Igor Tudor is the new Tottenham manager. The former Juventus and Croatia defender will have a baptism of fire against Arsenal in the North London derby on Sunday, February 22. It is not going to be easy for the 47-year-old Croat to be at the helm of the Spurs.
Tottenham are already in the relegation zone with 29 points in 26 matches. They languish in 16th place in the Premier League table, and a defeat against Arsenal will push them further back in the race to finish above the relegation places.
Tudor’s Challenges as the New Tottenham Manager
Tudor, the new Tottenham manager, won the Serie A title twice as a player with Juventus. However, his managerial career is not nearly as decorated, as he has only won the Croatian Cup in 2013. Tudor also spent time as an interim manager for his former clubs Juventus and Lazio.
The challenge for the new Tottenham manager will be to ensure that Tottenham stay in the Premier League next season. Failing to do so would be catastrophic for the club.
In the match against Arsenal, the pressure will be two-fold on the Croat.
First, there will be some bitter rivalry involved, as is always the case between the two North London clubs. Secondly, there will be some additional pressure on the Spurs to gain at least a point to increase the gap they have with West Ham United, which stands at five points at the moment.
A victory at their home ground will take Tottenham to a comfortable distance from the Hammers. However, in order to win against Arsenal, Spurs will have to first think of ways to avoid defeat. They cannot afford to be too adventurous against a top Arsenal side and will have to guard against the Gunners’ set-pieces and aerial deliveries into the box from open play.
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Will Tottenham Switch to a Back-Five Against Arsenal?
It will be up to the new Tottenham manager to decide whether they should play with a back-three, back-four or back-five in the match against the Gunners. However, as of now, it seems that they would do well to play with a 5-4-1 with Dominic Solanke upfront as the lone striker.
The two defensive midfielders in Joao Palhinha and Pape Matar Sarr should be able to provide adequate cover against Arsenal’s midfield-three of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze. Having an extra man in defence will enable Tottenham to protect themselves against Arsenal’s attacks through the right in particular, involving Bukayo Saka, Ben White and Eze.
It remains to be seen what strategy the new Tottenham manager will come up with in their next match. The resurgence must start now for the Spurs, or it will be too late for them.
For a club that has invested so much in its infrastructure and players in the recent past, going down is really not an option. They must do whatever it takes to stay afloat in Premier League football. Hence, the pressure on Igor Tudor is quite evident, as of now.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Recording Date: 26.10.2025
