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Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday showcased the gulf in class between the two sides.

The result meant the league leaders are now five points clear of second-placed Man City, but Spurs are in a relegation dogfight.

Igor Tudor arrived as Tottenham‘s new head coach last week, and there are a lot of problems he must address in the squad.

However, Spurs fans don’t have all that much faith in him to turn things around, and his praise of Arsenal after the North London derby defeat certainly won’t go down well.

Igor Tudor calls Arsenal the best team in the world

Although Spurs were undone by Arsenal‘s brilliance, they also produced a fairly poor performance by their low standards, but Tudor decided to focus on the quality of the visitors.

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After the match, the Croatian head coach said: “We didn’t need this game for sure. Arsenal are probably the best team now in the world so it was not easy.

Thomas Frank came under huge criticism at Spurs for consistently praising Arsenal, instead of focusing on how to make his side better.

It was reported that several players did not find this constructive, and it was definitely one of the main reasons why his tenure in N17 didn’t work out.

Tudor has now done exactly the same thing, and although he is leaving at the end of the season as things stand, he needs the supporters and the players on his side.

Tudor doesn’t have the expertise to keep Tottenham in the Premier League

The Croatian manager has had spells at Marseille, Lazio and Juventus in recent years, but he has never completed a calendar year in charge of either of the three teams.

It’s clear that he is a quick-fix appointment, and although Spurs were playing the league leaders, the players showed no fight in a game of huge importance.

As for Tudor, you wonder how he’ll be able to get his ideas through to the team in such a short amount of time.

It seems incredibly unlikely, and the only positive for him is that Spurs have several winnable games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to come.

But Sunday’s result was the worst possible start for Tudor, and despite having a four-point cushion over the relegation zone, it’s clear that Tottenham’s current mentality is at an all-time low.

The first thing Tudor needs to learn, though, is that no Spurs manager or player can ever heap praise on the other side from North London.

Tottenham may regret letting Mikey Moore join Rangers on a season-long loan last summer transfer window.

Spurs are struggling with injuries this season, and they could’ve definitely done with someone of the 18-year-old’s talent and potential in North London, with Igor Tudor looking steer the team towards safety.

Moore has thrived at Ibrox in the current campaign, cementing his place in Danny Rohl’s plans as the Gers look to win the William Hill Premiership title after being in an almost impossible position to do so before the German manager’s arrival.

The English youngster will be returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the current campaign, and fans in N17 have every reason to be excited about their academy graduate.

Mikey Moore season by numbers at Rangers

Moore has made 36 appearances in all competitions for Rangers this season, scoring five goals and providing three assists.

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While some Spurs fans might think the 18-year-old could have a better goal return at Ibrox, his impact on games should be considered.

The English youngster has been a versatile creative force for the Glaswegian outfit this season, playing on the left, right and behind the striker.

In the current campaign, Moore’s contribution in the William Hill Premiership has been the most impressive, with 23 appearances and making the team of the week once, as per Sofascore.

The young attacker has recorded a passing accuracy of 78 per cent, 0.8 shots on target per game, scoring five goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances.

Defensively, the forward isn’t shy about contributing, attempting 0.7 tackles, winning three duels and recovering the ball 3.5 times per game.

Mikey Moore future may depend on Premier League survival at Spurs

Dribbling has been one of Moore’s standout attributes at Rangers, with 1.3 per game with a 44 per cent success rate, but it remains to be seen whether he will bring that to Tottenham next season.

As things stand, Spurs are just four points above the relegation zone after losing 4-1 to Arsenal in the North London derby at home on 22 February.

Supporters in N17 are confident there’s too much quality at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to get relegated, and if that is the case, they may opt to send Moore back to Glasgow for further development.

There are still things the youngster needs to improve, having missed six big chances in the league this season, as seen in the Sofascore graphic above, but the North London outfit certainly have a brilliant prospect on their hands.

Keith Hackett believes Tottenham figures will be working behind the scenes to ensure the supporter – or supporters – who chucked a flare onto the field against Arsenal is handed a ban.

Play was temporarily halted in the second half of Sunday’s North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which ended in a 4-1 loss for Spurs on a day to forget for Igor Tudor in his first match in charge.

The blue flare eventually went out, but it follows a worrying recent trend of supporters letting them off in stands – and indeed some then launching them onto the field of play.

And in the view of former PGMOL chief Hackett, speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, it is something Spurs and others need to quickly nip in the bud.

Keith Hackett urges Tottenham to act as flare launched onto field vs Arsenal

Flares are banned from British sporting grounds, yet a number of fans still manage to get them through the turnstiles.

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Sharing his views on the matter, Hackett said: “Oh no! This is not what we want to witness in the Premier League. It could start a trend.

“So find the culprit and ban him. The club security will already be discussing this to find ways to stop it. We have witnessed this in UEFA games and up in Scotland of late. Stop it now!”

What consequences can be expected for those carrying a flare?

As per the Sporting Events Act 1985, carrying a flare, smoke bomb or firework into a football stadium in the UK is a criminal offence. Possession of pyrotechnics, even if not lit, is illegal.

Those caught can be sentences to up to three months in prison or handed hefty fines, which is more likely.

Banning orders are also possible, which is something that has been seen in the past at other clubs.

While many will disagree with the laws in place, they are there for a reason. Many have been hurt by flares that have been let off in the stands.

The rules are ultimately there for a reason, and as Hackett says, those responsible should be banned in order to send out a message to others.

Dele Alli is a Tottenham fan favourite, and his return to watch the North London derby was met with plenty of positivity.

Spurs fans love Dele for what he contributed to the club, and as he returned, his chant was sung loudly at half-time against Arsenal.

There are plenty of supporters who wish for their former midfielder to return to the club in a more permanent fashion, but as the Englishman looks to revive his career, a fresh start elsewhere may be needed.

However, no matter where Dele ends up, Tottenham will always remain as a core part of his life, as he has called the club “home” in a new social media post.

Dele Alli issues message to Tottenham supporters

Dele did not get the result he wanted from Spurs against Arsenal, as Igor Tudor’s side lost 4-1, but the 29-year-old still had quite a good day out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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The Englishman was met with plenty of love, and he has now reciprocated that feeling back to fans.

Posting a reel on Instagram on Monday, Dele documented his day at the North London derby, captioning the video: “Was good to be home! I love you all”. That was followed by a love heart emoji.

Tottenham fans will love that Dele still refers to the N17 outfit as his home, where he endured the best seasons of his footballing career.

Things have not quite worked out for the midfielder away from London, as he now finds himself as a free agent heading into the summer.

What are Dele Alli’s plans in football now?

At just 29 years old, Dele still has plenty of time in football left in him. While many may anticipate an early retirement for the former Spurs man, that is seemingly not on the cards for the 37-capped England star.

Speaking at half-time on Sunday, Dele confirmed that he is still looking to get back into football, as he looks for a new club.

He said: “I can’t wait to get back on the pitch playing; hopefully it won’t be too long now.”

Dele has been tentatively linked with a move to Spain, with clubs such as Real Oviedo, Sevilla, Elche and Getafe touted as a possible destination.

Time will tell where he ends up playing his football, but Tottenham fans will no doubt be keeping tabs and wishing Dele nothing but the best.

Tottenham’s lack of creativity is causing major concern this season.

Igor Tudor is the man tasked with keeping Tottenham in teh Premier League, but after a 4-1 defeat against Arsenal, he couldnt have gotten off to a worse start.

With that said, the concerns that he is set to face in charge of the North Londoners are nothing new, and certainly not from his own doing.

However, there is one concern arguably bigger than the rest, and the only man capable of addressing it is currently out with an injury.

Tottenham’s creativity struggles laid bare by stat reveal

You don’t need stats to know that Tottenham have been dreadful in the final third this season, and the fact that they have scored 37 goals is not a true reflection of their play.

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Spurs have recorded just 28.17 non-penalty xG in the Premier League this season, which is a stat that only Sunderland, Wolves and Burnley are worse at.

It means that Tottenham are overperforming their xG by 8.83, which is the biggest overperformance in the top flight this season.

At 12.59 per cent, they actually have one of the highest conversion rates in the Premier League, but the issue lies with how many chances they are actually creating.

Added to that, only 18.8 xG has arrived from open play, and a lot of that is down to the absence of James Maddison.

The Englishman has always been the one who Spurs looked towards to carve out chances from open play, and his absence has been felt heavily this season.

Last season in the Premier League, Maddison created 41 chances with a combined xA + xG of 11.74, showcasing his importance.

How do Tottenham fix creativity issue?

Looking at the starting 11 from the Arsenal defeat, Xavi Simons was the only player in the XI capable of creating something, and when he was nullified, the threat was lost.

If Tudor is to fix this, he simply needs to find a way to get more of his attacking players in the team, even if that means changing formation.

Tudor has utilised a back five for the majority of his career, but if that remains that way, Tottenham are going to be faced with the same issues until the end of the campaign.

The likes of Mathys Tel and Richarlison have shown that they can have a positive impact in the final third, and having them in the starting 11 has to be the first step.

Igor Tudor could utilise scare tactics to get the best out of his new Tottenham side.

The Croatian took charge of his first Tottenham Hotspur Stadium clash on Sunday, and it couldn’t have gone much worse.

Spurs fell to a 4-1 defeat against bitter rivals Arsenal, with Randal Kolo Muani’s strike being the only silver lining on a dismal day.

Even Micky van de Ven looked disinterested in N17 and totally ignored the interim head coach as he belted out instructions from the sidelines.

Tudor could now take to new measures at this early stage of his Lilywhites career after the shocker that was the North London derby.

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Tottenham stars could face transfer reminder after Arsenal failings

There was no real surprise about the result against Mikel Arteta’s side, but that doesn’t take away from the annoyance towards the players.

The majority of those in white failed to perform and didn’t show any fight, despite lining up in a fierce derby under a new manager.

Tudor is known as a stern authority figure, and that clearly didn’t reflect well on Sunday, but he could remain firm with his squad.

Former scout Bryan King believes the interim boss needs to threaten his players with a summer exit to see how they react moving forward.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, King said: “His main job is to get the discipline back into the team and get the players to play for the badge.

“The last six months have been painful watching Spurs’ demise.

“They’ve been hugely fortunate in the Champions League as well. Tudor has to make them into a team; he’s got to up the level of training.

“He’s already brought in his staff, and he needs a strong mind to tell the players where they currently stand.

“The players who don’t step up to the plate need to be told they’ll be at another club next season, and maybe they’ll buck up their ideas.“

Who could Tottenham sell in the summer?

Spurs are genuinely at risk of being relegated from the Premier League, something which would be met with a large number of sales.

It feels that a mass exodus will also be on the cards, even if Tudor can avoid a drop to the Championship by the end of the campaign.

There are a wide range of big earners who could be on their way out, with many Tottenham fans demanding exits for players who won’t put in the required effort.

Tottenham’s reported highest earners:

These sorts of numbers are no joke, and for many of these names, the performance levels haven’t matched the outlay.

Tudor needs to be stern with these players and make them understand just how precarious the position is right now; they’ll all be on their way out in the summer.

Danny Murphy explains why he felt sorry for Tottenham star Djed Spence vs Arsenal

Danny Murphy has admitted he felt sorry for Djed Spence in Tottenham’s defeat to Arsenal.

Hope was kindled for Tottenham after Randal Kolo Muani quickly cancelled out Eberechi Eze’s opener at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

But another Eze effort, either side of a Viktor Gyokeres double, sent Tottenham to a 4-1 defeat in Igor Tudor‘s first game in charge.

Things could have been different if Kolo Muani‘s second goal, which would have made it 2-2, hadn’t been disallowed, but it was a deserved victory for the Gunners.

And on Match of the Day 2, former Liverpool man Murphy highlighted why full-back Spence had an unenviable task against Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber.

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Djed Spence outplayed by Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber

Murphy pointed out that most of Arsenal’s joy against Tottenham came down the right-hand side of the pitch, with the partnership of Saka and Timber proving too much for Spurs, with Spence often the man outnumbered.

Indeed, according to Sofascore, former Leeds United loanee Spence won very few of his ground duels, five out of 17, and one of his errors led to an Arsenal goal.

But to Murphy, it wasn’t entirely the ex-Nottingham Forest man’s fault.

He said: “It’s fair to say that Spurs were pretty poor at times, but Arsenal were outstanding. This partnership on the right-hand side they haven’t had in recent weeks. Saka in his most comfortable position, and Timber behind.

“When at its best, it’s one of the best in Europe, and Tottenham could not cope with them today (Sunday), especially in the first half. They didn’t fix this problem. It just went on and on and on.

“I actually felt for Djed Spence as the game went on. He didn’t know what to do, whether to drop off or press. The two vs one situation again.

“They really struggled to stop that threat today. Didn’t really know who to go, when to go, poor communication, poor plan, I don’t know.”

Spence also made zero interceptions, while making no tackles, proving just how easy it was to play around him while he was isolated at wing-back.

Making four fouls and one error leading to a goal, it is an afternoon he’ll want to forget quickly.

Will ‘decimated’ Tottenham survive without key players?

Tottenham’s loss to Arsenal means Tudor’s side are down in 16th place in the Premier League, just four points above the relegation zone.

In the next fortnight, they face Fulham away and fellow strugglers Crystal Palace at home. Spurs haven’t won in the Premier League since an away win at Palace on 28 December.

But their cause has not been helped by injuries to playmakers James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, wingers Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus, midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur, and defenders Ben Davies and Pedro Porro.

Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given was quick to point out that Tottenham have been “decimated” by injuries, while Murphy said that even if their players return, they need to improve defensively.

Both, however, thought Tottenham would just about stay up, but they need wins and fast.

Igor Tudor told his Tottenham players to stay humble following their embarrassing defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday.

Spurs were beaten 4-1 by their arch-rivals at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the exact same scoreline as in the reverse fixture back in November.

Tudor’s side did actually go into half-time level, as Eberechi Eze’s opener was quickly cancelled out by Randal Kolo Muani’s low strike.

However, a Viktor Gyokeres double after the break, either side of Eze’s second goal of the game, ensured that Tottenham slid even closer to the Premier League relegation zone.

Igor Tudor reveals behind-the-scenes Tottenham speech

Tudor was always going to have an uphill task replacing Thomas Frank, and Sunday’s defeat only reiterated the current problems at Tottenham.

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The Spurs squad is lacking confidence, but also worryingly low on quality, a damning indictment of the club’s recent struggles in the transfer market.

Speaking in his post-match press conference after the game, Tudor revealed exactly what he said to the Tottenham players in the dressing room.

The Croatian boss insisted that he was not angry with his squad, but expected them to stay humble when they return to training on Tuesday.

Tudor said: “I saw the passion. I saw the will. I was not angry because they wanted to do 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 now, because we are not able to do.

“As I said before, Tuesday, come in, everyone there, stay humble that is the key. Stay humble that is the key of each of us and trying 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 in real trouble under Igor Tudor

Tottenham are still without a Premier League win in 2026, and are now just four points clear of the bottom three following the North London derby.

There is no doubting that the Lilywhites are firmly in a relegation battle, and on current form, they are perhaps the most likely team to go down.

Of course, none of this is Tudor’s fault, but it is now up to the former Juventus boss to turn the situation around.

Tottenham have crucial games against Fulham and Crystal Palace coming up in the next few weeks, and could very easily find themselves in the relegation zone if their poor form continues.

Spurs fans will be desperate to see some improvement under Tudor, but there is now a general acceptance that the North London club are in real danger of a drop down to the Championship.

Ange Postecoglou was thrust back into the Tottenham headlines earlier this week.

Postecoglou criticised the ownership for their lack of transfer spending in his final summer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He bemoaned the fact that he wanted Antoine Semenyo, Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo and Marc Guehi and instead ended up with Dominic Solanke, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert.

Speaking on the Overlap podcast on 12 February, he said: “At the end of my first year, when we finished fifth, I felt we had to sign Premier League-ready players. But we weren’t in the Champions League, so we didn’t have the money, and ended up signing Dominic Solanke and three teenagers.

“I was looking at Pedro Neto, Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo at the time and Marc Guehi, because if we’re going to go from fifth to there (Champions League), that’s what the other big clubs will do in that moment.”

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Postecoglou vindicated with Tottenham spending comments

John Wenham believes that Postecoglou was right to say what he did about Tottenham‘s board, especially the part about their ambition, with his quotes vindicated.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “He didn’t say anything too controversial at all for me, he questioned the club and this ‘to dare is to do’, but not matching that in the transfer market, and he is completely bang on with that.

“Really pleased he brought that to attention, because Tottenham fans, other than Fulham, pay the highest season ticket prices in the Premier League and do not see that ambition reflected in the transfer market.”

What do the numbers say?

The numbers prove that Postecoglou was hamstrung in the market in his time in North London.

While Spurs were willing to fork out £151million on the players that he ended up with, they are understood to be on a combined £315,000-per-week in wages.

Meanwhile, the targets that he wanted to sign, were signed for a combined £201.5m and receive a combined figure of around £710,000-per-week from the clubs that they ended up signing for.

That is the difference between the top clubs, who are constantly fighting for the biggest trophies and clubs who are on the periphery hoping to somehow catch up.

The Lilywhites ranked ninth in Deloitte’s money league in January 2026, with a revenue of approximately £588m, which ranks closely behind Liverpool (£730m), Manchester City (£724m), Arsenal (£718m) and Manchester United (£693m).

That suggests that the money is there to compete, but they choose not to invest and bring the squad up to the standard that it needs to be.

Jamie O’Hara did not mince his words when laying into Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin after the defeat to Arsenal.

Tottenham‘s misery deepened after another 4-1 thumping at the hands of rivals Arsenal in the latest North London derby on Sunday.

After being beaten by the same scoreline earlier this season, Igor Tudor’s side looked well in this contest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Randal Kolo Muani cancelled out Eberechi Eze’s opener.

But a further goal from Eze and a Viktor Gyokeres brace condemned Tudor to his first defeat as Tottenham boss, as Spurs’ winless league run extended to nine games.

Many Tottenham players did not cover themselves in glory, but ex-Tottenham player O’Hara directed the brunt of his ire at centre-back Dragusin.

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He even said Ronnie Henry, a player he managed at non-league side Billericay Town, would have done a better job against Arsenal in a post on X.

Did Radu Dragusin have that bad a game for Tottenham?

In spite of O’Hara’s criticism, Dragusin didn’t appear to have a terrible game on the face of it.

For instance, Sofascore states the Romania international made 18 defensive contributions against Mikel Arteta’s side in Tottenham’s heavy defeat.

The Romania international chalked up four interceptions, 12 clearances, blocked two shots and made six recoveries.

Dragusin, who was linked with a Tottenham exit in January, won the majority of his duels and made a goalline clearance, too.

However, the eye test tells a different story and it is fair to say Dragusin was bullied far too easily and he opened himself up for criticism.

Those aforementioned figures may not have been all that bad, but he only registered so many defensive actions due to Spurs being outplayed for large parts.

The 24-year-old is not at the level of captain Cristian Romero, who was suspended for the match, and defensive partner Micky van de Ven.

Igor Tudor faces huge task to keep Tottenham up

Tudor was sworn in as Tottenham boss on 14 February and in his first days in his interim role, the Croatian appeared to make all the right noises with Spurs fans.

But the true test was their home clash with rivals Arsenal, something they fell well short in. Indeed, the gulf in class between the two teams were as clear as day.

It wasn’t for lack of trying on Tottenham’s part but they were ruthlessly put to the sword as their search for a league win stretches back to 28 December, 2025.

There is no let up for Tottenham, who remain 16th in the Premier League, just four points above the relegation zone.

Tests against Fulham and Crystal Palace lie ahead over the next fortnight. If they can’t pick up a win there, then they could be in deep relegation trouble.