Igor Tudor faces his first test as Tottenham Hotspur manager when Spurs welcome league leaders Arsenal to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League North London derby clash.
Spurs fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United last time out in the Premier League, which ended Thomas Frank’s reign at the club.
Arsenal were dealt a title blow as they were held to a 2-2 draw at bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last Premier League outing.
Match preview
Tottenham Hotspur have lost their last three Premier League home games against Arsenal, as many as they had in their previous 23 (W10 D10). They last lost four in a row against them between 1952 and 1955.
Arsenal have won six of their last seven Premier League games against Spurs (D1), including each of the last four. They last won five league games in a row against them between January 1987 and January 1989.
Spurs are winless in their last eight Premier League games (D4 L4). They last had a longer run within the same campaign between August and November 2007 (9).
The Lilywhites are the only side without a Premier League win so far in 2026, drawing four and losing four of their eight games. It’s their longest run without a win from the start of a calendar year since 1994 (first 10).
Since their last league defeat against Spurs in May 2022, Arsenal have lost just one of their 21 away London derby matches in the Premier League (W14 D6), going down 2-1 at Fulham in December 2023.
This will be Igor Tudor’s first match as Spurs manager. The only manager whose first ever game in charge of Tottenham was in a match against Arsenal is Glenn Hoddle, who lost 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in April 2001.
New Spurs manager Igor Tudor has won his first match in charge in each of his last five spells at a club, starting with his second spell at Hajduk Split in February 2020 (and with Verona, Marseille, Lazio and Juventus since).
Eberechi Eze has scored six goals in his last four Premier League appearances against Spurs (including three in two at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium), netting a hat-trick in his first appearance against them for Arsenal in November’s reverse fixture.
Team news
Tottenham Hotspur
Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Destiny Udogie, Den Davies, Wilson Odobert, Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur are in the host’s infirmary.
Richarlison is back in training, but he’s not expected to feature in the derby.
Cristian Romero will serve the second of a four-game ban on Sunday.
Arsenal
Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Max Dowman are doubts for this fixture.
Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard were left with a knock in the Wolves’ draw but are not at risk of missing this game.
Predicted line-ups
Tottenham Hotspur: Guglielmo Vicario, Archie Grey, Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence, Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr, Conor Gallagher, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke.
Arsenal: David Raya, Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Piero Hincapié, Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyökeres.