Tottenham boss Igor Tudor has had to shoot down claims that Micky van de Ven ignored him during their North London Derby loss to Arsenal. Tudor’s first game in charge couldn’t have gone much worse. Arsenal ran away with a 4-1 win, leaving Spurs fans even more frustrated.

Tudor came in to steady things after the club sacked Thomas Frank, but Spurs are still stuck near the bottom. They’re sitting 16th, just four points clear of West Ham in 18th, and their form has been brutal.

It’s nine straight league games without a win for Spurs, and with West Ham suddenly picking up points, Tottenham looks like they’re getting pulled even deeper into the relegation mess. On top of all that, people are starting to question whether Tudor is really the guy to turn things around.

During Sunday’s game, a lot of viewers thought Van de Ven flat-out ignored his manager when Tudor tried to give him instructions. Ian Wright, never one to hold back, said on The Overlap podcast that it looked like the players had already checked out. Gary Neville and Roy Keane weren’t quite as convinced, but Wright doubled down.

“I saw Tudor try to speak to Van de Ven; he just blanked him, totally blanked him,” Wright said. “That tells me they’ve checked out already.”

“You think so?!” Keane shot back. “They did that with Thomas Frank too, when he tried to walk around the pitch.” Neville called Wright’s take "harsh", but Wright wasn’t backing off.

“This guy’s new; he wants Van de Ven to come over, and Van de Ven just stands there staring at him,” Wright added. “You see that, and you just know it’s not a good look.”

With Fulham up next, Tudor was peppered with questions about any supposed rift at his press conference on Thursday. He put the rumours to bed: “If you watch closely, I didn’t speak to him. After the game, I told him to come closer, and he did. We didn’t even talk about it because nothing happened. He’s a fantastic professional, a fantastic guy. He’d never do something like that.”

When reporters asked what he learned from the Arsenal loss, Tudor didn’t offer much. “Nothing much to say. We already talked about the game and those moments right after. Not much more to add, especially now. The less we talk, the better. Right now, we’re just working hard every day, trying to climb up the table and improve. That’s all that matters.”

Napoli are already pushing hard to land a Wolves star this summer. Antonio Conte’s team keeps reaching out to super agent Jorge Mendes, trying to get a deal done, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Friday’s West Midlands derby doesn’t look like much of a contest. Aston Villa, flying high in third place with 51 points from 27 games and chasing a Champions League spot, head to Molineux to face a Wolves side stuck at the bottom, with just one win all season.

Rob Edwards’ squad limped into the match after a narrow 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace. Things aren’t looking up. Ladislav Krejci is suspended, Hwang Hee-chan is still out with a calf injury, and the stats are rough. Only Burnley has conceded more goals, and Wolves barely score half a goal per game.

Villa fully expect to win this one. Emery’s group has the third-best away record in the league and has swept aside every team in the bottom five so far this season. Their quality should be too much for a Wolves team fighting to stay afloat. Villa know they need these three points, too, with Chelsea and Man United coming up next.

Wolves, meanwhile, are already planning for the summer. They’re reportedly chasing Charleroi midfielder Yacine Titraoui, but the real story is Joao Gomes. It’s looking more likely he’s on his way out.

Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel and quoted by Calcio Napoli 24, says Napoli’s brass are in constant talks with Mendes about bringing Gomes to Serie A. Napoli, sitting third in Italy and aiming for back-to-back titles, wants to strengthen their midfield for next season. Gomes is right at the top of their list.

“Napoli remains in constant contact with Jorge Mendes regarding Joao Gomes, the Brazilian midfielder from Wolves,” Romano said. “Napoli aren’t alone; there’s a lot of competition, and they haven’t secured the player yet. It’ll come down to the coach, the price, and a few other things. But Gomes is the name at the top for Napoli.”

Gomes has played 24 Premier League games this season, and, honestly, he’s been one of the few bright spots in a miserable campaign for Wolves. His energy, tenacity, and calm in midfield stand out. If Wolves go down, holding onto him is almost impossible.

With a hungry club like Napoli circling and Mendes steering negotiations, Gomes’ future at Wolves hangs in the balance.