Tottenham Vs Arsenal: tottenham vs arsenal and why Spurs were exposed

tottenham vs arsenal finished 4-1 as Arsenal’s superior quality and tactical cleverness overwhelmed Tottenham. The result exposed how Spurs’ 3-5-2 under new boss Igor Tudor left space in forward areas, while injuries, suspensions and poor recent form have pushed Tottenham into a perilous position.

Tottenham Vs Arsenal tactical errors

Spurs’ 3-5-2 shape under Igor Tudor did not simply sit in and defend; instead it left space for Arsenal to exploit on Sunday. Spurs were often reactive rather than proactive in dealing with danger down Arsenal’s right, and that reactivity showed in specific defensive choices. At times the team tried to help Djed Spence when Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber doubled up down that flank. Xavi Simons, playing as a second striker, was sometimes forced to run back to the left-back position to help; on other occasions Pape Matar Sarr came over from midfield, or Micky van de Ven covered from centre-half.

Sarr (the blue white circle on the far right) was left to deal with Saka in the left-back position and could not stop the cross that led to Arsenal's first goal. Spurs’ system therefore left Simons and Sarr covering long distances to get back, often putting players who were not used to defending in those areas into one-on-one situations and creating uncertainty over who was doing what and when.

Attacking from every angle

'They were attacking from every angle in the end' captured how Arsenal combined superior quality with clever ways to expose Tottenham’s tactical weaknesses. In the first half, when the game was still in the balance, Arsenal’s most obvious attacking edge came down their right-hand side, where Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were dominant. Timber was often afforded time on the ball to pick passes, and he was left free on the right to find Viktor Gyokeres for Arsenal's second goal.

Timber was described as one of the best attacking right-backs in the Premier League, if not the world: he mixes his runs, sometimes supporting, sometimes overlapping and sometimes making runs inside; he is an intelligent footballer. Saka, who had had a few people question him recently, was back on it against Spurs and back to his confident best.

Relegation a real possibility

Tottenham sit 16th and are just four points above the Premier League relegation zone after the heavy home defeat. With 11 games to go, Spurs are at a crisis point: they have not won any of their last nine top-flight games and, across the past dozen matches, have the worst form in the division. A win at Crystal Palace and a comeback draw against Man City are the only positive results in that spell, leaving Spurs with just seven points from those 12 matches.

Nottingham Forest and West Ham, the sides immediately below Spurs in the standings, have recorded 12 points each across the same period, making up five points on Spurs’ gap. If those trajectories continue, Tottenham’s final two games of the season — a trip to Chelsea and then a home game with Everton — could be must-win fixtures. The gap to the relegation zone is down to four points and West Ham edged closer over the weekend.

Injury crisis and suspension

Spurs’ recent struggles are compounded by an injury crisis. Right now they are missing more players than any other Premier League side, with 11 players unavailable. Captain Cristian Romero was suspended for the derby. The long-term absences of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have clearly contributed to an underwhelming attacking output this season, while Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert are now missing too. This is the second season in a row that key players have been sidelined.

The squad is seriously stretched and will have to juggle a Champions League knockout bid in tandem with a relegation battle. Last season Ange Postecoglou managed an injury-hit group by focusing fully on Europe and allowing league form to slide; Igor Tudor has no such luxury. Perhaps Tudor’s biggest problem will be Spurs’ mentality issue.

Match swings and narratives

The game was a close-run thing for a time, and Arsenal were level at half‑time, but they went on to outplay Tottenham for long periods and won 4-1 — a scoreline that could easily have been larger. Arsenal created 20 chances to Spurs’ six. For the third league game in a row, and the fourth in the past six, Arsenal conceded within 10 minutes of scoring. Declan Rice was noted as going in the space of two minutes from pointing at his temples to encourage his teammates after taking the lead, to waving his hands in apology after giving the ball away as Spurs equalised; those images were singled out amid discussion of Rice’s season-long influence.

Home fans poured out after Viktor Gyökeres had made it 4-1. Observers also noted pre-match rabble-rousing from the Spurs on-pitch announcer Paul Coyte, who focused on the possibility that something remarkable could transform 'a small flame' into 'a roaring fire'.

Other short headlines around the match included 'Who's going to get this fine?' - Arteta on derby technology delays, Eze 'wanted to prove something' as he torments Spurs again, Arsenal pass derby test of nerve as title race looks set to go to wire, and Premier League Review: Do City smell Arsenal blood despite derby win.

Tottenham’s defeat leaves a clear ledger: tactical frailty against a dominant Arsenal right flank, a deepening injury list, a suspended captain, and a run of form that makes relegation a real possibility unless there is a swift turnaround.