As Tottenham Hotspur teeter on the brink of Premier League relegation, the post-mortem of their dramatic collapse will point to a crowded treatment room, as no team has suffered more on the injury front.
While the long-term loss of Dejan Kulusevski has been damaging, one absence stands alone as the primary architect of Spurs’ 17th-place standing: James Maddison.
Maddison has not played a single competitive minute this season after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in Seoul last August.
The statistical fallout from his seven-month absence has been catastrophic. In the 2024/25 campaign, Maddison registered 16 direct goal contributions (nine goals and seven assists), the joint-most of any Spurs player.
Remarkably, the Englishman achieved this in just 1,826 minutes of action – the equivalent of 20.2 full matches.
Without him this season, Spurs have faltered in attack, with several key metrics nosediving.
The North Londoners created 99 big chances during the 2024/25 campaign. By contrast, they have fashioned just 54 this term with seven matches remaining.
The numbers reveal a team suffering from sterile possession; Tottenham have managed 727 touches in the opposition box, a respectable figure that suggests they are still reaching the danger zone.
However, the conversion of that territory into high-value opportunities has vanished.
Without a world-class number 10 orchestrating play in the final third, Spurs have become predictable and easily countered.
Furthermore, the lack of a creative outlet has placed unsustainable pressure on the defence, resulting in Spurs conceding 50 goals in 31 matches—the 17th-worst defensive record in the division.
Interim manager Igor Tudor recently suggested that Maddison is eyeing a May return, but for a club sitting just one point above West Ham United in the relegation zone, it could prove too little, too late.