Tudor says Tottenham can still beat the drop despite Arsenal loss

Premier League
By AFP | Feb 23, 2026
Tottenham Hotspur coach Igor Tudor pictured before the start of the English Premier League match vs Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on February 22, 2026. [Glyn KIRK / AFP]

Igor Tudor believes there is still enough time for his Tottenham Hotspur side to avoid relegation from the Premier League provided they "stay humble".

Spurs were overwhelmed 4-1 at home to league leaders and arch-rivals Arsenal in a lopsided north London derby, with Sunday's defeat leaving them 16th in the table and just four points above the bottom three.

A woeful run of two league wins in 17 games under Thomas Frank saw the Dane sacked as Spurs manager earlier this month, with Tudor brought in to replicate the kind of mid-season recovery he managed with Italian sides Juventus and Lazio.

Tottenham last played outside the English top flight in the 1977/78 season and Tudor, following his first game in charge, insisted that they could avoid dropping down to the second-tier this term.

"Of course there is enough time," Tudor said.

"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 need to do.

"I speak from day one at the club, I come here to resolve the problems."

The 47-year-old Croat added: "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."

Share this story
Morocco have 'ingredients' of World Cup winners, says coach Ouahbi
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his players have to believe they can become the first African winners of the World Cup after storming into the last 32 unbeaten.
Ancelotti hails Vinicius as Brazil march on at World Cup
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed Vinicius Junior as "one of the best players in the world" after the forward continued his excellent World Cup form with a brace in 3-0 win v Scotland.
Mexico ease to perfect World Cup record in Group A
Co-hosts Mexico cemented top place in World Cup Group A with a perfect record as they defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 in the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday.
How setbacks shaped Aroko into Kenya's Young Player of the Year
When the final whistle blew on the 2025-2026 season, few players had made a bigger statement than Kariobangi Sharks midfielder Humphrey Aroko.
South Africa stun South Korea to make World Cup history
South Africa beat South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to reach the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history -- an astonishing turnaround after a dismal opening defeat.
.
RECOMMENDED NEWS