As hundreds of Tottenham followers streamed out of their stadium at half-time on Thursday, nobody may have been in any doubt about the specter of relegation.
After taking an early lead in opposition to Crystal Palace, three targets for the guests in 12 first-half minutes – sparked by a penalty conceded and crimson card for Micky van de Ven – condemned Igor Tudor’s facet to a different depressing defeat.
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Spurs stay the one Premier League facet and not using a victory in 2026. Their 11-match winless league run is the membership’s longest since 1935, after they went 15 video games with out profitable.
With 9 matches to go, they continue to be one level above the relegation zone and in actual hazard of shedding their Premier League standing for the primary time.
The hundreds of empty seats had been telling. The followers who remained till the tip met the ultimate whistle with loud jeers as perception of survival seems to be draining from them.
“Nervousness was all via the stadium,” former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole stated on TNT Sports activities. “The entire efficiency was tepid.
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“There was no chunk and no anger and the followers had been feeling that. It looks like they’ve given up.
“It appears just like the followers are disillusioned, disenchanted and never believing it.”
When Tudor was appointed as interim boss final month, he stated Tottenham “100%” would not go down. It could take a courageous individual to say that now.
“In fact i perceive the followers [leaving]. It is regular, they needed extra,” stated the Croat, whose has misplaced all three of his matches in cost.
“I want to decide on the correct guys: Who’s within the boat and who will depart the boat.”
Tudor refused to be drawn into conversations about his future after full-time, regardless of questions already being raised about whether or not he would see out the season.
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Spurs fan Chris Cowlin instructed BBC Radio 5 Dwell: “I am misplaced for phrases over what I’ve seen tonight. You need battle, need and most significantly factors.
“It’s an excessive amount of for lots of people and that is the truth that Spurs may get relegated.
“After we moved to this stadium in 2019 it was meant to be a sport changer for us, the springboard for fulfillment and all the time competing for high honours. I’ve by no means identified a time like this.
“We have gone via so many managers since transferring to this stadium; six everlasting managers and 4 interim appointments. Spurs have gone spherical in circles.”
Igor Tudor has misplaced all three matches as Tottenham boss [Getty Images]
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‘Extra possible than to not go down’ – Spurs followers have their say
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is just not a cheerful place in the mean time.
They haven’t received within the Premier League in 2026 and have solely led in league video games for 13 minutes since 7 January.
Exterior the stadium, Tottenham supporters instructed BBC Sport the membership had been “of their worst second in historical past” and “had been extra possible than to not go down”.
One fan blamed Tottenham’s type on the gamers, saying “there are too many egos” and “the gamers are nonetheless residing off that top of the Europa League and sleep-walking to relegation”.
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One other added “Nottingham Forest and West Ham have gotten battle and grit. We haven’t any of that.”
One supporter stated the board’s failures within the switch market was the primary wrongdoer, pointing to a scarcity of goalscoring choices and a failure to cowl Tottenham’s many, many accidents.
Spurs at present have 9 gamers sidelined.
Followers additionally pointed to the crew’s lack of self-discipline. Cristian Romero was serving the ultimate sport of a four-match ban after a straight crimson card in February.
Van de Ven’s sending off on Thursday means he’ll now serve a three-match ban.
Many additionally queried the appointment of former Juventus boss Tudor. The Croat had by no means managed within the Premier League earlier than his appointment in February.
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Others defended him with one including every new supervisor appointment merely “papers over the cracks”.
Tudor has ‘extra perception now than earlier than’
On New 12 months’s Day, Tottenham had been twelfth and 12 factors away from the drop.
Once they appointed Tudor on an interim foundation to succeed the sacked Thomas Frank on Friday 13 February, they had been sixteenth and 5 factors clear.
Earlier than kick-off, Opta gave Tottenham a 8% probability of relegation. Publish-match, that rose to 14%.
“It’s going to sound unusual however I consider extra after this sport than I believed earlier than,” stated Tudor.
“I noticed one thing. I wish to be optimistic. I noticed the blokes gave every little thing. We have to keep collectively now, That is key. There’s nonetheless 9 video games to play.”
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Nonetheless, the stats make grim studying for Tottenham supporters.
Since Tudor’s appointment, Spurs are backside of the league when it comes to targets conceded, objective distinction, xG conceded, xG distinction and factors.
Tottenham had been on a poor run even earlier than Tudor’s appointment.
They’ve solely received twice at residence within the league all season – beating Burnley on the opening day and Brentford on 6 December.
As issues stand, solely Wolves (20) have misplaced extra residence Premier League video games than Tottenham (19) because the begin of final season.
In addition they have the fewest residence factors (31) of any ever-present facet because the begin of 2024-25 season.
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And so they have conceded at the very least two targets in 9 straight matches for the primary time of their historical past.
One of many Premier League’s conventional ‘huge six’, Tottenham have not been relegated since 1976-77.
Ten months in the past, they received the Europa League and, regardless of being sixteenth within the Premier League desk, are within the Champions League final 16.
Since promotion from the Second Division in 1949-50, they’ve spent only one season beneath the highest flight (1977-78).
However none of that ensures something proper now. Tottenham’s subsequent Premier League sport is at Liverpool on 15 March. They nonetheless must play fellow strugglers Forest, Leeds and Wolves. And so they want factors.
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“Tottenham haven’t obtained many video games left, however they should discover a concoction and a few understanding to go get some outcomes over the road,” former Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray instructed BBC Radio 5 Dwell.
“It’s ridiculous to consider them sacking [Tudor] after three video games after seeing what the gamers have finally produced.
“This is similar group and sacking the supervisor after three video games is an admission that he was the incorrect man within the first place.”