It's Hard to See Tottenham Staying in the Top Flight

LONDON, THURSDAY - Tottenham Hotspur is increasingly presenting themselves as the worst team in the English Premier League at this time. Interim manager of Tottenham, Igor Tudor, has failed to address performance issues and uplift the morale of the team. It is hard to see "The Lilywhites" remaining in the top division without a miracle.

Disappointment towards Tudor's team was clearly displayed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, on Friday (6/3/2026) early morning WIB. Many home supporters decided to leave during halftime. Tottenham, playing with ten men, was trailing 1-3 against Crystal Palace.

Tottenham's fans enjoyed their joy for just five minutes. Palace's opening goal was disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR) in the 33rd minute for a few centimeters offside. A minute later, the hosts took the lead through striker Dominic Solanke.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, until finally Tottenham's captain, Micky van de Ven, fouled the opposing midfielder, Ismaila Sarr, in the penalty area. Van de Ven received a straight red card, while Palace was awarded a penalty. Sarr equalized through the penalty awarded.

The rest, after that, was agony for the "White Lilies." The visitors turned the tables with two goals in first-half injury time through strikers Jorgen Strand-Larsen and Sarr. Tottenham were forced to accept their third consecutive defeat in the Tudor era and have not won a league match since 2026.

"We are disappointed because we lost. The red card changed the course of the match. Then, we conceded two quick goals. In the second half, we tried. We wanted good energy. I saw something that made me believe we could do it," Tudor said.

The defeat once again highlighted Tottenham's poor quality on both sides of the field. They exhibited a significant lack of creativity in the attacking line and were vulnerable in the defensive line. This issue was exacerbated by the manager's half-hearted strategic approach.

Tudor's confusion has been reflected in the changes of formation. After using a three-defender formation in his debut, then switching to four defenders in the last match, he has reverted to a three-defender scheme. Tottenham displayed a 3-4-2-1 formation with wing-back Pedro Porro serving as an emergency center-back.

As a result, Tottenham—who are in 16th place with 29 points—are just one point above the relegation zone.

Tudor did not dare to play aggressively from the outset. Instead of applying high pressure with the support of the home fans, he opted to play a central block defense. The problem is that this block was very easy to penetrate due to the insufficient closeness between Tottenham's back line and midfield.

The disallowed goal by Sarr is a sign of disaster for "The White Lily." Palace was able to exploit gaps in Tottenham's defense with Sarr's speed and Strand-Larsen's strength. It was the combination of that guest duo that was involved in the process of obtaining the penalty.

When playing with ten players and needing to be more defensive, Tudor instead substituted wing-back Souza. Winger Mathys Tel filled that position. The result was disastrous. Tel made a passing error in his own defense, which led to the second goal for Palace scored by Strand-Larsen.

Without their best defender, Tottenham's defense was even more exposed. Sarr scored the second goal by exploiting a large hole in the home side's backline. "We should have taken the lead, but we missed it just because of an offside. It was a very close decision, but it didn't matter today," said Palace manager Oliver Glasner.

As a result of this outcome, Tottenham—currently in 16th place with 29 points—are only one point away from the relegation zone. They are being closely pursued by 17th place Nottingham Forest (28 points) and 18th place West Ham (28 points). With the recent trend, Tottenham is at significant risk of being relegated.

"We know our position at this moment. Therefore, we must find a solution as quickly as possible. This is not the right time for us to make excuses. We must perform our duties on the field. We have to fight in the remaining matches, every minute, ensuring continuous progress," said Solanke.

Tottenham is the only team that has not won since the turn of the year. They also hold the record for the lowest points total in 2026 (4 points). This total is even lower than that of the two bottom teams in the standings, namely Burnley (7 points) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (13 points).

The momentum of "Si Lili Putih" is hoped to turn around with the change of manager, namely from Thomas Frank. However, the psychological effect of the arrival of the new tactician has not proven to be helpful. Tottenham has lost three times in three matches under Tudor and has already conceded nine goals. This trend is concerning.

Tottenham's position is becoming increasingly precarious as Forest and West Ham begin to rise. The morale of the Forest squad is sure to be boosted after they managed to hold the championship contender Manchester City in the previous match. Meanwhile, West Ham has only lost once in their last five matches.