‘Shock of the century?’ However you frame it – relegation out of the Premier League is now a very real possibility for Tottenham.
Another north London derby thrashing at home on Sunday left Spurs reeling in 16th, just four points above a West Ham side who edged closer to them over the weekend.
With 11 games to go, Spurs are at crisis point. The Premier League ever-presents haven’t won any of their last nine top-flight games and need a serious shift in form to salvage their status.
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Highlights from the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Arsenal.
Fearful form
Their recent record is miserable. While the Champions League has been a welcome distraction and provided the platform for encouraging results, Spurs’ showings in the Premier League have their supporters seriously concerned.
Across the past dozen matches, Tottenham have the worst form of any side in the division. A win at Crystal Palace and comeback draw against Man City is all there is to shout about during a spell which has seen them take just seven points.
Nottingham Forest and West Ham, the sides immediately below them in the standings, have recorded 12 points each across the same period to make up five points on their gaps to Spurs.
If those three sides maintain similar trajectories, Tottenham’s final two games of the season – a trip to Chelsea and then home game with Everton – could prove to be must-win.
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On The Football Show, we assess whether Tottenham Hotspur are too good to be relegated from the Premier League this season.
Injury issues
Of course, any assessment of Spurs’ struggles requires a mention of their horrendous injury issues this season. In fact, it’s the second season in a row they’ve seen key players sidelined.
Right now, they are missing more players than any other Premier League side, with 11 players unavailable.
Captain Cristian Romero was suspended for the derby but the long-term absences of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have clearly contributed to an underwhelming attacking output this season, while Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert are now missing too.
Spurs’ squad is seriously stretched and, in the coming weeks, will have to juggle a Champions League knockout bid in tandem with a relegation battle.
Last season, Ange Postecoglou was able to manage his injury-hit group by focusing fully on Europe and allowing the team’s league form to slide. Igor Tudor has no such luxury this time.
‘Bad habits’
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Tottenham Hospur interim boss Igor Tudor does not hold back on his side’s performance after their 4-1 defeat at home to Arsenal but is convinceed they will avoid relegation this season.
But perhaps his biggest problem to solve will be Spurs’ mentality issue.
“There were too many bad habits in the past,” he said after the loss to Arsenal, reflecting a mindset at the club which has been criticised by recent managers Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank.
“Nobody can tell me we don’t have quality,” said Tudor. “But we need to change, a mental switch and have this mental sharpness to be in the game from the first and second minutes and have the physicality.”
Flicking that switch will not be straightforward, considering the pressure of Spurs’ situation.
“It is a team devoid of personality,” said former Spurs captain and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp. “They have to somehow show some character.”
Favourable fixtures?
They say there are no easy games in the Premier League – and there are certainly no easy games for Tottenham right now.
But the fixture list is in their favour. Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Burnley all have more difficult games left to play than Spurs, based on opposition league position.
Although, given Spurs took just two points from their most recent games against the four sides below them in the league, they can take no fixture for granted.
Tottenham’s remaining fixtures in the Premier League
A reason for hope…
The expert opinion suggests alarm bells need to be ringing in north London.
“If Tottenham aren’t careful, they might be in a different league,” said Redknapp. “They cannot keep performing like this.”
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After Tottenham’s heavy North London derby defeat to Arsenal, Gary Neville says Spurs’ problems are no longer a one-off, they are a worrying pattern.
Neville said: “They’ve underdelivered for a number of years, they’ve never found the right formula to get it right and this is the second season on the trot that they’re in this type of position.
“It’s not a fluke anymore. This is a pattern of what you are and it would be the shock of the century. It would be absolutely mind-blowing to think that they could disappear out of this league, but I don’t think they will.”
That note of optimism from Neville is backed up by Opta’s supercomputer, which reckons there is just a 4.4 per cent chance of Spurs going down.
Spurs fans may not feel so confident…
