Tottenham were thrashed 4-1 by Arsenal in the latest North London derby, but Les Ferdinand believes there were some positives to take from the game.
Spurs equalised through Randal Kolo Muani in the first half, but couldn’t get back into the game for a second time with the same player having a second goal controversially ruled out through a push on Gabriel.
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Igor Tudor’s first game in charge of Tottenham will not live long in the memory, given it ended in defeat to the club’s fierce rivals, but Les Ferdinand feels that there were some positives from the performance.
The positives Les Ferdinand picked out of Tottenham’s performance vs Arsenal
The former Tottenham striker has taken to his own personal TikTok account to have his say on the North London derby, which ended in defeat for Spurs.
Ferdinand admitted that although some elements of the performance were ‘depressing’ there were some positives that Tottenham can take with them across the rest of the campaign.
He said: “That was tough. Easy to sit here and criticise all the squad. But I thought there were some good signs in Igor Tudor’s first game and it looked like he gave the boys a bit of a lift. I think the lack of what’s available to him told in the end the creativity, lack of goals, was always going to be a problem.
“You can’t hold on against a side like Arsenal for 90 minutes, just be on the ropes and keep taking punches. And it showed in the end. I thought that the team started well. I’ve got to be honest, it felt like a North London derby to start off with, and although Arsenal scored, Tottenham got themselves straight back into the game and looked on the front foot. I think that, I know that the only chance they had in the first half, they scored the first time they went into the box.
“”But I thought there were some positive signs, but without the players that the team needs, it’s always going to be a struggle. And you’re up against a really good Arsenal side. This Arsenal side has faced some criticism this week.
“People talking about whether they’re in a crumble or not. Managers come out and said, look, they’ve got to write new chapters. This is a tough league. You’re not just going to run away with it. And, you know, they had to come out and pull their socks up. And as a team, they did that and dominated the game from start to finish, to be honest. And the lack of the fact that Tottenham didn’t have any creativity told and, as I said, you can’t be on the ropes for 90 minutes in a game against a side like Arsenal. They took their chances well. They were efficient. They were bright. They were breezy, which makes it very, very depressing for me.”
Tottenham are next in action this weekend against Fulham and with the Cottagers chasing Europe, that will be another game that won’t come easy for the North Londoners.
Tottenham have to give Tudor time to get things right
Despite the media in a frenzy about relegation, Spurs do still have a four-point buffer when it comes to West Ham, who occupy 18th place in the Premier League at the moment.
With a midweek round of fixtures to come next week, the league table could look a lot nicer for Tottenham if positive results are obtained against Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Give us YOUR three-word reaction to that Tottenham performance vs Arsenal😡
Still, Tottenham haven’t won in 2026 in the Premier League, and that means there is a clear mental block when it comes to the current crop of players, just as there was last season.
Although sacking Thomas Frank was something that needed to be done, his departure won’t make the injured players fit again all of a sudden and that’s an issue for Tudor.
His methods will need to be bought into by the players who are down on their luck at the moment, but there is still some quality within the dressing room.
Ferdinand is right to cite the positives from the performance against Arsenal, but the only thing that matters is that Tottenham once again lost a game of football and the club can’t allow the rot to set in.
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