Hotspur HQ

There's no denying that Tottenham Hotspur's relegation would be one of the most stunning events in Premier League history. Perhaps only Leicester City's miracle a decade ago would top it.

In an era where football's richest are supposed to be bulletproof from such ignominy, Spurs dismal 2025/26 campaign represents incompetence of the highest order.

There are, of course, mitigating circumstances, with the club enveloped by a borderline unprecedented injury crisis.

Still, Tottenham have had several opportunities to cut themselves adrift from the perilous position that'd soon be bestowed upon them. They refused to panic when they needed to in January, and erroneously clung on to the belief that the mightily unpopular Thomas Frank would somehow turn things around. Igor Tudor's 44-day reign proved disastrous, to the surprise of very few, and pivoting to Roberto De Zerbi was one final act of desperation, even if it appears as if this group of vulnerable, broken and underperforming players have finally bought into something post-Bilbao.

Despite claiming our first Premier League win of 2026 at Molineux, Spurs remain the favourites to succumb to the Championship with four games left.

Plenty have accepted such a fate for weeks, with the 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace in March the critical moment when the prospect of an apocalyptic demise felt very real.

Since then, we've speculated what our team could look like in the English Football League, with optimists hopeful that a faction of loyalists within the current framework, many of whom have been out injured for the long haul, would stick around for a year of 'fun' in the second tier.

Reading's Championship record points tally will be under threat if Spurs relegated

There's going to be plenty of turnover, with wages reportedly halved. I'm suspecting the defence to look very different in the Championship, and clubs will doubtless be snooping around for the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

In truth, we have absolutely no idea what Tottenham Hotspur's first Championship escapade could look like. Some will poke fun, suggesting that we're the next Sunderland or Leicester waiting to happen, but let's be real, if Spurs retain a chunk of their current playing staff next season and complement those with our brightest academy starlets, we should dominate the second tier, especially if De Zerbi sticks around.

We probably won't be able to take much pleasure from thumping Lincoln City at our billion-pound home that was hosting Champions League semi-finals seven years ago, or grinding out a win at QPR on a Tuesday night in November. Still, it's a reality we may well have to accept. And hey, perhaps we could embark on a record-breaking mission while we're down there.

Reading's remarkable 106-point haul in the Championship hasn't been usurped in 20 years. Steve Coppell's side subsequently finished eighth in the 2006/07 Premier League table, memorably losing 6-4 at White Hart Lane, courtesy of a Dimitar Berbatov masterclass.

That Reading team won 31 of their 46 games, losing just twice. Several teams have breached 100 points since, including Newcastle United in 2009/10 (102), Leicester in 2013/14 (102), Burnley in 2022/23 (101) and 2024/25 (100), and Leeds United in 2024/25 (100), but the Royals' record has remained in tact.

The second tier can be a cruel mistress, and Spurs may endure a few teething issues early, but winning the division at a canter must be the only expectation should our worst nightmare play out over the next month.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has made quite a few changes to the team since taking over, and while some of them are - and will be - out of necessity due to endlessly mounting injuries to key players, there have been some other tactical changes that do seem to fit an overall ethos.

De Zerbi is going for more veteran players in the middle of the park, perhaps to get Tottenham to play with more of an edge in this Premier League relegation battle, defending better and leaning on experience to get them out of the hole.

The main midfielder to be hurt by these changes is young Lucas Bergvall, who, in truth, has been pretty disappointing this season despite his prodigious talent. Bergvall has not hit the ground running since returning from an injury, and the Swedish prospect has thus been phased out by manager De Zerbi in favor of the experienced box to box players.

Conor Gallagher is back on the radar

One of those players is Conor Gallagher, whom De Zerbi has always been a fan of. While Gallagher makes too much money and has been a deeply disappointing winter signing, lately, the England international has offered signs of hope and quality.

The Xavi Simons injury may change things, but with Simons starting on the left wing in the last two games, Gallagher was actually in that 10 role as more of a defensive 10. And he was pretty good, too, winning possession and even showing significantly more creativity than he did under the previous Tottenham Hotspur managers. So his stock is squarely up under De Zerbi.

But the main midfielder of some pedigree to get a boost from De Zerb iis Rodrigo Bentancur, who has returned from his torn hamstring in opposite fashion to Lucas Bergvall. He has become more impressive and more important to Tottenham's success this season than he was before he went down with the ailment, even replacing the highly promising Archie Gray in the lineup.

While it has been disappointing to see the best players of Igor Tudor's tenure and Tottenham Hotspur's most impressive prospect, Archie Gray, relegated to the sidelines lately under Roberto De Zerbi, it is hard to argue against Rodrigo Bentancur as the main deep lying midfielder to build play up when he has been playing as well as he is for the Italian manager.

The former Serie A midfielder has been so much better over the last few games under De Zerbi than he was at the beginning of the season under Thomas Frank, and he looks like the resurgent, quality all around midfielder that he was when he first joined Spurs from Juventus.

Tottenham have been needing experience and veteran leadership, as well as some tact and all around quality in the middle of the park. Bentancur has stepped up to deliver what Tottenham were missing, and while it would be ideal to see Bentancur and Gray together, which could happen if Spurs kick around a 4-4-2 formation after the Xavi Simons injury, there is something to be said about experience.

Rodrigo Bentancur is the veteran presence needed

Roberto De Zerbi definitely seems to subscribe to the belief that Tottenham Hotspur need to lean on veteran players to survive relegation from the Premier League, particularly when it comes to solidity in midfield. He has opted for Conor Gallagher, Yves Bissouma, and Rodrigo Bentancur to all start together, eschewing the more talented and promising duo of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

Bentancur has been most central to the success since returning from his torn hamstring. Of the three of Gallagher, Bissouma, and Benta, the Uruguayan has the best touch, passing ability, and overall progression, and he has finally started to play with a little bit of bravery, which was an issue for him both this season and even in the past before Juventus gave up on him.

There is no mistaking Bentancur for being a world class midfielder, but he is a good player when he is in the mood. And it seems like he has the confidence of De Zerbi, and he is feeling his game more than he did under Thomas Frank, who seemed to have reverted everyone to playing like cowards.

Tottenham are in this relegation fight because they lacked consistency in the middle of the field, especially in terms of positional discipline on both sides of the ball. Already, Tottenham are picking up results under De Zerbi because they are more in control in the middle of the park, and Bentancur has quietly been a big reason for that.

The 2025/26 Premier League season has been beyond a disaster for Tottenham Hotspur, and just when they were starting to get some hope back under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, their latest star player went down with a season ending injury.

Xavi Simons became the latest Lilywhite to tear his ACL, going down against Wolves in the 1-0 win to put a blight on Tottenham breaking up 15 Premier League games in a row without a victory. The Dutchman joins Cristian Romero and Mohammed Kudus as stars who are out for the season, meaning Spurs are now without their three very best players.

Simons was dominating in the last two games under De Zerbi, and the injury comes at the worst possible time. With James Maddison set to come back from injury and Simons actually starting on the left wing, Spurs seemed to have their creativity all sorted out.

The Xavi Simons injury turns everything on its head

Now, the injury to Simons throws a wrench in everything. Tottenham Hotspur now have to juggle major changes to both their midfield and attack. Starting with the attack, Spurs can either go to a two striker formation or continue with a 4-3-3, where Mathys Tel back in at left winger would actually be the one big, positive change Spurs could get out of this injury. But three strikers in all front three spots? Roberto De Zerbi tried that in his first game and should never try it again.

If healthy, the best No. 10 is definitely James Maddison. If not, then Spurs will have to continue with Conor Gallagher in the middle of the park, joining him with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, though it seems silly to leave both Archie Gray and Tel out of the XI game after game.

In the case of Maddison starting at the 10, the loss of defensive work rate from Gallagher to Maddison would then have to be addressed further behind in the Tottenham midfield. De Zerbi seems to be smitten with Bentancur as his veteran man in the build up, so Joao Palhinha switching in for Bissouma to offer more defensive robustness and cover for Maddison could then be the move.

Tottenham are going to suffer in the athleticism and ball carrying departments without Xavi Simons healthy, and while Lucas Bergvall would be an ideal replacement in those aspects, he is out of form and likely out of contention. Without Simons, Tottenham are going to have to lean more on a stable defnesive base with Maddison as a traditional 10 feeding either two or three mouths, and if it's a two striker formation, then maybe Gray can come in for additional creativity with four midfielders offering more men to be that base.

You wouldn't bet against anything on the injury front for Tottenham Hotspur. The bug has been utterly relentless, and we can't overlook its significance in a torrid 2025/26 campaign.

I've seen that 'Craig Mitch' bloke offer his opinion on social media, saying that perhaps the worst injury crisis the Premier League's ever seen cannot be used as an "excuse" for our potential relegation.

Craig's wide of the mark, unfortunately. Sure, Tottenham should be bulletproof from succumbing to such a fate, given the club's financial might, and there are plenty of contributing factors to our demise, many of which are self-inflicted, but to ignore an almost laughable streak of key injuries for contextual means is just odd.

Being contrarian doesn't make you look smarter than the average Spurs supporter, pal.

Anyway, after we learned the devastating extent of Xavi Simons' knee injury on Sunday night, rumours started to emerge among supposed club insiders regarding a potential hamstring issue for Randal Kolo Muani.

As I said, nothing would surprise us at this point.

Kolo Muani's hamstring injury reports 'wide of the mark'

Kolo Muani, putting it bluntly, has been pretty terrible in N17. For much of his loan spell, the Frenchman has manifested the air of someone who's not particularly bothered about the short-term fate of the club.

However, we've seen a new side to Kolo Muani in recent weeks. After the Sunderland defeat, he was bullish in his support for those crestfallen around him, picking them up and attempting to raise spirits. Clips also emerged of Kolo Muani's support on the bench after his half-time withdrawal during Saturday's long-awaited Premier League win at Molineux.

Roberto De Zerbi has spoken about how he's trying to get the best out of the French international by embarking on a confidence-restoration project that focuses not merely on the struggling loanee but on the broken squad he's inherited. Players have seemingly bought in, and the dwindling pool of talent at the new manager's disposal means guts and spirit will have to get us over the line.

Nevertheless, for a brief period, it appeared as if De Zerbi's attacking options had been trimmed further ahead of Sunday's trip to Aston Villa. Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons are all out injured, while Dominic Solanke was forced off at the weekend. Kolo Muani's rumoured hamstring injury was set to keep him out for three weeks, according to @szyexcl on X, who's been pretty reliable with his reports in recent months.

However, the reputable Alasdair Gold has since confirmed that the aforementioned Kolo Muani reports are "wide of the mark". There's no injury to worry about. Perhaps the club were seeking out another mole.

As poor as Kolo Muani's been, we can nonetheless breathe a sigh of relief. Some of the predicted XI's I saw for Villa Park were pretty horrid. Admittedly, they're not that much better with the Frenchman included, but mere bodies are important for De Zerbi at this stage.

Tottenham Hotspur have picked up positive results in their last two games, and even though they are still one of the three teams in the Premier League relegation places, Spurs have hope they can turn things around now under Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian manager has changed the midfield into one with more of a veteran presence, opting for Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher, and Rodrigo Bentancur to start together. One of the casualties has been Lucas Bergvall, the young and promising Swedish midfielder who did register an assist in one of his two bench appearances in these games.

But Bergvall did earn his benching despite the less than stellar performances of the players replacing him this season. Unfortunately, that's because Bergvall has been a disappointment himself this year, and while some of that can be pinned on the previous coaching, he has been below average since returning from his latest injury.

Lucas Bergvall has been disappointing

Even in his preferred position as a No. 8, Bergvall has struggled to get going. He isn't making as many plays on the ball as he was last season, either as a defensive ball winner or as a ball carrier when in possession. Bergvall is a wonderful footballer, but Spurs have not seen that game breaking talent this season.

And credit to Roberto De Zerbi for doing the right thing with Lucas Bergvall, even though it wasn't easy. He, based on form, has not been the best man for the job, and with Gallagher actually playing well, that will stay the case.

The thing is, nothing about Bergvall changes long term. He is still one of the most talented players on Tottenham Hotspur and 100 percent someone worth believing in over the long term. This is a guy who can change the complexion of games with his athleticisim, explosivness, and willingness to make plays, and we are still seeing those positive traits off the bench.

Bergvall can work his way back into the starting lineup, but in a relegation fight, De Zerbi is leaning on his veterans, and they are not failing him. So he won't make chances in the spirit of generating some real continuity, which has not been the case for Spurs this season - and the injuries have not helped in that regard at all.

Although Bergvall has not been at his best over the past month or so, that does not diminish what he can bring to the table in the future. We have seen him play at a high level before, and that will resume again one day.

Although it is a bit of a misnomer now that Cristian Romero has fallen victim to this historic Tottenham Hotspur injury curse and found himself on the sidelines for the remainder of the season, the point remains that for a third center back, Kevin Danso has become quite the glue guy off the bench. And he has been so good that Spurs fans may start to argue that he is a better pure defender, especially for what Spurs need in 2026, than Micky van de Ven.

In the last two games, both starts, Danso has played very well in positive results for Spurs. He blanketed Brighton with two interceptions and passed the football well. Then in a 1-0 clean sheet win over Wolves, Danso was easily the best defender on the pitch with several crucial blocks in an all out defensive display with no errors leading a goal to blight his day, as was the case against Brighton. And for a second straght game, the former Lens star completed more than 87 percent of his passes.

Kevin Danso is a bright spot

All season long, Danso has been quality for Tottenham, and it has been a bit bizarre to see some Spurs fans either underrate him or dismiss him as not being good enough. And yet, with the season on the line, Danso has helped Spurs bag four important points to the good in two games, and, as Roberto De Zerbi defended him, you can't blame him for the Brighton draw when so many of the positive plays before that helped ensure Spurs were in the lead.

Danso is the kind of player every team with ambitions of being a quality side need off the bench. In the Premier League these days, you can't compete with just an XI; you need a full squad. Tottenham Hotspur have learned that lesson the hard way, and while nobody could possibly withstand this sheer level of injuries, the fact of the matter is that the depth in attacking areas has been poor.

Defensively, it is, too, in other positions and behind Kevin Danso, but with a guy like the big Austrian covering for Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, Spurs don't suffer any sort of a drop off and feel quite safe even if one of those big name center backs goes down injured. Danso holds a flawed Tottenham bench together, and he deserves more flowers for being one of the understated bright spots in the 2025/26 Tottenham squad.

It has been nearly two months since Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke has found the back of the net, and after only scoring nine times in his debut season with the Lilywhites (less than half of the 19 he deposited for Bournemouth in 2023/24), the big No. 9 is at just three goals in 15 appearances this season.

Solanke was not touted as a top scorer for most of his career, but after scoring 19 goals for the Cherries, many thought he was just a late bloomer who had turned the corner. And that was precisely why Tottenham broke their transfer record, splurging 65 million pounds on a striker who now looks like he is worth nowhere near that kind of money.

Goals are not the only issue with Solanke. Firstly, there is his chances of making a return on investment on injury grounds. Maybe his latest ailment is just another minor quibble, but it seems like Solanke's had quite a few of those as a Spur. And goodness knows, Spurs have enough players who are prone to injury.

Dominic Solanke is not as advertised

Beyond the goals and the injury question marks, there is an overarching issue that goes hand in hand with the other two. Tottenham Hotspur cannot trust Dominic Solanke. They cannot trust him to score goals, they cannot trust him to stay on the pitch, and they cannot trust him to be consistent from game to game.

With a big performance against Borussia Dortmund upon his return from injury, Solanke looked like he was revving up the engines after the lengthy spell on the sidelines for a foot injury that was (very) slow to heal. But that, in hindsight, looks like a mere purple patch, and the Premier League version of Solanke we have seen since his move to the N17 has looked like a very different flavor of striker from the one who was crucial to the Europa League triumph last season.

That all plays into the big problem with Solanke. Tottenham can't believe in him as a striker. He was brought in to be a stabilizing presence and a big man up top who could make the others better with all around play. Well, we have yet to see that quality from Solanke this season. Whereas he put up excellent numbers for Bournemouth in creative stats, he's had just 0.4 key passes per game this season after posting 0.5 per game in 2024/25 under Ange Postecoglou.

Solanke has not been remotely near good enough for Tottenham, and the latest poor run of form, plus this new injury, are a reminder that the goods promised beyond the goals, which were always going to be a grab bag, look like a false one thus far.

Having only just returned from an absence of more than a month due to injury, Tottenham Hotspur standout left back Destiny Udogie was ruled out of this weekend's 1-0 win over Wolves with yet another new ailment, suffering a muscular injury in the 2-2 draw with Brighton. His time table for a return is uncertain, as Djed Spence drew the start in the Premier League battle.

Udogie's latest injury is one of too many to count this season. It seems every time he is out for at least a month, he can only return for two or three games before another soft tissue, upper thigh injury bounces him out again.

There is no questionining the fact that Tottenham are a significantly better team with the Italian international on the pitch. Udogie is leaps and bounds above Spence in all phases. He is much better as a passer, technician, and progressor to support the attack, and as much as Spence loves his memes, Udogie is a more composed and consistent defender, too.

Destiny Udogie might be on the chopping block

And that's what makes this is all so difficult. Because when healthy, Udogie is honestly one of the best left backs in the Premier League. The problem is that he is almost never healthy and is now increasingly difficult for Spurs to rely on. Injuries matter and often hold Tottenham Hotspur back, and it is becoming to a point where the consequences, potential relegation, are so devastating that Spurs have to rethink the number of injury prone players they are relying on their squad.

So Destiny Udogie, through no fault of his own, is at a career cross roads, and giving up on the former Udinese man would not be a popular decision by any means. But it may a move that Spurs management have to make, especially when it comes to making tough cuts in a summer transfer window that will be a difficult one for the Lilywhites, even if they survive rivals West Ham United in this tense Premier League relegation fight.

Tottenham made one smart winter transfer move this year, bringing in highly promising prospect Souza, who has performed very well on the few occasions he has been called on. Souza could be a future star at left back, and he isn't going to be kept on a leash for very long, especially if Spurs bounce down to the Championship. And that will only make Udogie more expendable in the summer transfer market.

Immediately upon being available after returning from a torn hamstring, Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi inserted Rodrigo Bentancur back into the starting lineup, and while that unfortunately had to come at the expense of the highly talented and promising Archie Gray in that deep lying role, Bentancur has done nothing to suggest that he should be removed from this role.

Bentancur was quietly excellent in a 2-2 draw with De Zerbi's former employers Brighton, who are a quality side, and he followed that up with another good performance in Spurs 1-0 victory over Wolves this weekend.

The Uruguayan international had five combined tackles and interceptions with three clearances in a mega defensive performance while also completing nearly 89 percent of his passes as the second leading passer on the team in terms of attempts behind only big Austrian center back Kevin Danso.

Tottenham are going with a different formula

Stylistically, Rodrigo Bentancur is a lot different from the two other midfielders he is playing with. Whereas Yves Bissouma and Conor Gallagher are more box to box players who like to run around the pitch making tackles and progressing the ball with it at their feet, Bentancur is more passive, focusing more on reading the game and passing the ball, maintaining possession.

Obviously, in a Premier League relegation fight, new Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is opting for stability, consistency in terms of his lineup selection, and more of a veteran flavor with regards to the players he is starting in the Spurs XI. Hence why Bentancur has now become such a fixture in the lineup.

But while Bentancur, Gallagher, and Bissouma are all veteran players, they are not exact replicas of each other. Tottenham have opted to go with Bentancur at the base as more of an orchestrator who still defends a lot in this deep area, but they want Bissouma and Gallagher, who are more robust players, alongside him.

Bentancur is in over Joao Palhinha to offer more of that soft, passing touch, and so far, the formula is working. Tottenham are not inserting Archie Gray back into the starting lineup despite his passing superiority and his quality over Bissouma, nor are they playing Xavi Simons as a 10, because in a relegation fight, De Zerbi wants that bit of nastiness from Yves Bissouma and Conor Gallagher as a contrast to the way Bentancur plays.

The overall result is more ball winning and defensive work rate and more of a focus on being solid and stable in midfield defensively while still having the roam for the veterans to be aggressive and snap into tackles with Bentancur covering.