat in the north London derby.

In truth, though, the entirety of Tottenham's first team have fallen below the standard, and while struggling loanee Randal Kolo Muani scored his first Premier League goal of the season, the frontline continues to flatter to deceive.

You have to question the sales of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in recent years, neither of whom have been effectively replaced as free-scoring focal points.

Whereas before, big-money flops like Tanguy Ndombele would be criticised as abject outliers, now the sub-par superstars are spread all across the Spurs system.

And while the players on the pitch take the brunt of the criticism, sporting director Johan Lange has to be pulled up for his efforts at improving the squad, with one recent piece of business proving to be a real blunder.

Spurs have found their new Ndombele

Ndombele was signed after Tottenham's agonising miss in the 2019 Champions League final, identified as a player who could propel Mauricio Pochettino's project forward.

However, he did anything but that, and Conor Gallagher is in danger of becoming another midfield flop, having only joined the London side from Atletico Madrid in a £35m deal last month.

During his Chelsea days, Gallagher was routinely praised for his energy at the heart of the pitch. Ex-teammate Moises Caicedo even said he was "like a machine", outworking everyone else.

But he's been ineffective in the Spurs midfield, unable to provide any creative support for a team currently in a tailspin.

Gallagher might be a tenacious midfielder, he's shown that at Spurs, but he's not yet proved he has the answer to any of the Londoners myriad of problems, actually proving something of a weak link in a system he does not understand.

Tottenham fans thought they had signed an all-action midfielder with an industrious and influential approach, but he has shown little of that so-called talent thus far, only becoming a part of the problem.

A supposed solution, failing to impress? Gallagher might just be the new Ndombele, who arrived at N17 from Lyon for a record £63m figure in 2019 but was lambasted for unwilling efforts, Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher even saying that one display against Burnley was "nothing short of a disgrace".

The Lewis family's more ardent supporters, such as they are, would point toward a long effort to sign Gallagher. An approach was made while he was still at Chelsea, but Tottenham couldn't get it done and he later transferred to Atletico Madrid.

The fact that Rodrigo Bentancur is currently sidelined does emphasise a degree of sense in bringing the Three Lions star to the club, but he's not a progressive passer, and thus Spurs failed to fix (one of) their most glaring problem during the winter transfer window.

Gallagher cannot be faulted for effort, and in this, he differs from Ndombele, but he's a high-profile player who doesn't fit the system, and he's already looking like wasted money.

A rocky old ten-day period for Arsenal ended in jubilation. It's funny how quickly football can change, isn't it?

After drawing with Brentford and then dropping points in dismal fashion against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Gunners had an opportunity to make things right when they faced Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening.

That said, on paper, this did not look like the easy assignment it did a week ago. Mikel Arteta's men were low on confidence and Spurs were now led by Igor Tudor after Thomas Frank's sacking.

However, the result certainly made things look easy. Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres ran the show as Arsenal proved that north London is indeed red, beating their arch-rivals 4-1 to open up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table again.

How Arteta's tactical tweaks defeated Spurs

This has been a week in which Arteta has experimented a little. Whether or not it has worked, however, is up for debate.

Against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup, Arsenal were initially expected to field Myles Lewis-Skelly in the middle of the park but an injury in the warm-up to Riccardo Calafiori meant that the teenager was shuffled to left-back. Bukayo Saka started in midfield instead.

It looked like an inspired decision and one that Arteta replicated at Molineux a few days ago. While the England superstar did find the net, Arsenal lacked quality in wide areas and looked bereft of many ideas in the final third.

That all changed against Spurs. Saka was back on the right, Leandro Trossard returned on the left and Eze earned a rare start in the Premier League.

Indeed, this was just the second time the 27-year-old had started a league match in 2026 after he was withdrawn at the break in that 1-1 draw with Brentford.

On this occasion, the former Crystal Palace man played like a man with a point to prove. Speaking after the game, Arteta said: "He was upset, even with me, because I didn't play him the other day from the beginning, and some of the decisions that I made. I start to understand how we're going to get the best out of him now."

Well, he certainly wasn't upset at the end of this one. At full-time, Eze and his manager shared a warm embrace after the big-money summer signing had scored two more goals against Spurs to add to his hat-trick against the Lilywhites at the back end of 2025.

Partnering Eze with Gyokeres worked a treat and it does look as though the boss has finally worked out how to profile them both. Truth be told, it was the former who played a more central role with the Swede peeling off and running into the channels. It worked brilliantly.

The striker also scored twice and now looks as though he's finally motoring in English football after his mega move from Sporting over the summer.

Gyokeres has now bagged eight goals in his last 12 games. No player in the Premier League has scored more than him across all competitions this calendar year, either.

A huge flop? Think again. The centre forward now looks every bit an Arsenal player.

What Gyokeres' form means for the Arsenal squad

The Sweden international has not had an easy ride in Arsenal colours, far from it. After that draw with Wolves last Wednesday, it meant that Gyokeres had failed to have a single shot on target in 60% of his league matches since signing.

Well, how the narrative turned on Sunday. While he has been improving in 2026, this was his finest performance in the famous red and white to date. Not only did he score twice, but he had the most touches (41) that he's ever had in a Premier League match. Talking about finally introducing yourself.

This run of form, however, is certainly bad news for Arsenal's third-highest earner, Gabriel Jesus.

Taking home a reported £265k-per-week, the Brazilian has delivered a few strong performances since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. He scored twice against Inter Milan and was on the scoresheet against Wigan just over a week ago in the cup.

The fact of the matter, though, is that Jesus is not nearly as ruthless as Gyokeres. His technique may be nicer on the eye and more aesthetically pleasing to watch but he has looked way off it in a number of matches now.

The 28-year-old has found the net on just two occasions in 11 league games and truth be told, he looks rather finished in an Arsenal shirt now.

His cameo off the bench against Wolves last week just seemed to cement that fact, with the former Manchester City man spurning a fabulous late opportunity to give Arsenal all three points.

Jesus received possession on the left flank and instead of driving towards goal or supplying an assist, got the ball stuck under his feet. Within moments of that incident, Wolves had scored an equaliser and the Gunners had dropped precious points in the title race.

There have been too many moments for Jesus of a like-minded nature since he returned to first-team action and his cameos off the bench do not speak of a player who is capable of helping Arsenal win the league this season.

When he comes on, he lacks the same physicality and ability to occupy the defence as Gyokeres does. He loses the ball far too easily and doesn't press as well as his colleague in attack.

So much was promised of Jesus when he first arrived at the Emirates Stadium. He certainly had a better start to life in north London than their current no.14, scoring five times in his first eight league matches.

That level of performance has now deserted him and with Gyokeres finally up to speed at Arsenal, it's bad news for Jesus. Combine that with Kai Havertz's promising return over recent weeks and the future looks bleak for the Brazilian in the English capital. Should both remain fit between now and the end of the season, there is no excuse not to start them.

Do not expect him to still be with the Gunners come next season either.

Tottenham Hotspur have now set their sights on signing a Premier League rival to replace one of their main stars, leaving Sunderland fearing the worst.

Tudor reiterates: "I'm here to resolve the problems"

There was a brief moment when Tottenham fans believed they could deal their arch rivals another major title blow. Declan Rice's huddle was in danger of going viral for all the wrong reasons when Randal Kolo Muani equalised moments later, but Arsenal soon spared his blushes by thrashing the Lilywhites.

Igor Tudor's side now sit just four points above the dropzone and whilst the interim boss has plenty of work to do, he reminded reporters that he's here to solve Spurs' problems.

The Croatian told reporters: "They wanted to do all what we prepared so I said ‘that is good’ but we need to understand which moment we are in now because we are not able to do it.

"Why we are not able to do is the question we resolve and I speak from day one at the club, I come here to resolve the problems.

"You believe that in three or four trainings you will do your best but when the game starts you don’t know what will happen because it is like this – but as I said before, Tuesday, I come in, everyone there and stay humble. That is the key.

"Stay humble, that is the key for each of us and try to become what I said before – a team, a squad, a hard-working team. That is the only goal we have now in this moment."

Tottenham are now arguably at a point where survival wouldn't be enough to keep hold of some of their starting stars, and that could start with the exit of Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham plotting move to sign £50m Vicario replacement

As reported by TeamTalk, Tottenham are now plotting a move to sign Robin Roefs to replace Vicario this summer. The Italian is reportedly attracting interest from back in his home country, with Juventus and Inter Milan battling to secure his signature in the coming months.

That would leave those in North London scrambling for a new No.1, and that's where Roefs could become important. The Sunderland shot-stopper has enjoyed a near-perfect debut season and is now reportedly worth as much as £50m as a result.

Money wouldn't be the greatest obstacle here, however. The biggest task for Tottenham will be convincing Roefs to join after they've endured a season down at the bottom. After an excellent season, those in Wearside may be in the driving seat.

Some at Sunderland may still be fearing the worst amid Tottenham's interest, but Regis Le Bris is unlikely to swing the door open after saying: "For us, shotstopping was important. For a keeper, that is non-negotiable.

"He is quick, very mobile when he manages crosses and he is really well connected with his backline so when there are balls in behind, he is always well aware and mobile in these situations and he is good with his feet."