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Former Spurs striker Gary Lineker has weighed in with his verdict on the north London derby and whether Tottenham could indeed be relegated this season, following the 4-1 loss to rivals Arsenal
Gary Lineker has admitted he is genuinely "worried" that Tottenham could be relegated this season, following Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby.
In his first game in charge, interim boss Igor Tudor watched his side get beaten at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as a brace each from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres plunged Spurs further into Premier League relegation danger.
Indeed, the result has left Tottenham in 16th, just four points above 18th-place West Ham, who sit in the final relegation spot.
Spurs have lost each of their last three Premier League matches against Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal, and have therefore been dragged in a battle to avoid the drop.
Delivering his assessment of Tottenham's performance against Arsenal on Sunday and the overall relegation picture, ex-Spurs forward Gary Lineker is concerned for his former club.
"As a former Spurs man, I'm a little bit worried," Lineker told The Rest Is Football. "It was a brilliant bounce back from Arsenal, what they had to do, I look at Tottenham and I see a team that has a massive amount of injuries and devoid of confidence.
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"North London derby, yes they had a go, but when you look at where they were and they had Kulusevski, Son, Maddison, lots of really good players, they look bereft of anything at the moment... I worry, I worry."
Although Tottenham fought back in the first half with Randal Kolo Muani levelling after Eze gave Mikel Arteta's side the lead, Spurs were outclassed in the second half by a rampant Arsenal. In truth, the scoreline flattered Tottenham as the Gunners could have bagged more.
Arsenal recorded 14 more shots than Tottenham and had SIX big chances compared to Spurs' none. The Gunners also had more possession, recorded a much larger xG (expected goals), and were dominant from the get-go.
Lineker added: "I was desperately disappointed, I know they've got a lot of players out injured, I don't think it’s a lack of effort. I think it's a lack of quality, they haven’t got the depth needed with injuries and when things go against you, sometimes when you've got no confidence and sucks the energy out of you.
"Look at Manchester United, they’re a different proposition to what they were beforehand. 'They don't care, they're not trying, they're not this' players care but it saps your quality, saps your energy, then you start performing nervously. Crikey, you've got a new manager and you'd think they want to impress.
"Overall, they were really found wanting.
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"Tottenham is a very well run business but is it a well run football club? Generally, the positions are comparative with the spending you make and Tottenham’s expenditure is that of a mid-table football club so they’re under performing because they're at least mid-table and they're in danger," Lineker continued, as he dissected the current issues at Spurs. "Can Tottenham go down? They're four points behind West Ham, it's not inconceivable."
Former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender Micah Richards then chipped in with his verdict, and despite only having a four-point gap to West Ham in the relegation battle, he believes Tottenham won't go down.
Forest sit in between West Ham and Tottenham in 17th, with the Reds having a minor two-point cushion on the Hammers.
Richards said: "No, it's not. I think they'll just have enough. Watching Forest, really good, unlucky, West Ham are playing better, but I think Spurs can get over the line because of the players."
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