TUDOR’S ITALIAN METHOD: CAN THE FORMER JUVENTUS BOSS REPLICATE HIS UDINESE RELEGATION RESCUE?
Crisis at Spurs: Discover if Igor Tudor can save Tottenham from relegation after a brutal 4-1 North London derby defeat.
Igor Tudor doesn’t have time to settle in. If he wants to keep Spurs from going down, he needs to turn things around quickly.
His first game was always going to be a tough one. Replacing the sacked Thomas Frank, Tudor watched his new side get hammered 4-1 at home by bitter rivals Arsenal.
Any hope of a surprise result vanished fast, with both Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, whom Spurs once tried to sign, scoring two each. The loss leaves Tottenham in serious trouble.
Like last season, they’ve done well in Europe but just can’t match that form in the Premier League. Now they’re stuck near the bottom, and this time, it’s a real fight just to stay up.
Tottenham, part of the so-called ‘big six', sit on 29 points. That’s only four above the drop zone and just two ahead of Nottingham Forest in 17th place. They haven’t won a single game in 2026.
Frank got the boot in February; after a miserable run, he left with a win rate of just 26.9 per cent. The club called in Tudor, the former Juventus manager, hoping he could turn things around and keep them in the top flight.
Sam Allardyce, who’s made a career out of keeping clubs up, had some advice when he spoke to Alan Brazil on talkSPORT. Before the north London derby, he said, “Everyone thinks it’s negative to focus on defending, but when you’re struggling, that’s the most important thing. If you’re not scoring much, the only way to survive is to stop conceding. That’s why teams like Tottenham and Forest are down there; they let in too many goals. And honestly, that’s the easier thing to fix as a coach.”
He made it clear that finding goals is the real challenge. “You need a proper finisher, someone like Jermain Defoe or Christian Benteke. When we stayed up at Palace and Sunderland, those guys made the difference.”
Right now, Spurs just don’t have that. Richarlison leads the league scoring with seven goals, but injuries have kept him on the sidelines most of the season. After him? It’s centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, both with four goals each. Forwards like Mathys Tel, Randal Kolo Muani, and Dominic Solanke haven’t delivered the goals Tottenham desperately needs.
Compare that to Allardyce’s old teams: Defoe scored 15 league goals for Sunderland when they survived in 2015/16. Benteke hit the same number for Palace in 2016/17 again with Allardyce in charge.
Spurs’ problems aren’t just up front, though. They’ve shipped 41 goals in 27 league games, with a minus-four goal difference. The crazy part? They’ve scored just one goal fewer than Aston Villa, who sit third and have 38 goals. The difference is, Villa actually keep the ball out of their own net.
Tudor knows a thing or two about keeping teams up; he once saved Udinese from dropping to Serie B. He’s managed Juventus, Galatasaray, and Marseille. But this is his first go at the Premier League, and the fixtures coming up are brutal.
Tottenham travel to Fulham on March 2nd, a team chasing Europe themselves. Then it’s Crystal Palace at home, followed by a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool. And after all that, a massive, must-win clash against Nottingham Forest on March 22nd.
Tudor’s got his work cut out.
ASTON VILLA WARNED UNAI EMERY AND MORGAN ROGERS COULD EXIT THIS SUMMER
Unai Emery and Morgan Rogers are reportedly set to leave Aston Villa if the club fails to secure Champions League football.
Aston Villa find themselves at a critical juncture this summer, with warnings circulating that head coach Unai Emery and standout player Morgan Rogers might be on their way out, assuming one key condition isn’t met. The club's initial momentum in the Premier League seems to be slipping as its chances of Champions League qualification dwindle amid a noticeable drop in performance.
Injuries and questionable recruitment decisions have clearly taken a toll on Emery’s squad, which once looked like surprise title challengers but now faces the possibility of finishing outside the top five. After a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United, Villa sits fourth in the league, trailing Liverpool by two points, with Chelsea not far behind in sixth place.
While there’s still a pathway via winning the Europa League, concerns about Villa’s transfer dealings have been raised. Alex Crook, talkSPORT’s transfer correspondent, expressed doubts about their recent market moves during a discussion with former Villa player Agbonlahor. Crook recalled last January’s window, when Villa made high-profile signings like Marcus Rashford and Marcus Asensio in a serious push for Champions League football efforts that ultimately fell short. This season, he felt the acquisitions lacked the same ambition or quality. The loan signing of Douglas Luiz, despite his familiarity with the club, raised questions since he was rejected by Nottingham Forest and Juventus. Similarly, Tammy Abraham’s form in Turkey left Crook unconvinced that his signing would elevate the squad.
There’s also speculation about Emery’s future tied closely to the team’s success. Crook suggested that if Villa miss out on Champions League football, Emery might not be staying around much longer. Agbonlahor was swift to agree, bluntly stating that Emery would likely be gone.
The uncertainty doesn't stop there. Morgan Rogers, despite having recently signed a new contract, could also be at risk of departure if Villa fail to reach Europe’s elite competition. Crook mentioned he is investigating whether Rogers’ contract includes a release clause, given that other clubs would be interested in the young England international. Agbonlahor backed this up, highlighting Rogers’ potential impact at the upcoming World Cup and implying that without Champions League football, Villa could lose both their manager and key talent, risking a slide to becoming a mid-table team, similar to Fulham.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer. Achieving Champions League qualification might not just define this season but shape Villa’s trajectory for the next several years. If they succeed and Emery remains, the club could build on a promising foundation. Fail to do so, and they face tough questions about ambition, retention, and their place in the Premier League hierarchy.
KONSTANTINOS MAVROPANOS EQUALIZER LIFTS WEST HAM OUT OF RELEGATION ZONE AT CITY’S EXPENSE
Manchester City fall nine points behind Arsenal after Konstantinos Mavropanos earns West Ham a vital 1-1 draw.
Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by a revitalised West Ham in a match that carried significant implications across the Premier League standings. Early in the game, Bernardo Silva gave City the lead with a deft chip, but Konstantinos Mavropanos responded before halftime with a headed equaliser, securing a crucial point for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
That goal did more than just lift West Ham out of the relegation zone; it also played a crucial role in the title race. Arsenal, Mavropanos’ former club, had already beaten Everton 2-0 earlier that day and now leads Manchester City by nine points after City’s second consecutive slip in the league. While Arsenal will take a boost from West Ham’s performance, Nottingham Forest, Nuno’s previous team, find themselves sliding into the relegation zone due to this result.
Despite the setback, Pep Guardiola insists the title chase is far from decided. After the match, he told TNT Sports, “It’s not over because we didn’t lose. We will continue. We have an incredible team spirit.” His midfielder Rodri shared a similar view, acknowledging the gap but emphasising their determination: “Maybe the title race is over, maybe not. We’re not giving up; we’ll keep fighting. It’s tough, but we’ve been through what it takes to win. We showed today a bit of the ups and downs of the season. Sometimes the final pass or strike makes the difference. Football is about goals, and we just couldn’t find the right finishers.”
Rodri also highlighted how City created chances and controlled much of the game, but couldn’t convert that dominance into more goals. That subtle difference often separates winners from the rest.
On the other side, Nuno Espirito Santo praised his team’s defensive effort in his post-match interview with Match of the Day. He described the defence as "heroic", pointing to the sacrifices made across the team. “The midfield worked incredibly hard, and the forwards helped by cutting off passing lanes to slow their play,” he explained. “Overall, especially in the first half, we were compact and limited City’s opportunities.”
This draw leaves both teams with clear messages moving forward: West Ham fights to stay safe, while City must regroup quickly if they want to keep pace with Arsenal’s commanding lead. As the season edges toward its climax, the smallest moments on the pitch could define who lifts the trophy. What do you think? Can City mount a comeback, or is the title race slipping away? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
Must Read
