Gary Lineker has admitted he is "worried" that Tottenham could be relegation from the Premier League this season, following Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby. In his first match at the helm, interim head coach Igor Tudor saw his team defeated at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres each netting twice to push Spurs deeper into relegation danger.
Indeed, the result leaves Tottenham down in 16th place, just four points clear of 18th-place West Ham, who occupy the final relegation position. Spurs have lost in their last three Premier League matches against Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal, and find themselves in a real fight for survival.
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Now, offering his assessment of Tottenham's drab performance against Arsenal on Sunday and the overall relegation picture, ex-Spurs forward Gary Lineker has expressed concern for his former club.
"As a former Spurs man, I'm a little bit worried," Lineker admitted on 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.
"North London derby, yes they had a go, but when you look at where they were and they had [Dejan] Kulusevski, Son [Heung-min], [James] Maddison, lots of really good players, they look bereft of anything at the moment... I worry, I worry."
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Although Tottenham rallied in the first half with Randal Kolo Muani equalising after Eze put Mikel Arteta's side ahead, Spurs were comprehensively outplayed in the second half by a dominant Arsenal. In reality, the scoreline may have flattened Tottenham as the Gunners could have scored more.
Arsenal registered 14 more attempts than Tottenham and created SIX big chances compared to Spurs' none. The Gunners also enjoyed greater possession, posted a significantly higher xG (expected goals), and were in control throughout.
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.
"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 offered his assessment, and despite only having a four-point buffer over West Ham in the relegation scrap, he believes Tottenham will avoid the drop. Forest are positioned between West Ham and Tottenham in 17th, with the Reds holding a slender two-point advantage over 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."