Tottenham are in trouble, they are the worst team in the Premier League | OneFootball

Make no mistake about it, Spurs are in a fight to avoid relegation

Igor Tudor said he was not here to enjoy his time at Tottenham and there was not much to like about Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby.

Another bad result leaves Spurs four points above the bottom three and the threat of relegation is becoming very real. With 11 games to go, Spurs are in a fight to stay up.

Spurs are just four points above the relegation zone with 11 games left

Getty Images

“Of course, I’m confident,” said Tudor when asked if Spurs will stay up. “Because I believe these are good players with bad habits. They are good players, nobody can tell me they don’t have quality. But we need to change a mental switch and have this mental sharpness to be in the game from the first to the second minute.”

That assessment after just one week in the job suggests that, in order to make short-term fixes, he needs to address long-term issues in the squad.

Time is of the essence and Tudor now faces a big week on the training ground ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham.

With West Ham having lost just one of their last eight games in all competitions, and Nottingham Forest looking revitalised under their new manager Vitor Pereira, Spurs do not have the safety buffer they had last season.

Spurs remain the only team yet to win a Premier League game in 2026. They are in relegation form and, with even Wolves picking up under Rob Edwards and Burnley showing some fight, there is an argument that they are the worst team in the division right now.

There was a moment on Sunday that epitomised the mentality shift that Spurs simply have to undergo if they are to put distance between themselves and the drop.

Igor Tudor delivered some home truths as deep-rooted problems at Spurs were exposed

Getty Images

Tudor, an increasingly frenetic presence on the touchline, called to stand-in captain Micky van de Ven to push Spurs’ defensive line higher up the pitch as Arsenal began to dominate.

Van de Ven failed to heed the call and Arsenal continued to attack, eventually getting the goals their performance had warranted in the second-half.

Tudor wants his side to play aggressive, pressing football.

But Spurs are increasingly a team that reacts to rather than dictates the tempo of games.

It is obvious that Spurs are a team low on confidence and that is influencing their decisions on the pitch.

Spurs need to be comfortable taking risks in and out of possession, and Tudor must instil this belief back into his squad if they are to turn things around.

Tudor is already under pressure to deliver results, as Spurs gear up for a relegation scrap.