Tottenham's Premier League relegation fears deepen - shocking stats, surprise subs and 'seven finals' in focus
Tottenham slip to 17th in the Premier League table after a 3-0 loss at home to fellow relegation battlers Nottingham Forest; Spurs are just a point above the drop zone and are still without a win in 2026. We examine alarming issues as their crisis deepens...
Sunday 22 March 2026 19:58, UK
It was billed as the biggest game of their season - and Spurs were beaten 3-0. Their Premier League relegation fears are real.
West Ham's defeat at Aston Villa means Spurs stay just outside of the drop zone for now but they've slipped to 17th, were booed off by their supporters again and now Nottingham Forest have created a gap. It was another miserable day for the club, as their crisis deepens…
The horror stats - look away now Spurs fans...
Tottenham have not won any of their last 13 league matches (D5 L8), equalling their second-longest winless league run in their history (also 13 in November 1912). The record of 16 was set in 1935 and could easily be broken.
Teams in a relegation battle usually rely on home comforts to get them out of jail, but the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a graveyard for this Spurs team.
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Tudor's side possess the worst home record in the Premier League this season, having won just two of their 16 home games. The Forest defeat - their fourth consecutive home league loss - means they are now on an eight-match winless home league run.
This home loss felt even more startling for Spurs, considering it was just the third time that Tottenham have lost by three or more goals at home to a side starting the day in 17th or lower in the Premier League table. So much for the big pre-match welcome the fans gave the team.
Spurs now sit 17th themselves, having failed to win a league game in 2026, while they have won only two of their last 22 league games.
In fact, Tottenham have won just 30 points from 31 Premier League games this season - accounting for three points/win all-time, this is their joint-lowest return after 31 games of a league campaign, along with 1914/15 (30).
Declan Olley
Vicario booed by his own fans again
Surely a goalkeeper has never been booed in so many different matches by his own supporters as Guglielmo Vicario has this season? Against Fulham, against Crystal Palace and now against Forest he has felt the in-game wrath from the stands.
Vicario is due to have a hernia operation next week. Was it right that he played on Sunday? Such was the disaster of Antonin Kinsky's brief cameo away to Atletico Madrid, Igor Tudor clearly felt he had no choice.
But whether Vicario's injury is inhibiting his performances or not, there's no escaping the fact he should have done better for that decisive second Forest goal, when Morgan Gibbs-White's shot went straight through him.
His operation has been timed to cause the minimum disruption to Spurs' season. They don't play again for three weeks. But whether it is Vicario or Kinsky in goal for Sunderland, a huge question mark will hover over the Spurs goalkeeper at the Stadium of Light.
Peter Smith
Van de Ven a surprise sub as Spurs lose their way
When Micky van de Ven didn't come out for the second half, the assumption was the Tottenham defender was injured. He had played the first half at left-back rather than his usual centre-back role but, with Spurs trailing, surely his leadership and experience wouldn't be jettisoned?
The response of Bruno Saltor, Spurs' assistant coach, when asked about Van de Ven's condition was a shock in the press conference: "No, it was a sub with the intention to give more dynamic on the left side and have more legs going forward," he said. "I thought that was a tactical sub."
Spurs subbing off one of their best players was a strange tactic. Could Kevin Danso not make way and allow Van de Ven to come inside if there was a desire to play Destiny Udogie at left-back?
Djed Spence, who had played the first 45 at right-back with Pedro Porro ahead of him in a 4-4-2, was also tactically withdrawn at the break. Lucas Bergvall took on an unfamiliar role on the right of midfield. "Everything was tactical," said Bruno.
The result was that Spurs gave up all of the authority they had in the first half. Yes, they were behind at the break but Igor Jesus' goal had come against the run of play. They had hit the woodwork twice in that first half. "In the second half, we lose the confidence, lose the ball, conceded another stupid goal," said Romero. It proved to be a costly intervention from the dugout.
Peter Smith
'Seven finals' await Spurs
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has labelled their remaining games as "seven finals".
The defender told Sky Sports: "It's painful, it's a bad day, but the most important thing is to go away to national teams, come back here and have seven finals."
After a three-week break, the first of the "seven finals" comes on April 12 as Spurs go to Sunderland, live on Sky Sports.
But a trip to the Stadium of Light feels like a nightmare next game, especially with Sunderland buoyed by their Tyne-Wear derby win at Newcastle on Sunday.
Looking at the games left for Spurs, two look particularly crucial to their survival hopes: Wolves away on April 25 and Leeds at home on May 9.
If Spurs are not safe after that Leeds match, then two daunting fixtures await.
Chelsea away is always a notoriously tough game for Spurs, and the Blues will be smelling blood, making it even more difficult.
Then their final game of the season is at home to European qualification-chasing Everton.
It is going to be an exceptionally nerve-racking two months ahead for Spurs, with their Premier League ever-present status under serious threat.
Declan Olley
