The North London Derby—Igor Tudor’s Chance to Win Over the Sceptics

Few know what to expect from Tottenham's new interim manager.

Igor Tudor has been tasked with keeping Tottenham in the Premier League. | Elianton/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images

The number crunchers at Opta are certainly more bullish on Tottenham Hotspur’s chances of Premier League survival than much of the fanbase.

An innately pessimistic bunch regard themselves as condemned already, despite boasting a five-point advantage over West Ham United in 18th. Perhaps ’boasting’ isn’t the right word in this context.

The thought of succumbing to the second tier is no longer a frightening fantasy for Spurs, rather an apocalyptic potential. They are not too grand in size or too talented in personnel to drop, but at least there’s a new manager in town after eight months of Thomas Frank-led misery was finally brought to an end.

The Dane’s woeful tenure had supporters longing for familiarity and overindulging in clips of 2016–17 bliss playing to the tune of Olivia Dean. Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to rein in his enthusiasm over a reunion, and his return appears more enticing than ever, but the Argentine’s commitment to the USMNT rendered a stopgap necessary.

The aforementioned lusting over the ”good ol’ days" meant there were some genuinely tempted by the idea of a 78-year-old Harry Redknapp, out of management for almost a decade, making a stunning comeback. Perhaps those advocating believed "Niko" and "Crouchy" would don Lilywhite one last time, too.

That bizarre temptation was unsurprisingly resisted by an unpopular hierarchy, and they’re instead calling upon this group of broken—and probably injured—players, as well as an increasingly apathetic fanbase to embrace the unknown in such perilous times.

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Fabio Paratici left Spurs after the January transfer window. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

Fabio Paratici left his role as sporting director after the January transfer window, yet his fingerprints were all over the appointment of Igor Tudor.

Paratici’s arrival in 2021 signalled Tottenham’s intent to masquerade like a member of Europe’s aristocracy, with the Italian attempting to impose Juventus-like standards in N17. He called upon their players (Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur) and a former manager (Antonio Conte) to aid the manifestation of his vision, but Spurs have instead operated in contrast to Paratici’s utopia over the past year.

Now, expert firefighter Tudor has an almighty task. The 47-year-old Croat, sacked by Juve last October, has embarked upon greater rescue acts in his career, but none boasting such high stakes. Tottenham’s gamble on Tudor is a big one, with relegation the likely outcome if he’s unable to get a tune out of the Lilywhites with his no-nonsense mantra and aggressive pressing ideals.

And boy, what a first game to walk into.

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Arsenal’s Dip Has Created a Sense of Expectation of Tudor’s Debut

Arsenal could just be two points clear at the top come Sunday. | Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

Tottenham enter Sunday’s North London Derby without a Premier League win in 2026 and with about six fit outfielders, yet there’s suddenly an expectation that this depleted unit may actually do something against the leaders.

Arsenal ought to be running away with the league title, but Mikel Arteta’s side, one aiming to scratch a 22-year-long itch, have seldom performed like champions in recent weeks. Wednesday’s 2–2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the worst teams this competition has seen, leaves Manchester City just five points behind with a game in hand.

Should the once-perennial champions continue their imperious record against Newcastle United on home soil this weekend, Arsenal’s lead would just be two on derby day.

They say form goes out of the window when two bitter foes meet, yet duels between the north London rivals have been notably one-sided and befitting the two clubs’ trajectories since Tottenham supporters, in Gary Neville’s words, "brutalised" Arteta’s Gunners under Conte’s watch late on in the 2021–22 season.

Arsenal have won all but one of the seven meetings since, often comfortably. The disparity between the pair was stark in the reverse fixture back in November, but the Gunners, in their current nervous and tense state, don’t appear capable of staging a walkover this Sunday. It’s bound to be a contest neither set of supporters enjoy until the final whistle blows.

First training session ✅ pic.twitter.com/UF54vYeyzl

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 16, 2026

For Tudor, it’s a chance to get everyone onside in the blink of an eye. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a cauldron of discontent for much of its existence, with only Conte and, briefly, Postecoglou weaponising Spurs’ amphitheatre to the fullest degree.

It really doesn’t take much to evolve a toxic atmosphere into an intimidatingly unified one, and there’s hope that Tudor’s vigorous approach without the ball will enliven the sleepy stands. Tottenham supporters just want something to believe in again, even if there’s an awareness that Tudor’s time in north London will be brief.

An impressive end to the season in trying circumstances will not only allow the club to breath a collective sigh of relief, but there will be a sense of some foundations being restored. Pochettino, or whomever they opt for long-term, could thus enter a suddenly invigorated club, rather than one on its knees.

And that journey to salvation begins when a flagging Arsenal team stroll down Seven Sisters Road bereft of swagger. Tottenham missed the opportunity two seasons ago to derail the Gunners’ title ambitions (Aston Villa did the damage instead), but now, despite the unlikelihood, they have the chance to really stick the boot in.

This doesn’t need to be a performance drenched in style and idealism, but one of pride and cohesion. There must be a feeling that Tudor has quickly gotten a grasp of an alien environment, proving to an unsure fanbase that he’s the man to extinguish the fire that’s been burning in N17 for months.

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