Arsenal legend explains why he wants Spurs to avoid 'shocking' PL relegation

Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Arsenal legend Lauren has made a surprising admission regarding Tottenham's current plight, insisting he wants his former rivals to avoid a "shocking" relegation from the Premier League. Despite the fierce animosity between the two north London giants, the former defender believes the English top flight would suffer without its most iconic derby.

De Zerbi's survival mission

The situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is becoming increasingly desperate as the club continues to slide toward the Championship. New manager Roberto De Zerbi has been tasked with an emergency rescue operation, but results have yet to turn around for the Italian tactician since he replaced Igor Tudor.

Spurs are currently without a single league win in the calendar year of 2026, a statistic that underlines the magnitude of the task facing the former Brighton boss. Their most recent disappointment came in a 2-2 draw against De Zerbi's former club Brighton, where a late collapse saw them throw away two vital points in their bid for survival.

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Derby days over the drop

While many Arsenal supporters are currently enjoying the sight of Tottenham languishing in the relegation zone, Lauren has taken a different stance. The former Cameroon defender believes that the disappearance of the north London derby from the calendar would be a negative for the Gunners and the league as a whole.

“As an Arsenal fan there is a game we want to see every single season, and that is the north London derby against Tottenham,” Lauren told CasinoWizard. “It’s good to be playing your biggest rivals every season. I don’t think Tottenham going down would be good news for Arsenal fans or the Premier League in general. It’s good to play them and beat them and I want that to continue. Tottenham relegation would be a big shock to the Premier League but preferably, I would see them stay up and we take some points off them again next season.”

Title race vs relegation scrap

While Tottenham are looking over their shoulders at the bottom of the table, Arsenal are preoccupied with a tense title race at the summit. Mikel Arteta’s side currently hold a three-point lead over Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola’s men possess a crucial game in hand following their recent 2-1 victory over the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium.

Despite the mounting pressure on Mikel Arteta to deliver the club's first league title in over two decades, Lauren remains firm that the Spaniard is the right man for the job regardless of the outcome. “All the talk of Arteta being at risk and Arsenal winning no trophies needs to stop,” he added. “I don’t think that way, because I think Arsenal are going to win the Premier League. I’m positive, I am confident. Losing against Manchester City has not ended the race for the title. City weren’t better, they aren’t better, they just took their chances.”

Kevin Danso Tottenham 2025-26

Five games to save Spurs

With only five fixtures remaining in the Premier League season, the margin for error has evaporated for De Zerbi and Tottenham. The Italian has publicly challenged his squad to maintain a positive mindset, warning that he has no time for "negative people" as they prepare for a season-defining trip to Wolves.

Despite the grim reality of the table, De Zerbi remains defiant about his team's ability to escape the drop. "We have another five games - it's tough, every one of us knows it's a tough moment, it's a difficult situation - but we have another five games, 15 points, and this team is able to win five games in a row," the manager asserted.