Igor Tudor takes charge of his first Tottenham game, tasked with the challenge of giving fans a long-awaited North London Derby victory as his side host Arsenal on Sunday.
It was never going to be a quiet two weeks for Tottenham. Despite not kicking a ball last weekend, the club still found itself at the centre of attention after Thomas Frank’s tenure finally came to an end following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle.
It’s fair to say his dismissal had been coming. Just 2 league wins from the previous 17 had dragged Spurs into the relegation zone, sitting 16th in the Premier League table and only 5 points clear of West Ham in 18th.
With Frank gone, the door opened for former Juventus boss Igor Tudor to step in and try to bring some much-needed consistency between now and the end of the season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, sit top of the league, but the noise around them has started to shift. What once looked like a possible nine-point cushion has now been cut to five, with Manchester City having played a game fewer.
They have won just two of their last seven league matches, including a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Wolves most recently, where they somehow managed to let a two-goal lead slip in stoppage time.
What time does the North London Derby kick off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Date: Sunday, 22 February 2026
- Kick-off Time: 4:30 pm BST
- Referee: Peter Bankes
- VAR: Darren England
- Premier League
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ArsenalArsenal
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Tottenham vs Arsenal: Head to head record
A major turning point in Thomas Frank’s time at Tottenham actually came in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Arsenal humiliated Spurs 4-1 at the Emirates, courtesy of an Eberechi Eze hat-trick, definitely not helped by Frank attempting a dig at the English midfielder before the game.
That victory was Arsenal’s third consecutive win in this fixture. Tottenham have managed just one victory in the last 9 North London Derbies, drawing one and losing the rest, with that sole win coming back in May 2022.
Tottenham team news
Tudor prefers to operate with a three-man backline, but thanks to some rather strange squad planning, he may not even have the numbers to do so properly. Kevin Danso remains a few weeks away from a return, while Cristian Romero serves the second of his four-match suspension following his red card against Manchester United.
Wilson Odobert is the latest name added to the list of players unlikely to feature again this season, joining Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur. There are still no clear signs of Dejan Kulusevski or James Maddison returning anytime soon either.
Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall are both at least a month away from full fitness. However, there is some good news here, as Richarlison was spotted back in training.
Full-backs Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro are understood not to be fully ready for this one, though Porro is considered touch-and-go.
Arsenal team news
Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard are both doubts after being forced off through injury in the draw against Wolves. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino were not involved in that match either, but only Merino is certain to miss this fixture.
Predicted Tottenham Line-Up
TOTTENHAM: Vicario; Spence, Dragusin, Palhinha, Van de Ven, Gray; Gallagher, Sarr, Simons; Kolo Muani, Solanke
ARSENAL: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Eze, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Our prediction
Spurs fans have already warmed to Igor Tudor’s first few interviews, and a win in a fixture of this magnitude would make him an instant hero.
Tottenham know that 3 points here would not only increase the gap between themselves and the relegation zone, but also deal a huge blow to Arsenal’s title hopes. Should the Gunners lose and Manchester City take advantage in their next two games, we could well be looking at Arsenal in a very familiar second place in the coming weeks.
Keep an eye on Randal Kolo Muani. He has not quite hit top form since arriving, but reuniting with his former manager could give him the confidence boost he needs on a stage like this.
For Arsenal, Gabriel will be the obvious threat from set pieces. No matter how much Tottenham feel they have improved in defending dead-ball situations this season, the Brazilian remains a constant nuisance in the box and will need to be managed carefully.
With home advantage and the unpredictability that often comes with a new manager’s first game, we hope that Tottenham can edge this one.
Predicted score: Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal