Things went from bad to worse for Tottenham Hotspur as they fell to a 4-1 defeat against local rivals Arsenal at home.
Igor Tudor’s first game in charge of the club didn’t go as planned as two goals apiece from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres sent Arsenal on their way to a commanding win, while Randal Kolo Muani’s first-half strike turned out to be only a consolation.
The Croatian has a massive task in hand to motivate his players now as they find themselves just four points above the Premier League relegation zone.
Tottenham had their moments – particularly in the first half – as they went into the interval with the scores level.
However, Arsenal stepped on the gas in the second 45 minutes to secure all three points.
And speaking after the game, Micky van de Ven was quick to acknowledge that the Gunners were the better team as he pinpointed what his team could do better under their interim boss.
Van de Ven feels Tottenham can press better under Tudor
Tudor lined up with a 3-5-2 formation, with Radu Dragusin and Joao Palhinha partnering Van de Ven at the back in the absence of Cristian Romero, who will also miss the next two games owing to a suspension.
And their defensive frailties came to the fore almost immediately as Arsenal threatened to break the deadlock in the opening exchanges.
Tudor hasn’t been in charge of the club for too long and it showed in the structure of Tottenham’s press and their defensive organisation, in particular.
Speaking after the game, Van de Ven admitted that Tottenham are very much a work in progress under their new manager.
“Arsenal were the better team,” said the Dutchman to Sky Sports via BBC.
“We were still in the game at 1-1 but after the second half, they scored straight away and then it was really difficult.”
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“We could do the press a bit better. We pressed high, but Arsenal came out of it. It’s something we need to work on. They were the better team today.
“It’s a risk when you go man for man and if one man is late, then you’re going to be open but when you win the ball high, there are so many options for us. But on the opposite, when they come out, it’s a big risk.”
The former Wolfsburg defender also acknowledged that his team could work on the way they press, although he did admit that Tudor is putting in the hard yards behind the scenes to turn their fortunes around.
Van de Ven continued, “He [Tudor] is on us all week. Every day we worked on it. It’s his first week and he wants to help us in every way. We have all week to prepare for Fulham.
“We need to win the games. Step by step. We play Fulham now.”
What next for Tottenham?
With a trip to Craven Cottage on the horizon, Tottenham need to use the coming week to nail their defensive fundamentals in training, as relegation is looking like a real possibility at the moment.
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With ten games to go, they need to get some wins on the board to stop the rot as they remain the only team yet to win a Premier League game in 2026.
Teams around them are continuing to improve, so if West Ham United and Nottingham Forest get three points on the board next week, Tottenham will be as close to the relegation zone as they’ve ever been in recent history.
