The View From The Lane: The Athletic FC's Spurs show Do Spurs have the spirit to get themselves out of this situation?
Feb 23, 2026
Jay Harris, match-day reporter capturing atmosphere and moments. Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham correspondent with tactical and club context. James Maw, tactical critic known for sharp breakdowns. They dissect the heavy derby defeat, Tudor's selection and system, the viral Van de Ven moment, the disallowed goal, crowd swings and whether the squad has the fight to change course.
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Derby Loss Revealed Clubwide Structural Problems
- Spurs' defeat to Arsenal exposed systemic issues beyond the manager change.
- Dan Kilpatrick argues the club's injuries, poor squad and institutional problems mean one game under Tudor wouldn't fix deep flaws.
First Half Hope Then Second Half Collapse
- The first half showed some competitiveness but the game collapsed after going 3-1 down.
- James Maw highlights Kolo Muani's promising goal yet says the life was sucked out of the stadium after the disallowed goal and the team lost belief.
Avoid Three At The Back Without Natural Wing-Backs
- Play players in natural positions and avoid a narrow three-at-the-back if you lack suitable wing-backs.
- Danny Kelly criticises Tudor's selection (Van de Ven left, Sousa left wing-back, three DMs) as leaving attack isolated against Arsenal.