LONDON — Igor Tudor labelled Arsenal as the “best team in the world” after the new Tottenham head coach said the Premier League leaders gave his team a reality check in a 4-1 north London derby defeat.
Two goals apiece from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres sealed a comfortable win for the Gunners, with Randal Kolo Muani giving Spurs brief hope with a first-half equaliser.
But after seeing his new side lose heavily on his first game in charge since replacing the sacked Thomas Frank earlier this month, Tudor said Spurs had simply lost to the world’s best team.
“Arsenal are now probably the best team in the world at this moment,” Tudor told reporters. “If we were thinking today that it’s a derby and we can give something more, more mentality and more motivation, the reality is that there are things you can’t change in 3-4 training sessions. It’s impossible.
“So this was not a perfect team to play in the first game, but we need something good and today shows me the level.
“There is a big gap between the two teams, too much Arsenal for us. But it is nice to understand where we are — a game to show the reality.
“It’s nice for one point of view to understand that we must change habits, change state of mind. It’s the only way to work.”
Tudor, who now has 11 league games to save Spurs from relegation, said his players, who have not won a league game in 2026, were low on confidence.
“Without the ball, a lack of confidence is very evident,” he said. “I am very sad, angry, I am everything, but it is good to understand where is our goal and to become serious.
“The medicine is to look in the mirror, but I saw the will and the passion, so I am not angry because they didn’t do, but because they weren’t able to do at this moment.”
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Spurs thought they had equalised for a second time when Kolo Muani made it 2-2 in the second-half before the goal was ruled out for a push on Arsenal defender Gabriel.
But despite the push appearing very slight, Tudor did not complain about the decision to disallow the goal.
“Touching the players in the box, it’s always about referees,” he said. “They make decisions how they see it.”
