Tottenham 100 Percent To Avoid Relegation: Tudor Confident Ahead Of Arsenal Derby

Igor Tudor insists Tottenham will stay in the Premier League, despite poor form and mounting injuries. Spurs sit 16th before Tudor’s first match, a north London derby against leaders Arsenal. The new head coach replaces Thomas Frank, whose eight-month spell ended after a damaging run.

Tudor was asked to rate Tottenham’s survival chances and gave a clear response. He told reporters Tottenham will avoid relegation with absolute certainty, answering: "100%." That belief comes as Spurs remain the only team without a Premier League victory in 2026 so far.

Data from the Opta supercomputer currently gives Spurs a 3.8% chance of relegation. The model lists 16th place as Tottenham’s most probable finishing position for 2025-26, at 18.3%. That projection matches their current standing in the Premier League table heading into the derby.

The Croatian coach faces Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Tudor’s first Premier League match. The only previous Spurs manager to debut against Arsenal was Glenn Hoddle. Hoddle lost 2-1 in an FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in April 2001.

Tottenham arrive in this derby without a league win in eight matches, drawing four and losing four. Their last longer winless spell in a single Premier League campaign came between August and November 2007, when Spurs went nine games without victory.

Recent derbies at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium also raise concern. Spurs have lost three straight Premier League home games against Arsenal. That matches the total number of home defeats in the previous 23 league meetings, when Tottenham recorded 10 wins and 10 draws. They last lost four in a row at home to Arsenal between 1952 and 1955.

Tottenham Premier League injuries, Spurs squad depth and Tudor mentality

Tudor must prepare Tottenham for Arsenal with a heavily depleted squad. Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Destiny Udogie are all unavailable. Captain Cristian Romero is suspended, further limiting options at the back for the new head coach.

"It's a very rare situation, added Tudor. We have 10 injuries; we trained with 13 players. It is an even bigger challenge to succeed from this situation. My first goal is that we become a team in the right meaning of the word, that suffers when it needs to suffer, to fight, to run, to have the right mentality. The start is always about mentality."

Tudor wants Tottenham to focus less on tactical systems and more on unity and work-rate. The Croatian highlighted Spurs’ physical attributes and squad potential, even with current absences. Tudor also stressed that building a group that competes together must come before any stylistic details on the pitch.

"I'm not here to enjoy it, I'm here to work. Enjoying is the first moment, and then there's work to do. It's a fantastic club. I am very focused on doing the right things. It is not about systems. It is important to become a team, a group who will look after each other. For me, this is basic. After that, the quality can come out and, for me, this is a team with quality, with legs that can run. There is potential."

Tudor has a strong record in first matches with new clubs, winning the opening game in each of the last five spells, starting from his second stint at Hajduk Split in February 2020. With survival probabilities still in Tottenham’s favour, a positive derby result against Arsenal would support Tudor’s confident outlook.