Daily Express

Kick-off time and venue: The match is scheduled for Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Fulham’s home ground, Craven Cottage. Kick-off is set for 2:00pm GMT. This fixture follows a difficult period for Tottenham and a boost for Fulham, who recently ended a three-match losing streak with a victory over Sunderland.

How to watch: Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Live coverage is expected to begin an hour before kick-off, at 1:00pm GMT. The match can also be streamed live via Sky Go or the Sky Sports app. International fans should check their local Premier League broadcast partners for regional availability.

Tottenham team news: Interim boss Igor Tudor receives a major defensive boost with the return of Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso to training. However, captain Cristian Romero is still out, serving the third of a four-game suspension. Key players like Destiny Udogie, Mohammed Kudus, and Dejan Kulusevski remain unavailable due to injury.

Fulham team news: Marco Silva may welcome back Samuel Chukwueze (calf) and Sasa Lukic (thigh), both of whom are nearing returns. The Cottagers are also monitoring "Kevin" (likely referring to Kevin Mbabu or a similar squad member mentioned in previews) after he picked up a minor knock in their previous match against Sunderland.

Recent form: Tottenham are desperate for their first Premier League win of 2026 following a heavy 4-1 loss to Arsenal. Currently sitting just four points above the relegation zone, they face a confident Fulham side that already beat them in north London earlier this season and are eyeing a top-seven finish.

The six Premier League teams who have qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds have learned their last-16 fate and potential paths to the final in Budapest in May. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City all sailed straight into the round of 16 by finishing in the top eight of the league phase. Newcastle joined them after cruising past Qarabag in the knockout play-offs, winning their tie 9-3 on aggregate. They are the only unseeded English side which means they will play their first leg at home in the next phase.

All five English sides now know what awaits them to contest the final in Hungary on May 30. And the next round, which takes place over two legs on 10/11 and 17/18 March, pits Manchester City against 14-time winners Real Madrid for a fourth successive season in this competition. Chelsea have been paired with holders PSG while Newcastle take on Barcelona, who they lost to at St James' Park in their opening league phase match.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Liverpool also face a rematch with familiar foes, Galatasaray, whom they lost 1-0 to away from home in September. With Tottenham paired against Atletico Madrid, Arsenal are tasked with beating German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

The Gunners topped the table in the last round and know that if they beat Leverkusen, face a favourable tie against either Bodo/Glimt - who stunned Inter Milan in the play-offs - or Sporting. Should they reach the semi-finals, they could face Premier League rivals Newcastle or Tottenham. Likelier, though, is a showdown with one of two La Liga heavyweights - Barcelona or Atletico Madrid.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

On the other half of the draw, there could be an all-English quarter-final between Chelsea and Liverpool. Either of those sides could then meet Man City in the semis, if Pep Guardiola's side can see off Real Madrid and then likely Bayern Munich. The exact schedule for the round of 16 fixtures will be released by UEFA later tonight.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle are looking to win the Champions League for the first time ever while their Premier League rivals are looking to add to their tallies - Liverpool (six), Chelsea (two), Man City (one).

Champions League round of 16 draw in full

PSG vs Chelsea

Galatasaray vs Liverpool

Real Madrid vs Man City

Atalanta vs Bayern Munich

Newcastle vs Barcelona

Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham

Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting

Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal

Champions League quarter-final draw

PSG or Chelsea vs Galatasaray or Liverpool (1)

Real Madrid or Man City vs Atalanta or Bayern Munich (2)

Newcastle or Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid or Tottenham (3)

Bodo/Glimt or Sporting vs Bayer Leverkusen or Arsenal (4)

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Champions League semi-final draw

Winners of quarter-final 1 vs winners of quarter-final 2

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has accused Tottenham players of already 'checking out' on new manager Igor Tudor following their performance in the north London derby at the weekend. The 47-year-old Croatian has overseen just a single match, yet his team suffered a comprehensive 4-1 defeat to fierce rivals Arsenal on their own turf.

Spurs currently sit 16th in the Premier League and are merely four points above the relegation zone following the departure of former Brentford manager Thomas Frank. The Dane was subsequently replaced by ex-Lazio and Juventus boss Tudor, who has been appointed interim manager until the end of the season.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

Wright is unconvinced that Spurs' players are fully behind Tudor, highlighting an incident involving Micky van de Ven during the north London derby that caught his attention. Speaking on The Overlap's Stick To Football podcast, Wright said: "Against Arsenal I saw Igor Tudor try to speak to Van de Ven, he blanked him, totally blanked him. That says to me they have checked out already."

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Yet fellow pundits Gary Neville and Roy Keane disagreed, with the former United duo suggesting it was 'harsh' while Keane claimed Spurs' players behaved similarly under Frank. Wright refused to back down and said: "This guy is new, he wants him to come up and Van de Ven just looks at him and stays there. You think to yourself, that doesn't look good. That does not look good."

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Tudor would reject any suggestion of conflict between himself and Van de Ven at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, insisting he was addressing the whole squad. He said: "If you watch carefully, I don't speak to him (in that moment). Afterwards, I said to him to come closer, and he comes closer.

"We didn't talk about it because nothing happened. He's a fantastic professional and a fantastic guy, he would not do something like (ignoring me)." Belgium manager Roberto Martinez was also on the podcast and made it clear that Tudor must do everything possible to ensure Spurs avoid relegation to the Championship.

Martinez said: "When I was at Wigan you almost prepared for that last third of the season because that is your opportunity. The last third for us was that we are going to get out of trouble.

"The problem is when you are going into the last third hoping you are not going to get dragged down into a relegation battle because your club wasn't ready for that. This is where it becomes very, very dangerous. What happens now is that you should forget about these general terms that "we shouldn't get dragged down", what does this mean to a player (looking to hear) "do I need to run more, less."

"It is basic language (you use to a player) about everything you can control, "you have to do 12km, six sprints into the box and run to the near post". Everything has to be so measurable. It is about winning the next game."

The former Everton and Wigan manager cautioned Spurs against banking on injured stars returning to save their season, urging a shift in mentality. He added: "I think Spurs will get one or two players back from injury, you win a game and then you have got too much (of a gap).

"The problem is there are no easy games in the Premier League. As a player at Spurs you might think there are easy games we can win, no - there are no easy games. It is about reducing that to, it is the next game and you have an opportunity to get points rather than if you don't win and you are out.

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

"The moment that the club see it as "wow, if we don't win..." - the mindset is so negative and it drags you down. We have seen teams that are "too good to go down" go down because they weren't prepared for that final third of the season."

**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.

Tottenham are one of six English clubs waiting to discover who they will face in the Champions League knockout stages. The draw, which is scheduled for Friday, will lay out each club's potential path to the final in Budapest. Tottenham managed to qualify through the league phase, finishing fourth after winning five and losing just one of their eight fixtures.

As a result, the north Londoners already have a good idea of who they could face in the round of 16. If they are placed on the blue path, they will go up against Atletico Madrid following their victory over Club Brugge in the play-offs. Meanwhile, if Spurs are drawn into the silver pathway, they will face the winner of the play-off tie between Galatasaray and Juventus.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Express Sport have simulated the Champions League draw, which makes for grim reading for Tottenham fans...

In our simulation, Galatasaray will await Tottenham in the round of 16. They secured a thumping 5-2 victory over Juventus in the first leg of their play-off tie, before a 3-2 second leg loss in Turin saw them progress 7-5 on aggregate.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Tottenham will be the favourites to get through that tie and if they win, our simulation predicts they will go up against either Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

A meeting with the current European champions may spell the end of Tottenham's dreams of Champions League glory, as they would undoubtedly head into the fixture as clear underdogs.

However, should they prevail against the odds, our simulation suggests that Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal or Atalanta would await in the semi-finals.

A showdown with their north London rivals in the last four of the Champions League would be something to behold, but the Gunners would have to get through all of their own fixtures to make that a possibility.

In the event Tottenham manage to reach the final by some miracle, they would likely go up against one of Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Liverpool.

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 a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Tottenham's potential Champions League route

R16: Galatasaray

QF: Chelsea/PSG

SF: Real Madrid/Man City/Arsenal/Atalanta

F: Bayern Munich/Barcelona/Liverpool

Express Sport's simulated round of 16 in full

PSG vs Chelsea

Galatasaray vs Tottenham

Real Madrid vs Man City

Atalanta vs Arsenal

Newcastle vs Barcelona

Atletico Madrid vs Liverpool

Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich

The Champions League last-16 line-up has finally been completed after a dramatic week of play-off action. Eight teams - including five from the Premier League - had earned automatic qualification to the last-16 via their league phase performance, with a further eight having navigated the play-offs.

Newcastle were among those to have come through the play-offs unscathed, having put Qarabag to the sword across two legs. It’s the first time the Magpies have ever reached the last-16 of the Champions League, but their path to potential glory looks like being one of the most difficult for the remaining teams.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool have all enjoyed a rare couple of weeks off, having taken care of their business in the league phase. And ahead of the draw later this week, Express Sport have detailed each and every last-16 side’s potential opponents.

Qualified teams for the Champions League last-16:

Arsenal

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Bayern Munich

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Chelsea

Barcelona

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Sporting

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Manchester City

Newcastle United

Paris Saint-Germain

Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid

Atalanta

Bayer Leverkusen

Galatasaray

Bodo/Glimt

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 a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

However, since the introduction of the revised format in 2024, the draw for the last-16 will be partially seeded based on league phase positions. Previously, it would be a semi-open draw, with a group winner partnered with a group runner-up.

That isn’t the case anymore, as each top-eight opponent is set to be paired up with one of two play-off winners. That will also be the case for the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, with the brackets having already been partially decided.

Champions League last-16 draw as it stands:

Arsenal or Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta

Liverpool or Tottenham vs Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray

Chelsea or Barcelona vs Newcastle or PSG

Man City or Sporting vs Bodo/Glimt or Real Madrid

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

All last-16 ties will be confirmed during the Champions League draw on Friday.

A new manager, but the same old story for Tottenham. Local rivals Arsenal even beat them by the same result as earlier in the season, as a second 4-1 defeat was inflicted, but this time Igor Tudor watched on in concern. The Croatian interim boss has a simple job for the remainder of the season: keep Spurs in the Premier League at all costs.

They are looking perilously over their shoulder in 16th place, four points above the relegation zone with only 11 games remaining. Wolves and Burnley are edging closer and closer to the drop, but Spurs, Nottingham Forest, and current 18th-placed team West Ham are all in danger of falling to the Championship, despite each of them tasting European football in recent seasons.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Football is littered with famous sayings, but 'too good to go down' is often applied to similar situations and for the most part, it has been proven true. But Tudor and Spurs know that they cannot rely on such expressions alone, and our Express Sport writers have given our verdicts on whether or not disaster can be avoided.

Charlie Malam

Can Tottenham go down? Absolutely. Will they go down? No. They should have the quality to, just about, get over the line. Make no mistake, they are a really poor football team. Fortunately for Spurs, they would need an all-time-terrible final 10 games to go down.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

No Premier League side has ever been relegated on 43 points in a 38-game season. Spurs are on 29 with 10 games to go - so that means they need four wins and a draw from their last 10. Realistically, it shouldn't even take that. Of their last 10, away games at Liverpool, Aston Villa and Chelsea are likely to end in defeat. Maybe they can snag a draw at Sunderland. But their other six are Fulham (A), Crystal Palace (H), Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (H), Wolves (A) and Everton (H).

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Those two matches against Forest and Wolves are absolute MUST wins and two victories would leave Tottenham on 35 points. Another win on top of that should be enough for safety. But if they lose to Forest on March 22, palms will get very, very sweaty.

Spurs won't get a lot of their injured players back before that Forest match but Igor Tudor desperately needs to find a way to fix Spurs' home form. Starting against Crystal Palace next week. The Eagles are engulfed in chaos themselves so it's a great chance for Spurs. To help themselves, Dominic Solanke needs to be restored to the starting XI and Joao Palhinha moved back into midfield.

Jack McEachen

Tottenham getting relegated would be the biggest disaster any Premier League team has ever had on the pitch.

They haven't won a league game in 2026, have no identity on the pitch and a manager whose only taste of English football is the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal he oversaw on Sunday. Make no mistake, Spurs are not too big to fail.

You can point to a somewhat favourable fixture run until the end of the season, but they have failed to beat Burnley, West Ham, Bournemouth and Southampton in recent weeks.

Tudor is an enigma and the club has been without two of their most influential players, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, for the entire season. But that is no excuse. Spurs' starting XI against Arsenal cost a combined £262million, excluding loans for Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani. A 'threadbare' squad has been forgiven by many but such a huge outlay justifies expectations, only they are nowhere near being met.

Only Manchester United getting relegated in 1974 comes close to the utter mess going down would be for Spurs.

Fortunately, they are just a few tweaks away from turning things around.

Pedro Porro returning to the team is one of them, as the most progressive passer in the team outside of Maddison and Kulusevski. Tudor is hopeful he can be fit to face Fulham next.

With a team unable to convince in possession, through a lack of variety in midfield, Tudor must utilise the next best option to create attacking opportunities - a well-drilled press.

Jurgen Klopp took Liverpool to new heights with a midfield of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum. None are renowned for their playmaking, but they terrified opponents with wave after wave of pressure.

Spurs have exceptional pressing midfielders in Conor Gallagher and Pape Matar Sarr, while Dominic Solanke and Richarlison proved some of the most adept forwards at Bournemouth and Everton at leading the charge from the front. This is by far Spurs' best option to pick up points until the end of the season.

Archie Griggs

Tottenham have been horrendous in the Premier League all season but they won't be relegated. It simply isn't going to happen. Their fixture list between now and the end of the season is favourable, with games against Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Leeds United and Wolves still to come.

The north Londoners should be too strong for all of those sides, even in their current state. Igor Tudor wasn't the most convincing appointment but he should be able to lead Spurs to safety by taking enough points from those crucial games. Yes, they are rubbish, but at least three Premier League teams are still worse than them. They'll find a way to stay up.

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

The real question is: how long will their terrible form continue? There's a real threat of it carrying on into next season if they fail to make the right appointment in the summer. A productive transfer window will also be important, though it will be difficult for Spurs to sign quality players since they likely won't be in Europe at all.

It's a problem for those in the boardroom to solve, with strong leadership more important than ever as they look to return to the upper reaches of the Premier League table in 2026/27.

Darwin Nunez could make a surprising Premier League return this summer, merely a year after departing Liverpool for Al-Hilal. The Uruguayan forward transferred to the Saudi Pro League giants in a £46million deal last August, though his debut campaign with the club has proven anything but smooth.

With nine goals and five assists recorded across 24 outings in all competitions, it would seem on the surface that the 26-year-old has flourished in the Middle East. Nevertheless, following Karim Benzema's arrival earlier this month, Nunez has found his Al-Hilal future thrown into doubt.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Due to tight foreign player restrictions and Benzema's registration, Nunez is now ineligible to feature in Pro League or Cup fixtures for his present employers. It represents a significant setback for the striker, who would have been hoping to stake his claim for international selection at this summer's World Cup in North America.

According to TEAMtalk, Nunez is now weighing up his options with the club following his harsh exclusion from the squad, with sources suggesting that several European sides have made approaches ahead of the summer transfer window. Intermediaries have held discussions with various clubs in England specifically, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United reportedly keen on a potential swoop for Nunez when the window reopens.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are also believed to be long-standing admirers of the striker. A significant obstacle in landing Nunez could prove to be the enormous £400,000-per-week wages he currently reportedly commands at Al-Hilal, despite no longer featuring for the first team in competitive fixtures.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

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

That said, it is also understood that Nunez would be prepared to take a considerable pay cut for the right club ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. This comes as Newcastle have struggled to find the back of the net consistently this season, despite splashing out on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa following Alexander Isak's £125m departure to Liverpool.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, Spurs find themselves in danger of being dragged into a relegation scrap, sitting 16th in the Premier League table and a mere five points above the drop zone following Sunday evening's 4-1 humbling in the North London Derby.

Liverpool, for their part, have not been entirely free from their own striking concerns this season. Whilst Hugo Ekitike has caught the eye in his debut campaign at Anfield, contributing 15 goals and four assists across all competitions so far, Isak's spell at the club has yielded considerably less impressive returns.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

The Swedish forward managed a mere three goals and one assist before sustaining a fractured fibula in December, which necessitated surgery. Consequently, he now faces an extended spell on the treatment table, with his return pencilled in for April at the earliest.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Whilst Isak's absence has not entirely derailed Liverpool's recent form, it has partly undermined the club's ambitions of securing Champions League football for the 2026/27 campaign. Currently, the Reds sit sixth in the Premier League table with 11 matches still to play, level on 45 points with fourth-placed Chelsea and fifth-placed Manchester United.

Gabriel Magalhaes tagged Richarlison in an Instagram post following the North London Derby, sharing a photograph from the Arsenal team coach. The image captures him clutching several playing cards in his right hand, with the four of hearts visible after their 4-1 triumph.

Positioned on the table before him is an opened packet of chocolate M&Ms, a can of Rio and the player of the match trophy. Viktor Gyokeres, though, was the one who received that accolade following his brace. Eberechi Eze presented the award to his colleague during their joint post-match interview on Sky Sports.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Gabriel Martinelli and Piero Hincapie both responded, "Completinho chefe," which translates to 'complete chef' or 'full on boss'. Numerous other players also responded with laughing emojis, including Christhian Mosquera and Declan Rice.

The ongoing exchange between Gabriel and Richarlison started during the summer when the Spurs striker tagged his fellow Brazilian in a post after Spurs defeated Arsenal in pre-season. He was holding the man-of-the-match award in a photograph accompanying the post.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

His social media engagement on Sunday evening also included liking Bukayo Saka's post. The winger accompanied the image of their celebration with the comment: "More like it." Eze replied with a red heart emoji, whilst Mikel Merino also reacted with the raised hands and flexed biceps emojis.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Christian Norgaard, Gabriel Jesus, Gyokeres, Jurrien Timber, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Rice and William Saliba also liked the post. Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Saka following the match, too.

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 a Preferred Source in your Google search settings

The manager said: "I loved his attitude, his presence, how dominant he was in the game from the beginning. The first reaction immediately, he wants to grab the game, and he really wants to say, 'I'm here'. And that's what I love, he didn't score, but he was in every action. I think he was really, really good."

On the match itself, Arteta added: "I think the whole team, I cannot be prouder and happier for what I've seen out there, but especially the way we lived the last 72 hours, because I think this game in particular needed some context. And after what happened against Wolves and the manner in which we lost two points in the last kick of the game, it was tough.

"But that's the beauty of this game. There is no explanation watching the game, for how the hell you draw that game, from any angle.

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

"You watch it back and say it's impossible, and you have to watch it again and say it's not going to happen, but it happened. And then you have to lift yourself up because you're feeling angry, upset, ashamed at some point."

Igor Tudor's first match as Tottenham manager ended in a heavy defeat in the north London derby against Arsenal. Spurs equalised 24 seconds after the restart following Eberechi Eze's opener, which came from his first Premier League shot on target since these two teams last met in November. But Viktor Gyokeres restored Arsenal's lead two minutes into the second half before Eze's second of the evening - and his fifth of the season versus Spurs - killed the game on the hour mark.

Gyokeres scored the visitors' fourth in stoppage time to give Arsenal their biggest win at Spurs since 1978 and a repeat of the scoreline between these two at the Emirates three months ago. League leaders Arsenal move five points clear at the summit while Spurs remain just four points clear of West Ham in the relegation zone. Express Sport rates and slates the Tottenham players after interim manager Tudor's disappointing dugout debut...

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Tottenham player ratings vs Arsenal

Guglielmo Vicario - 6

Came out to make an early diving header and produced a crucial one-on-one save from Saka in the first half. Denied Saka again in the second half and appeared to have thwarted him a third time only for the ball to break to Eze to score. Could do little about the goals.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Joao Palhinha - 4

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Struggled at times on the right of the back three but was unlucky for the third Arsenal goal.

Radu Dragusin - 5

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Apart from being dispossessed during one run out of defence, the Romanian was Spurs' best defender in the first half. However, it was his poor header that helped Arsenal break for Eze's second goal on the hour mark and he endured a difficult time from that point onwards.

Micky van de Ven - 4

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Off the pace in the first half with Saka getting in behind him on several occasions and the captain for the day never really found his rhythm.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Archie Gray - 4

Took an elbow to the face in the first half, leaving him with a bloody nose. The teenager had a difficult afternoon and was frequently left isolated against two Arsenal attackers.

Yves Bissouma - 6

Another new manager to impress and he displayed considerable enthusiasm for the cause despite it being a losing effort. One of the few players to emerge from the match with some credit.

Pape Matar Sarr - 4

Contributed very little in midfield beyond the occasional tidy touch.

Djed Spence - 5

Had limited success dealing with Saka, with Tudor shouting at him on several occasions to close down the Arsenal winger more tightly. Moved to the right late on and created a chance for Richarlison.

Conor Gallagher - 4

Worked tirelessly and saw a deflected cross converted by Kolo Muani only for it to be disallowed for a push. Substituted after an hour without making much impact.

Xavi Simons - 4

Fortunate when a wayward pass went straight to Trossard outside the Spurs box as the Belgian blazed well over. Failed to find his rhythm in the first half but forced a save from Raya early in the second period.

Randal Kolo Muani - 7

Selected to lead the line and he capitalised by dispossessing Rice and racing into the box from the left to net his maiden Premier League goal. Thought he'd scored again after converting Gallagher's deflected cross early in the second half but was deemed to have fouled Gabriel. Grafted hard before being replaced by Richarlison.

Substitutes

Dominic Solanke - 5

Beyond a few neat touches, he contributed little to the Spurs cause.

Richarlison - 6

Had an effort clawed off the line by Raya and worked hard to make his presence felt throughout.

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Mathys Tel - N/A

Introduced as a left wing-back late in the match, though the role failed to utilise him effectively. Surely Souza would have been the more sensible option for that particular position?

Declan Rice held his hands up to apologise to his team-mates and looked up to the skies wearing a smile of disbelief. Tottenham had just made it 1-1 thanks to Randal Kolo Muani's immediate equaliser. Rice clumsily took a risk on the ball on the edge of his own box and was dispossessed by Kolo Muani who lashed beyond David Raya. Just 123 seconds earlier, Eberechi Eze's first Premier League shot on target since November - and also the last time these two teams met, when he scored a hat-trick - had put Arsenal in front.

After the ball hit the back of the net, Rice gathered the men in red and white into a huddle and urged them to concentrate. As they returned to their own half, Rice gestured to his team-mates to stay switched on as he pointed to his temples with both index fingers. Isn't it ironic, don't you think, that he was the one who ignored his own advice and gifted Spurs their equaliser. In doing so, Arsenal broke a golden rule of football.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

That rule, taught at every single level of the sport, is that you simply cannot gift-wrap presents to your opponents like that so soon after scoring yourselves. You have to be more concentrated than that. At such a high level, matches are won and lost on mistakes and split-second decisions. One lapse, one error, can be so costly. Rice now has to thank his team-mates that this one was not. He would have been constantly reminded of it otherwise.

Conceding 24 seconds after the restart is unacceptable for any team, let alone an Arsenal team of this calibre. Gary Neville reacted on Sky Sports' commentary: "You cannot believe that. These moments by Arsenal have to stop." The Gunners had already thrown away precious points in the title race at Brentford and Wolves in the last 10 days.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

They led Manchester City by six points after 25 games. Coming into this, their 28th match of the Premier League season, they led by just two. Giving away more goals like this will cost them in the end. The pressure and emotional toll it will put on them, in the title race with City, will mount. For a team with only experience of losing the title, rather than getting it over the line, it sows seeds of self-doubt. At this time of the season, those seeds blossom pretty quickly.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

On this occasion, Rice's blushes were spared. The Englishman, and the Arsenal team as a whole, responded strongly to Kolo-Muani's leveller. They couldn't strike back before half-time but just 91 seconds into the second half, Viktor Gyokeres unleashed a stunner past Guglielmo Vicario to put Arsenal 2-1 up.

The Swede has faced a lot of criticism this season. A fair bit of it warranted. But his 14th goal of the season will do wonders for him, especially his relationship with the Arsenal fans. This time, the away side stayed switched on. Eze killed the game beyond doubt on the hour mark with his fifth goal of the season against Spurs, who famously tried to sign him last summer before he headed to the Emirates instead. From there, the away team controlled it perfectly. The away end were able to enjoy themselves largely stress-free and Rice was pivotal to that comfort. They even got chance to celebrate further, when Gyokeres made it 4-1 in stoppage time - securing a second successive 4-1 win over Spurs this season.

Arsenal have thrown away points from winning positions against Manchester United, Brentford and Wolves in 2026 alone. They were not going to do so again here. Had they gone three without a win in the Premier League, with only themselves to blame, the repercussions could have been catastrophic. It would have been like throwing chum into the water for the sky blue City shark that lurks ominously beneath the surface.

Of course, this win by no mean guarantees Arsenal will be champions on May 24. But the five-point gap, having played one game more than City, is a relief. So is avoiding a slip-up against their arch enemies. It is a victory that tastes extra sweet, against their bitter rivals and after so much talk about the possibility of them bottling their lead at the top. Pep Guardiola's City will not play their extra game - at home to Crystal Palace - until after they meet Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final (March 22) and probably not until after they play at the Etihad in the league (April 18 or 19) either.

Football transfer news and rumours plus selected offers and competitions Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Get More of Our News on Google

Set Daily Express as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

That means the north Londoners boast a buffer that is massive for them psychologically. This win alone does them the world of good mentally too. It is a warning to City that Mikel Arteta's men will not feel sorry for themselves and wilt away. They remain a serious football team with serious ambitions.

But mistakes like Rice's simply cannot be allowed going forward. If they do, Arsenal will pay and City are poised to take advantage. Failing to win this Premier League title would be the most painful near-miss yet for Arsenal. This can be one of the greatest seasons in their history, and they have to stop being the creators of their own downfall to realise it. Their response to Rice's error here was the perfect example of what they must do between now and late May.