EPL: Spurs Boss Tudor Previews Arsenal Debut

Tudor brushes off relegation concerns

Igor Tudor declares he's '100%' confident Tottenham will avoid relegation from the Premier League ahead of Arsenal debut. New Spurs coach Igor Tudor focuses on building team mentality and playstyle as they host league leaders Arsenal.

 “Fighting for every position, relegation, first ‌position...”

Igor Tudor is feeling pretty confident about Tottenham's chances of avoiding relegation from the Premier League. 

Tudor took over from Thomas Frank, who was sacked after Spurs slipped to 16th place, just five points above the relegation zone. The Croatian boss is determined to turn things around, focusing on building a strong team mentality and getting the best out of his players.

Igor Tudor is confident about Tottenham's future in the Premier League, saying “100%!” when asked if Spurs would still be a top-flight team next season. This statement comes ahead of his first game in charge, against league leaders and arch-rivals Arsenal.

Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank, is focused on the task at hand, emphasizing that thinking about relegation brings nothing. He's prioritizing building a strong team dynamic and sending a message about values and playstyle.

🚨 Igor Tudor on Tottenham staying in the Premier League and not getting relegated: “100%”. 💯 pic.twitter.com/nNlmgaMv4O

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 20, 2026

“This (relegation battle) is not important,” he added. “Fighting for every position, relegation, first ‌position, UEFA places - you achieve the position because ⁠of what you do during the ‌week and on Sunday.

“It is a consequence of this. It brings you nothing if you think about relegation. All these goals are far away, I never give them importance.”

Igor Tudor isn't getting fazed by Tottenham's slim margin for error, brushing off suggestions it should dictate their approach. “We're gonna play for the win,” he said, focusing on taking things one game at a time.

He said:

Five points (from the relegation zone), 10, two - it is the same. We ⁠need to be focused. Let's focus on this and see what we can attain. Looking down or up brings you nothing.

The players want to have clarity about what we want. This was the goal. To send a message ‌about values and how we want to play.

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.

Igor Tudor is thrilled to be hosting Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in his first game, calling it an “amazing game to restart.” He's confident in his team's abilities, despite having only 13 players available for training due to injuries. Tudor's focused on building a strong team dynamic and sending a message about values and playstyle.

Tudor's experience and tactics will be put to the test against league leaders Arsenal. He's aware of the challenge ahead but is optimistic about his team's potential. 

“It is an amazing game to restart. I have ‌heard a lot of good things about them,” Tudor said.

“We need to show them that we care and we want to make ‌a change immediately.”

Igor Tudor's got a bit of a squad crisis, with only 13 players available for training, but he's not worried - “it's quite enough to achieve what we want” in Sunday's derby.

Cristian Romero's out with a suspension, and Tudor's keeping mum on who'll wear the captain's armband. 

“You will see on Sunday,” he said.