Igor Tudor backs Tottenham survival and urges focus on process ahead of Arsenal test

• Interim head coach says he is fully confident Spurs will avoid relegation
• Tudor plays down league position and stresses daily standards and mentality
• Injury crisis leaves Tottenham with limited training numbers before derby

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor has insisted he is “100 per cent” confident the club will retain their Premier League status, despite a difficult campaign that has left Spurs hovering just above the relegation places.

Tudor takes charge of his first match on Sunday in the north London derby against leaders Arsenal, following the dismissal of Thomas Frank after only eight months. Tottenham sit 16th in the table, five points clear of the bottom three, but the Croatian coach is refusing to frame the challenge in terms of survival.

“This is not important,” Tudor said when asked whether Spurs were in a relegation battle. “To be more clear, fighting for every position, relegation, first position, European qualification, it is all about what you do during the week.

“You achieve your position based on how you do things on Sunday. So it is always a consequence of that. This brings you nothing if you start to think about relegation or targets. I never give them importance. I believe in today’s training.”

Tudor outlined a coaching philosophy centred on daily improvement, individual guidance and collective responsibility, rather than results driven pressure.

“All I want the players to think about is today. I go strong on things we need to do in training. I speak with them, I go man to man to give concrete advice, support and clarity. The position in the table is a consequence of this.”

Pressed on whether he truly believed Tottenham would still be in the Premier League next season, Tudor replied without hesitation: “100 per cent.”

Preparation for the Arsenal match has been complicated by a mounting injury list. Cristian Romero is suspended, while James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohamed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall are all sidelined. Dominic Solanke is expected to be available after recovering from illness, but training numbers remain severely limited.

“This is a very rare situation,” Tudor said. “Ten players out, some with big injuries. We trained with 13 players. It is not beautiful, but it is an even bigger challenge. Thirteen is quite enough to achieve what we want on Sunday.

“This is a derby. Everybody expects three points and we understand the importance. But my main goal in these first sessions is that we become a team. A team that wants to suffer, to fight, to run and to have the right mentality.”

Tudor added that establishing a collective identity is his immediate priority, with tactical work to follow once foundations are in place.

“Football is about having a clear idea of what we want to do, with the ball, without the ball, under pressure and when defending deep. But the start is always mentality, because the people come before the football player.”

Tottenham will hope that renewed focus and resilience can spark a revival, beginning with the sternest of tests against their north London rivals.