What had been inconceivable until recently has become a distinct possibility as Tottenham Hotspur face a genuine threat of being relegated from the Premier League for the first time since 1977.
Despite reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, Spurs are staring down the barrel of a dreaded dogfight against the drop heading into the final eight rounds of fixtures.
New manager Igor Tudor is still waiting for his first win since taking over from Thomas Frank in mid-February, with Tottenham’s dreadful season hitting a new low on Thursday.
Reduced to ten men after the expulsion of Micky van de Ven, Tudor’s charges squandered a first-half lead in a frustrating 3-1 home defeat to fellow London rivals Crystal Palace.
Palace’s stunning victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium condemned the North London giants to their 11th consecutive league game without a win, leaving them just a point clear of 18th-placed West Ham United.
Despite reassuring the devastated Spurs faithful that he can keep the club in the top flight after another disappointing result (via The Independent), it’s uncertain whether Tudor will last at the helm long enough to see the end of the season.
Tuesday’s trip to Spain to face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie could determine the 47-year-old’s fate in the capital, as another awful performance could spell the end of his underwhelming tenure.
However, much more concerning is Tottenham’s upcoming Premier League showdown against reigning champions Liverpool, which could either make or break their domestic season.
Defensive chaos
Spurs have become a byword for dreadful defending this season.
Among sides sitting outside the bottom three, only Leeds United (48) have conceded more goals than Tottenham’s 46, highlighting just how vulnerable Tudor’s backline has been throughout the campaign.
Furthermore, they have let in at least two goals in each of their last nine league outings, so a humiliating record of two draws and seven defeats in that sequence comes as no major surprise.
If they are to increase their chances of securing survival, Spurs must urgently tighten their defence, cut out costly errors, and rediscover consistency at the back. Anything less could see them dragged into a relegation battle they might not escape.
Van de Ven’s blunder against Palace was the latest example of Tottenham’s defensive fragility, with recurring individual errors compounding an already porous backline.
As a result of his reckless actions, the Dutch centre-back will miss Tottenham’s trip to Anfield next weekend, which will only heighten the pressure on Tudor’s out-of-sorts defence.
If it’s any consolation, the 24-year-old is facing a one-game ban, according to the Evening Standard, so he should be at Tudor’s disposal for a must-win home clash against Nottingham Forest in their next home game.
Home sickness
Tottenham’s embarrassing home record is almost unfathomable.
Spurs have accumulated the Premier League’s joint-low ten points on home turf, picking up just two victories from 15 league matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (D4, L9).
However, there’s still time to rebuild their home fortress, with two of their four remaining league games in North London coming against sides from the bottom half of the table.
Clashes against Forest, Everton and Leeds United are therefore must-win fixtures for Spurs if they are to avoid the ignominy of losing their top-flight status for the first time since the late 1970s.
Any potential slip-up could prove catastrophic, especially if it comes against direct rivals.
Underestimating Forest would be a grave mistake, but after being battered 3-0 at the City Ground in mid-December, Tudor’s men are unlikely to take the Tricky Trees lightly.
Meanwhile, they won both reverse fixtures against Leeds and Everton, giving Tudor a glimmer of hope that Spurs can replicate those results at home and claw back crucial points.