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Tottenham Hotspur have been horrendous this season and would merit relegation from the Premier League solely on the basis of the merits of their performances, so, by and large, they can have no complaints about going down if that is indeed their destiny on Sunday when they battle Everton in the final Matchday of the nightmare 2025/26 season.

However, Spurs fans are not wrong in their belief that a lot of things have worked against them this season. The sheer number, magnitude, and character of the players injured this season has been devastating and irrecoverable, but Spurs fans are also upset at a lot of the calls that have gone against their way.

And on Sunday with everything on the line against the Toffees, Tottenham Hotspur will have to put their faith in the hands of a referee who has already made a couple of major, highly controversial calls against them on the big stage.

Tottenham and the refs do not have a good relationship

Michael Oliver will officially be the referee for Tottenham vs. Everton on Sunday afternoon, and he is one of the biggest names among officials in the Premier League, getting to preside over some of the biggest matches in international football as well.

But Oliver is also one of the most controversial refs. Perhaps that is because he is in the spotlight so much due to the profile of matches he officiates, but Tottenham fans will tell you that it's also because he has missed some big calls.

Oliver was the one who made the infamous Randal Kolo Muani "push" call on Gabriel Magalhaes in the North London Derby that led to a disallowed goal. He also gave Cristian Romero a red card against Manchester United that totally derailed things, which many Spurs fans viewed as being a soft call against their captain.

Although Tottenham fans have legitimate gripes about the refs, which occurred again last week after James Maddison was clearly fouled in the box for a potential penalty that never went to VAR, Michael Oliver is not going to be the reason why Spurs are relegated - just as those calls are not the reasons why Tottenham failed to win any of those aforementioned games.

Still, when it rains it pours, and every single person is liable to get backlash from Tottenham supporters when things don't go their way, and it's not like they have needed any extra help in losing. But when so many in the media are openly rooting against Spurs and so many want to see the monumental moment of such a big club going down, it's hard not to wonder if it's not an outright conspiracy, that implicit bias is dealing an unjust hand to the Lilywhites.

James Maddison finally made his highly anticipatd return to the pitch for Tottenham Hotspur last week against Leeds United, coming on for a handful of minutes in an important match. Although he could not give Spurs the winning goal in such a short amount of time, Maddison immediately looked a cut above his teammates, elevating the technical level of the attack significantly.

So there were high hopes for him against Chelsea on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge, and whiie Madders did not score or assist in increased action with about 20-25 minutes played, the former Leicester City star, once again, looked much more composed and dangerous on the ball than his teammates.

Because Maddison was able to play a bit more against Chelsea than he did against Leeds without any issues, fans are hoping that Tottenham will be able to start their best current available player for the final game of the season on Sunday against Everton, which is a do or die proposition for the Lilywhites. if Spurs do not get at least a draw, then they can probably kiss the Premier League goodbye with West Ham United closin their 2025/26 campaign against Leeds.

James Maddison is not at full strength

However, by his own admission, it does not sound like James Maddison will be able to make that unlikely start. He told reporters after the loss to Chelsea, via the official Tottenham Hotspur web site, that he is not 100 percent.

Maddison said, “I felt good, yes. I've obviously been out for a long time, so I don't feel 100% sharp and fit, but I felt pretty good. That's why it's disappointing we didn't get anything out of the game, because I felt like we were pushing and I felt involved in that but, like I said, just that lack of quality in the front third just let us down on a few moments in a game where we probably should have got something, I think.”

While it is great that Maddison feels "pretty good" out there, it's obvious that he isn't 100 percent after only getting 26 minutes in total under his belt so far after missing a year with a torn ACL, which gets to be a bigger deal for a player like him who is nearing the age of 30.

So any Tottenham fan expecting Maddison to play even 60 minutes against Everton, even with no further games and everything on the line, may need to have their expectations significantly adjusted. He's still not ready.

Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for a goalkeeper this summer, with recent reports suggesting that the club are widening their search beyond the Premier League.

Guglielmo Vicario is set to move on after another injury-hit season in north London. A hernia saw his level of performance drop drastically in 2026 before he finally underwent surgery during the March international break.

Antonín Kinsky has come in for Spurs' No. 1 and recovered remarkably well from his Champions League disaster at Atlético Madrid, even if he was slow to react to Enzo Fernández's strike from distance on Tuesday night. Overall, the Czech has been a huge positive since Roberto De Zerbi took the reins.

Vicario returned to training last week and was available for the Chelsea game on Tuesday, but De Zerbi stuck with Kinsky. We can safely say that the former Empoli goalkeeper has already played his final game for the club, with Inter Milan his most likely destination this summer.

Now, who Spurs can get in will depend on whether they earn a point at home to Everton on Sunday (or if West Ham United fail to beat Leeds United). Stay in the top flight, and the Lilywhites have every right to aggressively target Vicario's successor. Championship football would likely see Kinsky emerge as our No. 1.

Tottenham scouting beaten Europa League finalist to replace Vicario

A range of familiar Premier League faces have been linked, including James Trafford, Robin Roefs and Bart Verbruggen. I'd be content with any of these starting between the posts in north London next season, but Spurs aren't exclusively scouting goalkeepers in the English top-flight.

The net is now being cast towards the rest of the continent, starting with Freiburg's Noah Atubolu, who was powerless to prevent Aston Villa running riot in the Europa League final on Wednesday night.

The 6'3 23-year-old has only had a so-so season statistically in what's his third as Freiburg's No. 1, but there are intangibles to cherish.

After a series of mistakes at the start of his senior career, Atubolu has started to flourish in the Black Forest. An imposing figure between the posts, the young-stopper is solid all-around. There are no flashy attributes that create a false impression (other than his penalty-saving abilities). Atubolu is consistent and good enough with his feet to survive under De Zerbi. You'd ideally want someone more assertive from crosses, but he backs his impressive reflexes to deal with any trouble that arises. Premier League teams may target his passivity, though.

I think he's good, not outstanding. His steady improvement at Freiburg is encouraging, though. Still, I'd prefer one of the Premier League options that could be on the table.

We awoke on Thursday morning a year on from one of the club's most glorious nights. Bilbao was supposed to be the launchpad for an era more prosperous, having broken a 17-year major trophy duck.

His methods deemed unsustainable, Ange Postecoglou was let go in favour of supposed floor-raiser Thomas Frank. The Dane's disastrous reign, one that was allowed to drag on for at least a month or two too long, has helped thrust Tottenham Hotspur into a stunning state of jeopardy.

We don't need to mull over the decisions and misfortune that have led to the current unbearable situation. Roberto De Zerbi's improved outfit require just a point on home soil against a slumping Everton on Sunday to stay in the Premier League. Defeat will open the door for West Ham United to pounce, whose back-to-back defeats meant we had the chance to all but secure our safety at Chelsea on Tuesday night.

But Spurs did what they almost always do at Stamford Bridge, and found a way to succumb. The following night, Aston Villa followed our success in Spain by thumping Freiburg 3-0 to win the 2026 Europa League.

Did their success in Istanbul take the shine of Spurs' triumph a year ago?

Concerning trend of Premier League dominance in Europe

Villa's cruise in the Turkish capital hasn't dispelled Tottenham supporters' Basque memories. We'll always have that occasion to look back upon with the utmost fondness.

In wider football discourse, though, there's undeniably a worrying pattern of Premier League supremacy. While Europe's premier divisions have each had their time in the sun, enjoying their own spells of superiority, the Premier League's emergence as the continent's dominant force is almost purely financial, and the gap between the rest of the continent's big leagues is only widening.

Since 2021, nine English clubs have been involved in a final of at least one of the three UEFA club competitions. We've now had back-to-back Europa League winners, and Crystal Palace could become the third Premier League club to win the Conference League in five editions.

At the apex, continental behemoths that trump the monetary might of England's wealthiest have been able to offer some resistance. Still, Arsenal have ground their way to this season's Champions League final, and there have been two English winners this decade.

So, in the grand scheme of things, Tottenham's Europa League victory seemingly arrived as a by-product of the Premier League's resource advantage over its competitors. Success on the continent has come to be expected, and the "greatest nights" in Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion's respective histories are surely on the horizon.

UEFA's desire for expansion has ultimately diluted the Europa League's quality. While I was never a fan of Champions League teams dropping down after finishing third in the group, it did enliven the competition's knockout stages.

In that sense, Tottenham's triumph was doubtless less impressive than it would've been even five years before, but as I've already mentioned, that's for the neutral to mull over. N17 will shrug its shoulders.

We don't have to feel anything after Villa's return to glory. Well, other than the angst and agony as we wait for Sunday to arrive.

There is no question that Luka Vuskovic has been one of the best players in the Bundesliga this season and a massive success for Tottenham Hotspur with how much his stock has improved in just his first season at the senior level.

Vuskovic's loan term with Hamburg has ended after a wildly successful 2025/26 season in which he became a beloved figure at the club, but there is still a total lack of clarity on his future. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and other big clubs have been linked and would surely love to get their hands on the best young center back in world football - a prospect so good he has legends like Lothar Matthaus raving about him and is scoring free kick goals.

But Vuskovic himself has always said he wants to play with his brother at Hamburg, as they were unable to actually get minutes together in the 2025/26 season because of Mario's suspension. Nowadays, Vuskovic is saying that he is a Tottenham player and confirming he will be at the club in 2026, yet he is still sending mixed messages to the club by making it seem like he does want to stay.

Luka Vuskovic's future is still a bit murky

Luka Vuskovic most recently commented, via Football.London, “I’m torn. On the one hand, I’m happy because a lot of what was agreed upon with Tottenham has come to fruition in Hamburg. But I’m also sad because I really want to stay here. As you know, it’s my wish to play for HSV alongside my brother Mario. But in football, you can’t have everything you want. I’ll be a Tottenham player again starting this summer.”

On the one hand, Vuskovic continues to affirm that he will be a Tottenham player, though, in truth, he has always been a Tottenham player and should have always felt that way despite being on loan to Hamburg for one season with nothing else agreed.

It is understandable that Vuskovic wants to play with his brother, and it seems like he understands that things don't always work out that way due to circumstances out of people's control, such as the suspension handed to Mario.

Tottenham Hotspur want Vuskovic to be in their first team and motivated to be there. And whlie it sounds like Vuskovic is and is a driven individual, it may be better for Spurs to let him have that extra season at Hamburg to continue to develop other areas of his game, especially as Bundesliga attackers and coaches respond to his skill set. Spurs can kick the can on the road with his decision, too, though, of course, that's all easier said than done if Cristian Romero leaves and Vuskovic would thus waltz into the starting XI.

With the season on the line, Tottenham Hotspur, once again, could not get the job done. At a critical moment in their history with Premier League survival on the line, Spurs took a trip to Stamford Bridge and got pummeled 2-1, failing to secure the point they needed. And now, Matchday 38 against Richarlison's former employers Everton will be a desperate affair for Roberto De Zerbi's men.

So many key players for Tottenham were atrocious as Chelsea joined Arsenal in sweeping their Big Six London rivals this season, and whlie most of the negative attention is rightfully on Randal Kolo Muani and a woefully inept front line, center midfielder Conor Gallagher named himself back among the worst performers of the night.

Gallagher seemed like a rejuvenated man under De Zerbi, and there was actually optimism that the former Chelsea midfielder would be able to exact revenge on his former employers. But on the same night that the player who replaced his importance to Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez, contributed to both of the goals, Gallagher contributed nothing to the Tottenham Hotspur cause in defeat.

Conor Gallagher has too many limitations

Although Roberto De Zerbi helped make Conor Gallagher look more effective these last couple of weeks, Tottenham learned a bitter lesson that even a great manager can't make a subpar player look great when the competition steps up. De Zerbi's tactical tweaks may have worked in helping Gallagher and covering up his problems against the mid table sides, but against a Chelsea team with quality midfielders like Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo, and World Cup winner Enzo, Gallagher got exposed for what he is.

He's just not a great footballer. Gallagher is mediocre at best, and there are limits to how much De Zerbi can manufacture positive circumstances for him. He can't create the chances every time for Gallagher or be the one on the pitch executing for the English midfielder, and that showed with Chelsea totally blanketing him on the pitch.

And it's obvious when you watch a player with James Maddison's football IQ and technical quality that there is a huge gap between Gallagher and an actual top midfielder, and that gap is actually the very same reason why Chelsea sold Gallagher and gave the keys to the kingdom to Enzo, even firing Mauricio Pochettino in part because he was misguided in his love for Gallagher. And maybe that is a lesson De Zerbi needs to make sure he takes with him into the summer transfer window, too.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are seething after watching their beloved team squander their big chance to make an impression against London rivals Chelsea and secure the point they so desperately need to beat West Ham United out in the Premier League relegation fight.

Spurs flopped with a 2-1 loss to Chelsea to help the Blues join Arsenal in completing a season sweep, and while pretty much the entire team stunk up Stamford Bridge, no single player lacked fight and quality as much as make shift right winger Randal Kolo Muani.

The French striker has been atrocious since arriving from PSG on loan, because aside from his hat trick against PSG in a losing effort, he's done very little for this club. And Tottenham Hotspur are rapidly realizing what they should have known months ago - though, in fairness, Roberto De Zerbi was probably optimstic he could coax a rebound from the striker - that they simply cannot keep giving this guy minutes, especially with so much on the line.

Pedro Porro is a better option

Problematically, Spurs have no real options. If Dominic Solanke cannot start against Everton, Kolo Muani is one of the only three forwards who can start in a 4-3-3, and with the season on the line, Roberto De Zerbi probably isn't going to change the formation. And even if Solanke is back from injury vs. the Toffees, how can he or Richarlison play on the right wing?

The answer is unorthodox but pretty simple. To get Randal Kolo Muani out of the starting lineup without starting Richy or Solanke on the right wing, Spurs are going to have to move the resurgent Pedro Porro up to the right wing position, given he is more of a wing back anyway, and then reinsert Djed Spence into the starting lineup. What that means for Destiny Udogie at left back is unclear (Souza is better than Spence on that side anyway), but it is clear that anything is better than Kolo Muani at this point.

Maybe Spence at right wing would be preferable to RKM, but it's much better for Spurs to give Porro a go in an attacking position with no other alternatives and to let Spence play on his more comfortable side as the defensive right back behind him. That is a better strategy for Tottenham, because even though it isn't ideal to have Porro as the right winger, the Spanish international is a far better option than whatever the heck Kolo Muani is doing out there.

Tottenham Hotspur embarrassed themselves once more on Tuesday night with their season still very much on the line, as they lost 2-1 to rivals Chelsea to complete not only a season sweep defeat against the newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal, but also to their other big London rivals with the blue lion on their crest.

Spurs have been able to get results under Roberto De Zerbi despite a weak squad and an even worsening injury crisis that may be the worst we have seen in European football at any club in years, but even as De Zerbi has gotten marked improvements out of the midfield and some of the defensive stars, there is one weakness that is so horrible he cannot even come close to fixing it: the attack.

The Tottenham Hotspur front line on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge consisted of the same group as usual with Dominic Solanke still out injured at the 9. Richarlison started in the middle, Mathys Tel played on the left, and Randal Kolo Muani started on the right hand side with Conor Gallagher behind them as the 10 with James Maddison still not fit enough to start matches for Spurs.

Roberto De Zerbi can't do everything

All three of the starting forwards were beyond awful. Richarlison's form has dipped again at the worst possible time, offering no real threat to Chelsea up top with a weak performance in response to Carlo Ancelotti deservingly casting him out of the 2026 World Cup squad.

Worse yet were the showings of the wingers Tel and Kolo Muani. The latter barely needs any more remonstration than he has already received from the Spurs faithful. Kolo Muani has been shocking and one of the worst players Tottenham fans have ever seen masquerading as a footballer at their beloved club with a shameful lack of both quality and effort. And though Mathys Tel has quality, the young Frenchman had one of his worst games of the season for Chelsea.

Attacking quality is one of those thing you either have or don't and can display consistently at an individual level. Everyone knows Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, and especially Randal Kolo Muani are not good enough, and the players who are good enough like James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, and Xavi Simons have been injured. Then there is Mathys Tel, who could be good enough but maybe will never be - and clearly isn't ready yet, as evidenced by Chelsea. Roberto De Zerbi can only do so much with what he has; he can't score the goals or make the passes for the forwards.

Tottenham Hotspur had a golden opportunity to prove that things really have changed against superior competition under Roberto De Zerbi, but instead of avenging their putrid 1-0 loss to rivals Chelsea earlier this season, Tottenham lost to the Blues again 2-1 on Tuesday night to leave them with everything to do on Matchday 38 this weekend vs. Everton.

So any Tottenham players continue to do the opposite of covering themselves in glory, and while there are a number of veteran players how have improved their stock under De Zerbi and showed they are not finished at the club, Destiny Udogie has been an exception to the rule.

Even though Udogie had actually been playing well for Spurs under Thomas Frank, fans were raising the utility of keeping him around this summer if they can never rely on a player who is almost always injured. Udogie has been in and out of the lineup so many times this season with nagging injuries, and after Spurs signed Souza in January - and with Andrew Robertson apparently on the way if Spurs can survive the drop this weekend - Udogie is starting to look superfluous.

Destiny Udogie is tanking his future

And he looked worse than that for Tottenham Hotspur against Chelsea. Udogie made head scratching errors and errant passes, and while he did work hard defensively, he didn't work smart, often having to back track of his own mistakes or mental errors positionally.

Udogie has genuinely regressed throughout the 2025/26 season for Tottenham, going from one of the most important players on Spurs to getting Spurs fans to yearn for Djed Spence returning to the starting lineup in his stead.

The Italian international is running into a cross roads in his Tottenham career at this point, and his performance against Chelsea was, at best, befuddling and, at worst, infuriating to the Spurs fans who were screaming at the poor decisions and basic technical failures he committed in the loss to Chelsea.

Tottenham need to drive forward as a sporting project with players they can rely on to stay healthy, be consistent, and compete at the highest level of English football. Udogie can, in theory, be that player and as been that player, but with Spurs as poor as they have been this season, the final games of the campaign are a referendum on everyone. And Udogie is, admittedly, badly failing his test, to the point where Spurs fans are questioning everything.

Calling the 2025/26 Premier League season a "brutal" one for Tottenham Hotspur would be an understatement. Spurs have been an embarrassment to the crest, falling to a level that we have honestly never seen from a club of this size and financial power, and if Spurs were to survive relegation on the final day, then it would be down to luck and West Ham United's futility rather than anything they have truly done positively.

These last few weeks, new manager Roberto De Zerbi has at least been able to get Tottenham within shouting distance of safety, and he has done all he can to revive the club, getting rebound performances out of several key veteran players. One of them? Defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha, signed last summer on loan from Bayern Munich, and the Portuguese international is back on good form again with De Zerbi touting him as a player he wants to keep - permanently.

But even Palhinha, though he has been important to Tottenham Hotspur this season, isn't quite good enough in the grand scheme of things. To wit, the Portuguese national team announced its squad for the 2026 World Cup, and Joao Palhinha is officially not on it.

Portugal know the truth about Palhinha

No Tottenham supporter, not even manager Roberto De Zerbi who appears to be one of his biggest fans, can be surprised by this at all. Not only do Portugal have one of the most stacked midfielders in world football with PSG Champions League finalist duo Joao Neves and Vitinha among the stars, but Palhinha hasn't been remotely good enough to be on the squad of one of the best national teamsin the world right now.

Palhinha is a great athlete, especially for his age, and a strong defender who can win the ball, but his passing, positional value, and overall quality on the ball are pretty lacking for a player starting for a club the size of Tottenham. And like many of his teammates, Palhinha's importance to Spurs, especially in the stretch of the Premier League relegation battle, is really an indictment on how low the overall quality of this squad is.

The jury is still out on whether or not Palhinha will stay at Tottenham this summer, and most fans would probably rather look elsewhere then pay Bayern potentially 25 million pounds for a mediocre defensive midfielder who is a rotational player at best. And this snub from Portugal is the latest example that others in world football don't view Palhinha as a top player who should have ever had a Bayern Munich pedigree.