Tottenham and Arsenal's Upside Down Morals

LONDON, SATURDAY - Arsenal is indeed still at the top of the English Premier League standings, far ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, which continues to be shadowed by the relegation zone. However, confidence in the Arsenal squad is currently at its lowest point, while Tottenham is beginning to rebuild hope.

The seemingly inverted world serves as the backdrop for the North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (22/2/2026) at 23:30 WIB. Arsenal may have a significant advantage in terms of rankings and other performance-related factors, but the hosts appear to be superior in moral aspects.

Arsenal supporters are beginning to lose faith in the team managed by Mikel Arteta following two consecutive draws in the English Premier League. These results, combined with the trauma of failing to win the championship in the last three editions, have put "The Gunners" in an increasingly precarious position in the title race.

The feeling of guilt is what Declan Rice and his teammates bring to the derby match and wish to redeem immediately. "If we could play today, I think we all would want to play right away to feel the spirit within us," said Arteta regarding the players' response after being held to a draw by the bottom team, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Tottenham's position is quite precarious. They are currently in 16th place, just five points away from the relegation zone. Nevertheless, optimism can be felt within the "White Lily" camp thanks to the presence of interim coach Igor Tudor. The replacement for Thomas Frank will make his debut in the derby match.

Tudor is a coach specializing in emergency situations. Juventus and Lazio have already felt his cool touch when he arrived in the middle of the season. For him, the most important aspect in such situations is team morale and unity, rather than technical matters. This is what he has been trying to address in the past week.

"This is not about the system. The most important thing is to be a team, a group, that looks out for one another. That is the foundation. After that, quality will emerge because with that, the players are willing to run. The essence is that we must be willing to suffer, to fight, and to have the right mentality," Tudor stated.

Undoubtedly, despite the significant distance in the standings, this derby will be the most crucial in recent years. For the first time, the suffering of the neighboring team is no longer the primary source of joy for them. Both teams are more focused on improving their own fortunes.

The North London Derby is the perfect match to respond to. It is massive, a game that will be crucial for our season.

Arteta needs to regain the support of the fans. The best way to do this is to win against their eternal rival with a convincing performance. The manager can no longer afford to lose points by playing it safe, as happened when they squandered a two-goal lead at home against Wolves.

If successful in the derby, Arsenal will gain significant momentum to compete with Manchester City in the title race. However, the opposite will occur if there is no change. Moreover, the results in the derby match seem to carry much more weight than regular matches.

"The North London Derby is the perfect match to respond to. It is massive, a game that will be very crucial for our season. It is not just about our performance, but also about how many duels we win, how great our desire to win is," said Rice.

On the other hand, Tudor will be the main focus in the upcoming match. He will demonstrate his suitability to manage a major team in the English League. He has no experience in English football and has consistently ended up being dismissed from several of his recent positions, including at Juventus.

The last four editions of the derby have always gone in one direction. Arsenal has swept all those matches. Therefore, the biggest question mark will be directed at the Tottenham camp. The hosts need to respond with something different if they do not want to repeat a similar story.

For Tottenham, the best way to win is by increasing speculative shots from the penalty area. Arsenal, which holds the status of the best defensive team, is very tough inside the box. Nevertheless, the visiting team leaves gaps that can be exploited from outside the area.

The position of goalkeeper David Raya, who often advances too far, has become known to many teams. He aims to be responsive in cutting off crosses and through balls, but time and again this has backfired. The goalkeeper has conceded six goals from just 13 attempts at shots outside the penalty area.

One of the goals was even scored by Tottenham striker, Richarlison, in the first meeting in November 2025. At that time, Richarlison punished Raya with a shot from approximately 40 meters away, not far from the center line of the field.

Tottenham has a player who can pose a threat from outside the box, namely midfielder Xavi Simons. Richarlison—who has been absent since early January due to injury—has the potential to return. Tudor stated that the injury crisis is his biggest obstacle. "We have 10 players who are injured and are training with only 13 players," said Tudor.

For Arsenal, they actually do not need to do anything special. "The Gunners" have a squad with the best quality and depth in the English Premier League. All teams in the league will struggle if they decide to play dominantly. However, the problem is that they often hold back. (AP/REUTERS)