Hotspur HQ

Right now, the Tottenham Hotspur job is the most pressurized in world football, somehow making the situation at Real Madrid look like a joke by comparison. New manager Roberto De Zerbi steps into a situation in which Spurs are at real risk of relegation, and, now, they are officially in the relegation zone before Sunday's must win matchup against newcomers Sunderland.

That's because Spurs London rivals West Ham United just trounced Wolves 4-0 on Friday night in Premier League action, moving out of 18th place and two points ahead of Spurs, who entered the Matchday just one point ahead of the Hammers.

West Ham took full advantage of facing the worst team in the Premier League, picking them apart in a display that should have Tottenham very worried. Because when was the last time Spurs scored four goals or won a game 4-0? When was their last clean sheet? Their last win even?

Tottenham are in the relegation zone

Roberto De Zerbi is committed to Tottenham Hotspur even if they are relegated from the English top flight, so the issue is not his own job security - though Spurs fans may not trust him bolting the club after the events of his Marseille and Brighton tenures.

But the pressure comes from relegation. If Spurs were to be relegated, the consequences would be devastating. We are talking about working class human beings who live in North London losing their jobs due to budget cuts. And then, of course, we are talking about young rising stars and established players - the former hurting much more than the latter - leaving the club to make EFL Championship wage cuts. They would likely have to leave at discounted rates.

West Ham United have just put Tottenham under the kibosh. Well, Spurs were already under a fair bit of pressure for De Zerbi to walk into straight away, which is why Spurs had to do some convincing to bring in the Italian manager by throwing around some serious dollar signs in the contract, but now the pressure is titanic with Tottenham officially moving into the relegation zone.

And after West Ham added a big goal differential boost, Spurs are under even more pressure. Only by winning this weekend against a stingy Sunderland defense - and without Mohammed Kudus, mind you - can Spurs get out of the relegation zone. A draw is not enough. Now it is your move, Mr. De Zerbi.

If Tottenham Hotspur are relegated in six weeks times, it will largely be due to their home form. Last time out, three weeks ago now, the Lilywhites were crushed 3-0 by relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, suffering a fourth home league defeat in a row. This means, across an elongated period, Spurs have beaten fewer Premier League teams at home than a certain side not even based in England.

This season, Tottenham have won only two of 16 Premier League home games, defeating Burnley on the opening day and Brentford in December. This means Spurs have claimed just four victories from 30 home league games since 3 November 2024, a period of 523 days, having enjoyed victories over Manchester United and Southampton during the second half of last season. Of these 30 games, 19 have produced defeats.

This means, including the first leg EFL Cup victory over Liverpool, Spurs have won just five home matches against Premier League opposition since 1 January 2025. As noted by Colin Millar of the Athletic, this is one fewer than Paris Saint-Germain. During this timeframe, les Rouge-et-Bleu have had eight home matches against English opposition and collected six wins, beating Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Tottenham themselves, Chelsea and now Liverpool on Wednesday night.

This is obviously a statistical quirk, but also a damning indictment on just how miserable the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been for home fans for a prolonged period. So, will this continue and see Spurs become an EFL Championship club?

Tottenham Hotspur's remaining Premier League fixtures

Sunday 12 April: Sunderland - Stadium of Light. Kick off 2pm.

Saturday 18 April: Brighton & Hove Albion - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Kick off 5:30pm.

Saturday 25 April. Wolverhampton Wanderers - Molineux. Kick off 3pm.

Sunday 3 May. Aston Villa - Villa Park. Kick off 7pm.

Monday 11 May. Leeds United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Kick off 8pm.

Sunday 17 May. Chelsea - Stamford Bridge. Kick off TBC.

Sunday 24 May. Everton - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Kick off 4pm.

Having been appointed during the international break, following the departure of Igor Tudor, new manager Roberto De Zerbi will take charge of Spurs for the very first time on Sunday. He commences with a tricky trip to Wearside, given that Sunderland have only been beaten three times at the Stadium of Light all season. By the time that kicks off, if West Ham manage to beat Wolves on Friday night, Spurs would do so in the bottom three, cranking up the pressure further.

Their other away games are at Wolves, Aston Villa and Chelsea, making it alarming that they cannot rely on good home form. De Zerbi's former side Brighton will travel to N17 this time next week, with relegation rivals Leeds and Europe-chasing Everton doing so in May.

Tottenham Hotspur signed only one experienced player during the winter transfer window, mistakenly overpaying for Conor Gallagher, who has proven to be useless to a cause that is now nearing relegation. As part of their intent of signing "leaders" - read: overrated and finished players with a Premier League pedigree - Tottenham were also highly interested in Liverpool backup left back Andrew Robertson, who only did not move to Spurs because the Reds could not find a new backup to replace him.

Robertson is now confirmed to be leaving Liverpool as a free agent this summer transfer window, which is no surprise since he has been finished for a couple of years now, playing no role at the club in 2025/26 even when Milos Kerkez struggles after a legitimately poor 2024/25 season before that.

But even though Liverpool obviously don't care to keep Robertson because he is done being a starter at the top Premier League level, apparently Tottenham are still interested in signing the 32 year old defender from Anfield.

Tottenham could still go for Andy Robertson

The information comes from Paul Joyce of The Times, who also reports that reigning Serie A champions Napoli and La Liga giants Atletico Madrid will also join Tottenham Hotspur with an interest in the aging Liverpool left back in free agency.

Napoli's interest makes sense. Premier League players tend to do well in Serie A, specifically for the Partenopei, and Serie A is a great league for older players. Atleti make little sense, but maybe they want to make the Conor Gallagher mistake twice themselves, too.

But Tottenham make the least sense. They actually did sign a left back in the winter, bagging top Brazilian prospect Souza from Palmeiras. Souza has been excellent when played, and he is already a talented backup to another great player, when healthy, in Destiny Udogie.

So Tottenham already have two dynamic, high upside left backs in Udogie and Souza. Why add a slow player like Robertson who gets burned by top wingers and cannot offer much in the attack anymore when you have two players who could really blossom in a better team with superior coaching under Roberto De Zerbi?

It just makes no sense. And there is not a single Tottenham fan who wants Robertson. He would just be taking playing time and development away from Souza with no upside. Obviously, he would not be a candidate if Tottenham are relegated, and half of that is because of the wages he will command as a free agent. Spurs are better off leaving this track than going back to it.

Tottenahm Hotspur supporters are mere days away from watching the first match with new manager Roberto De Zerbi in charge, as nothing less than three points will satisfy this club going forward with so little margin for error left in the relegation battle following the 3-0 debacle to Nottingham Forest just before the break.

Spurs will battle Sunderland this weekend, and everyone is excited to see De Zerbi's first starting lineup in charge of the Lilywhites. The Mohammed Kudus injury blow leaves more questions than answers lingering, especially with James Maddison still out and Dejan Kulusevski pretty much already ruled out for the rest of the season on the right wing.

Perhaps the most intriguing positional storyline is how De Zerbi will utilized the underperforming trio of No. 9's in Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani, and Dominic Solanke. All three have flashed at various points this season, and while Solanke is the best on paper, the man of real intrigue during this Premier League relegation fight is the man who succesfully navigated one before with another historic English club, Everton.

Roberto De Zerbi has plans for Richarlison

In an interview with the 2 Robbies Podcast for NBC Sports, Roberto De Zerbi spoke about utilizing Richy and praised his all around quality and versatility, almost hinting at using him in a position other than striker. He also said that he views Richy has important to his plans, “Richarlison can play in different positions. He’s a good guy, he’s a clean guy, he’s a honest guy. I like him, as a player, as a mentality, as an attitude. In the same position, we can play with different players, but I think, to achieve our target, we need Richarlison in the best way possible.”

Nothing De Zerbi is saying is out of line, and the Tottenham Hotspur faithful will 100 percent agree with the statements of liking Richy as a person and his mentality. Whereas players like Randal Kolo Muani have come off as mercenaries who don't care since they know they will be leaving anyway, Richy, transfer listed himself, will always give it his all for the badge, especially since he was the one who rejected those transfer rumors in the first place.

Will De Zerbi roll with two strikers together? Utilize Richy on the wings to make use of his versatility in different positions? De Zerbi is the experimenter who holds all the keys to the laboratory, but it sounds like Richy is a guy he has plans for.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are likely too fixated on the threat of relegation and the fact that it would erase the club's ability to sign top players to actually think about summer transfer at this point, but as Johan Lange and Vinai Venkatesham learned the hard way, any top club worth their salt has to be thinking about all future opens in order to stay ahead of the curve.

And one area Tottenham have been wanting to upgrade this summer transfer window is the goalkeeping position. Guglielmo Vicario has been slowed by playing through a hernia, and while Roberto De Zerbi could try to convince the Italian international to stay, it honestly looks like Vicario is already very close to a return to Serie A as a replacement for Yann Sommer for the presumable champions Inter Milan. The Italian league looks like a much better spot for him anyway.

So Tottenham are out for replacements. De Zerbi's old Brighton signing Bart Verbruggen is one strong option, as is another Dutch Premier League star in breakout man Robin Roefs, whom Spurs will get a close look at this weekend against Sunderland if he is able to make it through injury to play.

James Trafford is set to leave Manchester City

But the strongest option Tottenham Hotspur want to consider is James Trafford. When the Guglielmo Vicario transfer exit rumors first started, Trafford rumors were popping up, as the Manchester CIty goalkeeper appeared to be rightfully disgruntled with his situation at the Etihad. A top young keeper, Trafford was excited to sign with the Premier League powerhouse as their new starter to take that next step, but after he was signed, Man City added one of the world's top three keepers in Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Trafford is too good to be a backup, but Man City, to this point, had shown no interest in parting ways with such a valuable young goalkeeper. However, a new report from the Manchester Evening News's Simon Bajkowski states that Trafford is now set to leave the club this summer, as Man City are open to a sale.

Perhaps Man City were not interested in selling James Trafford in the middle of the campaign with no possibility of cover for Donnarumma, should he get hurt. But Pep Guardiola has never been in the business of holding back players from leaving if they want to go; he just needs the time to replace them. So now, Trafford is going to be available, and if Tottenham can stay up in the Premier League, maybe they have a chance at their ideal prize.

This damned football club really does have a knack for sucking the life out of you. No wonder the majority of us seldom veer from a state of pessimism.

There was reason for genuine excitement at a critical juncture in our modern existence. We're just a point above the relegation zone with seven games to play, but there's now an idea to believe in, folks. Sure, the man with said idea may not be the most adorable of characters, but Roberto De Zerbi is a talented coach capable of adhering to the mystical "Tottenham way".

One man he must've been excited to get his hands on was Mohammed Kudus. Brighton & Hove Albion were keen on signing the then-Ajax forward in 2023 before the Ghanaian opted for West Ham (?), and the signs had been pointing towards an imminent return to action after more than three months out.

But on Thursday we were reminded that we cannot have nice things.

Kudus setback only raises relegation fears

Vicious, nasty rumours circled on social media earlier today regarding a possible injury setback to Kudus that could require surgery, thus ending his season.

'ITK’s' are very hit and miss, we all know that, but those on the inside were unfortunately incredibly accurate about this bit of terrible news.

Opting for transparency, the club have since confirmed the aforementioned reports. Kudus had been in training and may well have been in contention for Sunday's trip to Sunderland, having injured his quad in the reverse fixture at the start of the year.

The setback means Kudus, who carried a bleak Thomas Frank-led era, won't at all aid our fight for survival. We haven't won a Premier League game without him, by the way.

This isn't good, of course its not. I've remained confident that we'll shake off this nightmare situation, but I also thought we'd be getting our best attacker back for the run-in. Now what do we do? Johan Lange stiffed us in January, and that comment about players soon returning from injury doesn't look so smart now does it, fella? God, just get the guy gone already!

Fortunately, there's a gifted coach to get behind, and we can hold out hope that James Maddison, yet to play a single minute this term, could contribute at some point. The English playmaker is continuing to step up his recovery from an ACL tear, and Igor Tudor—remember him?—was confident that Maddison would play again this season.

So, I wonder when he'll be rupturing his Achilles, knowing our luck...

After a lengthy hiatus, Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this weekend, facing off against a Sunderland side that have all but secured their status in the top flight for another year.

The Black Cats have helped buck a worrying trend of Championship teams simply not being able to compete after gaining promotion. The system is ultimately set up to facilitate yo-yoing, but the Wearside club were shrewd enough with their recruitment, completely remaking their squad, to ensure they not only competed, but thrived in the top flight for a period.

Sunderland's robustness and physicality has been key to their success upon their return to the top tier, as had their difficulty to beat on home soil.

Thus, when Spurs were slumping and teasing a fight for survival, supporters had earmarked our upcoming fixture as a particularly troublesome one. And despite the Lilywhites sinking further into the mire over the past few weeks, Sunderland have offered encouragement that we may end up getting a result at the Stadium of Light.

Slump in Sunderland's home form should offer Spurs encouragement

Régis Le Bris' side started the 2025/26 Premier League season 12 games unbeaten at home, with Arsenal and Manchester City among those who suffered at the Stadium of Light and ultimately failed to secure three points.

However, Sunderland are entering Sunday's game off the back of three consecutive home losses. Liverpool, Fulham and Brighton have all triumphed on what was not so long ago a daunting away day.

Sure, they went into the international break having secured a euphoric late victory at St. James' Park in the Tyne-Wear Derby, but the Black Cats had been trending in the wrong direction before derby day, where form tends to go out of the window.

According to Understat, Sunderland are the second-biggest points overachievers in the Premier League this season in terms of points earned. They've notched 43 but are expected to be on 32.95, based on xG and xGA tallies from each game. Only Aston Villa (14.9 points difference between actual and expected) have defied the metrics more.

This is a team that flirts with the finest of margins, but such an approach is necessary for teams aiming to consolidate in the top flight. Those who stick to their principles from the Championship are found wanting against vastly superior opposition, while those who adjust and adapt tend to thrive. We've even see Daniel Farke change tack for the better this season, with Leeds currently out of the relegation zone.

Nevertheless, my overriding point is that this is no longer a game to dread. With the 'new manager bounce' potential from Roberto De Zerbi another aspect to consider, there's reason to believe that Spurs' survival hopes could be boosted this weekend.

Roberto De Zerbi undoubtedly boasts an esteemed reputation in the managerial world, and the Italian has also had a profound fact on plenty of those who he's coached over the years.

Tottenham Hotspur turned to the fiery former No. 10 out of desperation. Igor Tudor's ill-fated 44-day reign only sunk the club further into the mire after eight months of Thomas Frank-led misery.

De Zerbi enters the poisoned chalice with Spurs just a point clear of the drop zone with seven games to play. He's essentially been handed the keys to the club by an inept hierarchy, with the boom or bust potential distinct.

Boom, and the Lilywhites will be competing close to the top of the Premier League in relatively short order. Bust, well, let's not go there, shall we? I've opted for positive thoughts only today.

Højbjerg offers ringing endorsement of Tottenham's new manager

Content creators and so-called social media 'tacticos' have voiced their concerns over De Zerbi's appointment because of the squad the Italian has inherited. This group of players seemingly aren't cut out to adhere to a risky and complex tactical framework, with the midfield engine room seemingly most inadequate for our new manager.

However, there's a case study from Marseille that offers hope. Given what you saw of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg towards the end of his Tottenham career, you wouldn't suggest he'd be the ideal De Zerbi midfielder, would you?

But professional footballers are malleable, folks. Skill sets aren't set in stone for the entirety of their careers. They can mature and develop, with new attributes emerging from the abyss. Brilliant coaches can do that, and De Zerbi got the best out of Højbjerg during his time in France.

Thus, it's no surprise that the former Tottenham midfielder has spoken so highly of the Italian: "I have been lucky enough to have coaches like [Pep] Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Antonio Conte. And I put Roberto De Zerbi in the same category," he told Onze Mundial last November.

Højberg then echoed a sentiment thrust into the mainstream by the aforementioned Guardiola, who's long been an admirer of De Zerbi's unique and proactive tactical thinking.

“Over the next 20 years, coach De Zerbi is going to contribute enormously to football. And for me, it is an honour to work with him. The coach… I do not know how to explain it. He has a connection with the dressing room, he has an emotional relationship with the dressing room, Mourinho had the same thing."

We can expect a diluted De Zerbi tactical framework until the end of the season, with the manager's capacity to motivate and inspire perhaps the most important aspects of his coaching repertoire for this vulnerable group of players.

As soon as a manager takes on a new job, there's a rather lazy assumption that he'll be followed by a swathe of trusted lieutenants.

But the concept of players following coaches around is now antiquated. Had Tottenham opted to bring Harry Redknapp out of retirement to preserve their Premier League status, we may well have enjoyed the talents of Jermain, Crouchie and Niko again.

Instead, Spurs took a huge financial gamble on Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian arrives with a lofty coaching reputation, but boasting a character that's already split the fanbase at a time when unity is very much needed.

Our new manager has at least spoken out on supporter concerns, and the eight minute YouTube clip of his first training session has ignited some excitement ahead of his first outing this Sunday against Sunderland.

We can only hope and pray that an unpopular hierarchy have got this one right. De Zerbi was perhaps the most talented manager available, but he's entering a situation unlike anything he's experienced before. Should he keep us up, the Italian will look to build a team capable of competing towards the other end of the Premier League table once again.

Van Hecke an inevitable transfer target for Spurs this summer

Prepare yourself because I'm going to contradict what I said to open up this piece.

I think it's an inevitability that we at least pursue one of De Zerbi's former players, Jan Paul van Hecke, this summer. It just makes too much sense.

No matter how our final seven games play out, there's an expectation that at least one of our 'star' centre-backs will leave the club. Most likely Cristian Romero, but Micky van de Ven has also been linked with a move away.

It's going to be a summer for rebuilding our defence, that's for sure, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario expected to depart, also. Luka Vuškovic is an exciting piece to build around, but we'll likely need another. We can't have another season of Radu Drăgușin earning meaningful minutes.

Ben Jacobs (via Spurs Army on X) linked us with Van Hecke last summer, but Brighton were supposedly unwilling to sell. Chelsea also had their eye on the Dutchman, who shone under De Zerbi on the south coast.

Van Hecke signed a contract extension with the Seagulls while the Italian was in charge, with De Zerbi appreciating the defender's "confidence" in possession. He was perhaps the most improved Brighton player of De Zerbi's exhilirating reign, and has since developed into a Dutch international. The 25-year-old has 10 caps for his country, and looks set to make their squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Should we stay up, there's no reason to suggest why Spurs, with his former manager at the helm, can't sweep Van Hecke off his feet. Sure, Brighton are the hipster's favourite, but there's a ceiling on what the Seagulls can achieve. I say this with the utmost respect, but they're always going to be below Tottenham Hotspur in the food chain.

If De Zerbi wants Van Hecke, he will be a Tottenham player come the start of 2026/27.

Every game is a must win for Tottenham Hotspur, but Sunday's road trip against Sunderland, in particular, is a chance to make a statement. For the first time, Roberto De Zerbi will roll up as the Spurs manager, and he has a lot of work to do, seeing as how Spurs are just one point above the Premier League relegation battle and coming off a horrendous 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest to go behind their opponents in the relegation race.

In a stroke of fortune for Spurs and a stoke of misfortune for the Black Cats, De Zerbi will not have to face two defensive stalwarts who have helped pull up Sunderland to being one of the Premier League's biggest overperformers as a promoted EFL Championship side that is nowhere near the same relegation fight Spurs find themselves in.

According to a report from the Sunderland Echo's Phil Smith, goalkeeper Robin Roefs - once rumored as a possible Spurs transfer target to replace Guglielmo Vicario - and another breakout star in center back Dan Ballard are seen as doubts for the Tottenham game. In fact, Smith terms Ballard as a "major doubt" for the match. He does believe that Roefs could be in play this weekend and has optimism for the Dutch shot stopper, but when it comes to Ballard, even he does not think it is worth it for Sunderland to risk him.

Tottenham's attack needs to wake up

As evidenced by the Tottenham Hotspur transfer interest in him, Roefs has been one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League this season and at the heart of Sunderland impressing. He has one of the best save percentages in the English top flight and has already been a leader for them.

Meanwhile, Ballard is a towering presence and just as impressive, defending at a high level alongside the likes of Nordi Mukiele. And he has proven useful on offense, too, good for the occasional decisive goal to aid the cause.

With Mohammed Kudus potentially coming back for Tottenham, even if only in a bench role as he eases his way back from a hamstring issue, the Spurs attack could be in for a real treat on Sunday and no excuse for Roberto De Zerbi to not get a point. Though Sunderland are better than Spurs this season, Tottenham have a more expensive squad, a fancy new manager, and now may not have to face two of Sunderland's best players.