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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.

Tottenham and Arsenal faced multiple delays due to communication errors between match officials on Sunday.

The Lilywhites fell to a 4-1 defeat against Mikel Arteta’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as goals from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres made the difference.

That resulted in understandable frustration aimed towards Igor Tudor, but that wasn’t the only annoyance on show in North London.

The first half was delayed with just minutes on the clock before kick-off, and the second half dealt with similar issues.

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has been left fuming by the delays and questions what has happened to the communication situation he put in place for the Premier League.

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Keith Hackett rages at Tottenham vs Arsenal delays

There are plenty of issues with VAR in the current football space, with fans constantly left fuming by decisions each and every week.

That didn’t happen in the North London derby, as for the most part, controversy was kept to a minimum.

Other than Randal Kolo Muani’s ruled-out strike, there was very little contention, and the result played out as many expected.

Even with that being the case, the match officials have still come under scrutiny for multiple delays caused by the linesman’s communication.

Hackett introduced the devices when he was in charge of the PGMOL and believes, if utilised properly, the system should be foolproof, so he is hugely frustrated by the failings in N17.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, ex-Premier League referee Hackett said: “It is frankly unacceptable that the communication kit failed and held up the game.

“When the kit is used after a game, it has to be cleaned, dried and stored. Before the next game, the system should have new batteries installed.

“One hour and 15 minutes before kick off, the officials go onto the pitch wearing their communication kits, and a check with all four officials and Stockley Park is carried out.

“The system should be fail-proof, and PGMOL should give adequate reasons for this system failing.

“Frankly, it is a disgrace that we have another failure this season.

“I introduced the communication kits to the game. Maintenance after each game and a check on battery life, and that the system is 100 per cent, is carried out before every game kicks off.

“The PGMOL need to be transparent and tell us why a long-standing system is suddenly failing.

“It is ridiculous that this has happened twice in the game.“

PGMOL hypocrisy on show to Igor Tudor

Both Tudor and Arteta cut very animated figures on the sidelines as they consistently barked orders to their players throughout the derby clash.

They were also joint in their annoyance towards the match officials during the delays while communication devices were fixed.

Despite this, it appeared to be Tudor who faced more complaints from the fourth official, Sam Barrott, as Alasdair Gold spotted the Croatian being told off frequently.

The same wasn’t said about Arteta, which raises questions as to why the Spaniard was seemingly given preferential treatment.

It wasn’t the greatest day for the match officials and PGMOL, who are expectantly going to come under plenty of scrutiny in and away from North London.

Igor Tudor has already begun to lay the law in his first Tottenham outing against Arsenal.

The Croatian took over from Thomas Frank, and it appears he is going to be a bigger figure of authority at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That looks to have begun already, with the interim head coach causing problems for fourth official Sam Barrott in the North London clash on Sunday.

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Steve Crossman spotted Tudor constantly coming out of his technical area to take aim at Micky van de Ven in N17.

Crossman revealed: “I have spent a lot of time watching Tudor and Sam Barrott, the fourth official, is earning his money today. Every few seconds, he is trying to talk to Tudor to tell him to get back into the technical area.

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“Tudor is often talking to Micky van de Ven, and he is often having a go at Van de Ven. There is a lot of back and forth between those two.“

Igor Tudor loses it with Micky van de Ven vs Arsenal

It’s unclear why the Netherlands international was the man to feel the wrath of the new head coach in the defeat against Arsenal.

There is an obvious point that he was the captain, so it will be his job to get orders across and make sure his side plays them out.

That isn’t always possible from the centre-back position, so Tudor may have been better off directing his frustrations towards individuals.

There is no true reason as to why van de Ven would have received any personal critique from the new head coach after a typically positive performance.

He wasn’t always helped by the two defenders beside him or the goalkeeper behind him, and the result certainly isn’t reflective of his showing in N17.

Tudor risks touchline ban at Tottenham

The Lilywhites faithful may recognise Tudor from his Marseille days as he entered the pitch just seconds before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored in the Champions League.

His passion is clear, and it is that which makes him a potentially ideal option for Spurs right now after a torrid spell under Frank.

He will face issues with his behaviour on the sidelines in the Premier League, as he already looked incredibly difficult for the match officials to deal with.

Tudor did manage to avoid a card this time around, but his antics could eventually end with a touchline ban if he’s not careful.

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta appear to have fallen afoul of the PGMOL’s rules during the North London derby.

Tottenham headed into Sunday’s encounter in dire need of a victory after slipping just four points above the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Former Spurs target Eberechi Eze gave the visitors the lead on Sunday afternoon, only for Randal Kolo Muani to equalise shortly after.

Viktor Gyokeres restored Arsenal’s lead just after half time, before ex-Crystal Palace star Eze then gave the Gunners a two-goal cushion.

And during the contest, both managers were, according to journalist Alasdair Gold, guilty of going out of their technical areas, which is against the rules. But only one, Arteta, got a talking to.

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Tottenham lose again as Mikel Arteta gets off scot-free

Arteta has developed a reputation for going well outside his technical area during Arsenal games. However, the Spaniard rarely gets called out on it.

So the fact that Tudor was told off for doing it at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in his first game in charge may lead to some calling out the PGMOL’s hypocrisy.

“Igor Tudor getting told off by the fourth official for frequently stepping forward out of his technical area. Mikel Arteta doing the same thing on the other side though,” Gold posted on X.

Aside from that, Tottenham have now lost five of their last seven league matches. The result keeps them down in 16th, two points ahead of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, with 18th-placed West Ham two points further back.

After this damaging defeat, which bolstered Arsenal’s hopes of claiming their first league title since 2004, Tottenham will hope to bounce back away at Fulham next Sunday.

They then have another all London affair when they host fellow strugglers Crystal Palace four days later. If Spurs don’t pick up any points in this stretch, they could be in huge relegation trouble.

Arsenal thumping highlights how much work there is to do

In the 94th minute, Gyokeres added his second and Arsenal’s fourth to make it 4-1, a repeat of the scoreline at Emirates Stadium earlier this season.

Last term, the Gunners came away with no trophies, whereas Tottenham lifted the Europa League trophy to end their 17-year wait for silverware.

Fast forward to the present, and Tottenham have since sacked Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank, with Tudor now at the reins until the end of the season.

While Tottenham still have a slight cushion to the bottom three, they are going nowhere, fast. Whereas West Ham, for instance, have chalked up three wins and two draws in their last six games.

If they are not careful, Tottenham could drop into the relegation zone in a matter of weeks.

Tottenham fell to a 4-1 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday.

Spurs welcomed Mikel Arteta’s side to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the North London derby for Igor Tudor’s first game in charge in N17.

The Gunners dominated for the most part and made that count through Eberechi Eze before Randal Kolo Muani levelled the scores just seconds later in the first half.

Viktor Gyokeres made it 2-1 just minutes into the second 45, then Eze grabbed his second, and the Swede doubled his tally to seal the result in Igor Tudor’s first match in charge.

That was the killer blow for the Lilywhites as the away side saw the game out for a 3-1 defeat, and now, Tottenham News rates each player’s performance out of 10.

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Archie Gray struggled vs Arsenal

You have to feel for Archie Gray because he’s been pushed from pillar to post and played in a whole host of different positions.

Today, he was forced out to right wing back, and it simply didn’t suit him, and he struggled to get a foothold on the game at any stage.

As showcased by Sofascore, the 19-year-old was limited throughout the clash, and that can’t be a surprise based on his position.

Gray completed just 21 passes and failed to complete a single dribble with a zero per cent success rate from the right flank.

That failure was mirrored in his crosses and long ball attempts, where he also failed to complete one in six total attempts.

It was an interesting experiment from Tudor to put him in at wing-back, but it simply didn’t work and wasn’t worth the risk in the end.

Yves Bissouma looked at his best for Tottenham

Yves Bissouma, at one point, looked to be done in North London after failing to play in the Premier League before AFCON kicked off.

The midfielder went to the tournament and has come back a different player, and showcased that against the Gunners.

He contributed to 17 defensive actions on the day, with four tackles and four clearances being the headline act of his showcase.

That was added to by six duel wins as he also was brought down for one foul, while avoiding committing a foul throughout the 90 minutes.

Bissouma was the best player on the park wearing white and can feel largely happy with his day’s work despite a frustrating defeat.

Tottenham player ratings vs Arsenal

Guglielmo Vicario – 4

Micky van de Ven – 5

Radu Dragusin – 4

Joao Palhinha – 4

Djed Spence – 4

Archie Gray – 3

Yves Bissouma – 7

Pape Sarr – 4

Conor Gallagher – 4

Xavi Simons – 3

Randal Kolo Muani – 6

Substitutes

Dominic Solanke – 4

Richarlison – 5

Mathys Tel – N/A

Gary Neville couldn’t believe what he saw from Declan Rice for Arsenal in the first half against Tottenham on Sunday.

Spurs go in at the break on level terms after Randal Kolo Muani grabbed his first Premier League goal to cancel out Eberechi Eze’s strike.

There were just seconds between the two goals, and it was a Declan Rice error that gave the Frenchman a perfect chance to find the back of the net.

He did exactly that, but Neville was left baffled on Sky Sports after the England international became the latest name to make an error for Mikel Arteta’s side.

He said: “You can not believe that. Declan Rice has just joined his back five in making an error. He just tries to take it around him, but Kolo Muani still has a lot to do.

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“These stupid little errors from Arsenal’s senior players. The lapses in concentration have been contagious, and it’s got to stop, else they’ll be in a lot of trouble.“

Declan Rice has first half stinker vs Tottenham

Arsenal’s record signing hardly covered himself in glory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outside of his error leading to the Spurs goal.

The 27-year-old is typically such a reliable operator for Mikel Arteta’s side, but the N17 outfit won’t be disappointed with his shoddy showing in the derby.

Rice has misplaced seven passes and has failed to complete a single one of his two attempted dribbles, with the second leading to Kolo Muani’s equaliser.

The midfielder has also maintained a zero per cent cross accuracy, while just one of his attempted long balls found their target.

He has also failed to contribute a single tackle, block, clearance or interception for the Gunners, despite being at the base of midfield.

It may be an element of arrogance that is impacting his performance, but the Lilywhites have managed to nullify him so far.

Igor Tudor to be pleased with first half vs Arsenal

Arteta’s men may have dominated proceedings in the derby, but they have done very little to make it count so far.

Eze’s goal came off the back of some really fortunate play from Bukayo Saka, with the defending being effective for the most part.

Igor Tudor will be watching on, knowing that his side just needs a result right now, regardless of how they play, and with Kolo Muani’s goal, they could be on the right track.

The Croatian needs more from the same from his side in the second half and will hope for more quality from Xavi Simons in attacking areas.

Gary Neville was not pleased in the opening 15 minutes of the North London derby, as a referee technical issue saw play halted.

In the ninth minute, official Peter Bankes had seemingly lost communication with one of his linesmen, and the game was forced to wait for the issue to be fixed.

After a quick start, which saw Arsenal open out the doors instantly against Tottenham and the game having an exciting flow, Neville expressed his frustration quite vividly.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “This is absolute nonsense. One of the most important games of the season that has had a fantastic start to it, really quick, and we are now two to three minutes stopped with players having to re-warm up again and reset. Absolute shambles.”

While at the time, the game had only stopped for a couple of minutes, the issue would not be resolved until the 13th minute.

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Neville suggested that they should have played on at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as referees back in the day were able to work without having direct communication with their linesmen.

Igor Tudor took advantage of stoppage in Tottenham vs Arsenal

Neville, as a neutral, was of course frustrated that the tempo of the game could have been affected. Both sides were going into tackles at a strong pace, and if you had not already known, it certainly felt like a derby game.

However, in the opening moments of the match, it was the visitors that were having the most joy with three shots before the break of play.

Igor Tudor seemingly welcomed the stoppage, as Micky van de Ven was seen on the sidelines discussing matters with the head coach.

Whatever the Croatian said worked a treat, as the following 15 minutes saw the Lilywhites get more joy against the Gunners.

Although Eberechi Eze scored the opening goal, Randal Kolo Muani responded with an instant finish to equalise.

Have there been early signs of improvement under Tudor?

While it was Arsenal that opened out the gates strongly and ultimately notched the opening goal through Eze, there were signs that the structure of the team was more rigid.

The centre-backs were aggressive in their challenges and did not shy from getting stuck into the opposition.

The spaces between the lines were tightened, and they bounced back immediately to going behind as Randal Kolo Muani scored his first goal in the Premier League for Spurs.

The immediate response is the exact mentality that the Lilywhites have been missing this season.

James Milner broke the Premier League record for most appearances on Saturday.

It was a huge moment for the Brighton utility man, who started his career at Leeds United over 20 years ago, passing through Liverpool and Manchester City among others along the way.

Brighton beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday to go five points ahead of Tottenham and effectively out of the relegation fight in the Premier League.

Spurs don’t have that same luxury yet, as they prepare to take on Arsenal on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What is the appearance record in the Premier League?

Milner made his 654th Premier League appearance on 21 February, overtaking Gareth Barry, who had held the record for years previously.

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If that is consistency, Dominic Solanke has endured something of the opposite.

Solanke has been struck by constant injuries after signing for Spurs, and despite showing his quality when fit, it has not been enough.

Milner posted on Instagram in typical fashion after smashing the Premier League record, celebrating the win, with zero mention of anything else.

That didn’t stop the likes of Solanke and Virgil van Dijk from reacting, though.

Solanke wrote: “Congrats, bro. Unreal achievement.”

How has Dominic Solanke performed this season?

In short, it is hard to judge too much.

After injury destroyed his start to the season, Solanke has only made seven appearances in the Premier League, with four of those being starts.

Despite that, he has still managed a couple of goals, both against Manchester City.

As seen in the Sofascore graphic above, Solanke managed to prove just how much quality he has against the very best, dominating the likes of Marc Guehi on and off the ball.

Despite winning five out of 15 duels, he still got the two important goals, the second being that incredible scorpion kick that will be remembered for years.

If Solanke wants to prove himself even further, then the North London derby on Sunday would be the perfect time to really cement his spot.

With Igor Tudor taking charge of his first game, he will be hoping that positive history like Milner’s is on his side today on the biggest stage.

Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka has reportedly expressed his desire to stay in Europe amid links with a move to Tottenham.

The 31-year-old joined made the move to Bayern from fellow-giants Schalke in 2018, and is set to leave the Bavarians at the end of the current campaign.

Goretzka has been linked to several top clubs across Europe, including AC Milan and Atletico Madrid. And it has since been revealed that the midfielder wishes to stay in Europe following the expiration of his current deal at the Allianz.

Tottenham are one of multiple sides interested in sealing the midfielder’s signature as a free agent in the summer.

After shining in his native Ruhr region for Schalke, Goretzka has since made 294 appearances for Bayern, winning 14 trophies in the process.

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News that Goretzka is keen to stay in Europe, rather than chase money in Saudi Arabia or the United States, is superb news for Spurs.

Leon Goretzka would bring valuable experience to Tottenham

As is the case at Bayern, success is simply expected.

While his best years are behind him, Goretzka is someone who would provide elite-level experience in any dressing room across the continent.

Throughout his time in the Bavarian capital, Goretzka has proven himself as a midfielder who can do a bit of everything, with his signature late runs into the box further developing under Hansi Flick as Der Rekordmeister lifted the Champions League in 2020 and Club World Cup in 2021.

A serial winner, he would make a big impact on the Spurs dressing room as they look to enter a new era over the summer.

Following the Europa League triumph last May, the current campaign was earmarked as one of further progression with the trophy hoodoo ended. That has proven not to be the case.

With another fresh start on the cards over the summer, a player with Goretzka’s experience could be huge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Huge Bayern salary could impact Tottenham move for Goretzka

A stumbling block in a potential move to Spurs could be the salary in which would be commanded by the midfielder.

According to Capology, Goretzka receives a sizeable fee of £215,902 per week.

For comparison, the highest-paid pair at Tottenham are reportedly Xavi Simons and Cristian Romero – both with £195,000 per week.

If Goretzka were to make the switch to Tottenham on the same salary, he would instantly become the club’s highest-paid player.

This could be something that impacts a deal for Spurs, who are well-known for their relatively low wages in comparison to others among the English giants.

The German would add valuable experience, but his peak years are behind him, pointing in the direction of a move only being possible should his earnings be lowered.