Hotspur HQ

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and no team in European football is more desperate for results right now than Tottenham Hotspur. Squarelyin the Premier League relegation fight and coming off a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, Spurs made the decision to throw the farm at Roberto De Zerbi, replacing Igor Tudor with one of the bigger coaching names in the top five leagues.

De Zerbi is already paying dividends, and he has been leaning on the experienced players in the Spurs squad to get results. Tottenham have now made it three straight games without a loss after their previous streak read 15 straight matches without a win.

A big part of that turn around has been the immediate improvements experienced by center midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher. These two notable names have gone from massive disappointments and clear liabilities in the starting lineup to crucial cogs in the wheel who are controlling games, dominating defensively, winning the ball, progressing it, and helping Spurs drive forward and get key results.

Giving Pedro Porro some due

But though Gallagher and Bentancur are generating the most positive buzz among the Tottenham Hotspur fan base, even a player who has started virtually every game this season has enjoyd the benefits of Roberto De Zerbi in the dugout.

Right back Pedro Porro has been a workhorse this season, and while he has been one of Spurs most important players this season, that fact has felt, as with captain Cristian Romero, like a case of it being true by default.

Porro was honestly frustrating, too, with inaccurate crosses and brutal lapses of judgment and positioning defensively. But like Gallagher and Bentancur, Porro has been turning up the heat over the last couple of games and has been absolutely vital for Tottenham, shining at a very high level, particularly on the defensive side of things.

The Spanish international has registered a whopping seven combined tackles and interceptions in each of the last three positive results for Spurs in a row: the draw against Brighton and both wins over Wolves and Aston Villa. Pedro Porro has been a defensive stalwart, snapping into tackles and showing much better positioning and discipline to boot.

Offensively, he's been a solid creator still, too, registering four key passes in those three games, which is good for a right back. Porro has been flying under the radar, but he has been a huge bright spot for Tottenham lately in this upturn.

With only three matches left in the 2025/26 Premier League season and Spurs finally hitting high notes under Roberto De Zerbi now that they are out of the relegation places (for now), Spurs supporters are beginning their reflections upon this tortuous whirlwind of a season that has been the stuff of nightmares.

And one reality that is slowly sinking in for the Spurs faithful relates to striker Richarlison. A magnet for criticism, everyone knows that Richy hasn't come close to meeting expectations of his price tag, his past success and importance at Everton, or his theoretical level of quality.

But for all the frustrations about lacking all around play or inconsistency, Richarlison has probably been Spurs player of the season this season. Or if not the full on player of the season, he is very much a leading contender.

Richarlison is more valuable than people think

The only other two options who have played enough are Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero. Kudus is Spurs best player right now and this season for the games he played, but with only seven goal contributions and half the team's Premier League appearances, is he really the MVP? Captain Romero is another option, but, in all honesty, his season has been more of a hallmark of underperformance and disappointment; he's only a contender by default.

Again, Richarlison is not one of the best strikers in the Premier League, and Tottenham Hotspur should be upgrading on him this summer as a starter. But he has been the team's leading goal scorer this season with 10 goals on a side where nobody else has five. And for all the criticisms about not being as good of an all around striker as Dominic Solanke, his four assists are also a good bit better than everyone else besides Xavi Simons and Kudus who are tied in first with five assists. Because by the way, Dominic Solanke did not even have a single assist this season.

Richarlison is an easy target and easy to meme, but nobody can deny either the statistics or his effort. The Brazilian national team forward is one player you can never accuse of taking plays off, and he will fight to death for a team no matter their situation.

The goals and assists don't lie. A total of 14 goal contributions may not say a whole lot, and it is an embarrassment for Spurs that their leading goal scorer only has 10 on the Premier League season. But someone has to be the leader, and Richarlison has been the one man stepping up to take on that responsibility. And when you look at the context of the season, the basic stats, and how poorly the other forwards have played (or how many have not been healthy at all), Richy's case for being Spurs Player of the Season only becomes stronger.

Last week, we were drawing up starting lineups for 2026/27 with Troy Parrott leading the line. Now, supporters are dreaming of Roberto De Zerbi returning Tottenham Hotspur to the promised land.

Well, the majority of the fanbase remain cautiously optimistic. It's primarily rival supporters who have seen the work De Zerbi has done in north London and are projecting the Lilywhites to be a "problem" next season, should we remain in the top flight.

The signs are doubtless encouraging; we can't deny that. However, much can change in the space of three games. Crucially, De Zerbi isn't getting ahead of himself after overseeing a victory at Aston Villa that was laden with intensity, spirit, technical quality and tactical craft.

Perform as we did in the West Midlands for the remainder of May, and I have no doubt that the ultimate humiliation will be avoided. While Leeds United and Nottingham Forest took giant leaps towards safety on Friday and Monday, respectively, West Ham United had their momentum stifled by Brentford in west London.

It's us or them.

Spurs could be safe before they visit Chelsea in penultimate game

I'm not sure whether it's a benefit playing first on a matchday while you're in a relegation scrap. We saw how responding to your rival's result worked in our favour at the weekend. Spurs were doubtless encouraged by West Ham's defeat, knowing that a win at Villa Park would thrust them out of the relegation zone.

We moved a point clear of the Hammers with three games left. Predictions are rampant, although plenty had to be adjusted after the Lilywhites accidentally triumphed in the West Midlands.

This scrap is far from over, with Spurs' trip to Stamford Bridge looming over the club like the ominous raincloud for weeks. Chelsea are terrible, losing six Premier League games in a row, but our shoddy record at the Bridge can't be overlooked. I mean, we've won there once since the competition's inception in 1992.

Calum McFarlane could pick 11 supporters from the stands at random to face off against us, and I'm sure we'd find a way to succumb. Ideally, we don't want that midweek fixture to be decisive.

Fortunately, there is a world in which Spurs are safe before we make the short trip down to west London. West Ham play twice before that Tuesday night game, while De Zerbi's side host Leeds United, who are all but safe, next Monday.

Should West Ham lose against Premier League leaders Arsenal (COYG!) and then at Newcastle United the following week, Spurs would preserve their top-flight status by beating Leeds in between.

Now, that's far from a guarantee. Arsenal can seldom be trusted during the run-in, Leeds have been tough to beat in 2026 and Newcastle only recently ended their dreadful run of form. Thus, I wouldn't count your chickens, but there's nonetheless reason for encouragement.

This nightmare could be over very, very soon.

Although Tottenham Hotspur certainly were not pleased with Manchester City dropping points on Monday Night Football with a 3-3 draw with Everton that burns them a bit in the Premier League title race with rivals Arsenal, Spurs supporters are much more concerned with the battle at the other end of the table that actually involves them - the relegation fight.

And the bigger result on Monday for Spurs fans was Nottingham Forest, once again, flying high. In impressive fashion, Forest have now won five games on the trot, riding a 10 game undefeated streak with a sharp turn around fueled by more than just Chris Wood's Undertaker style rise from the grave. Forest are a far cry from the pushovers who were being run into the ground by former Spurs managers Ange Postecoglou and Nuno Espirito Santo.

Now, Forest are holding steady in 16th place, one spot above Tottenham, and their Monday night win over Spurs rivals Chelsea by a margin of 3-1 is a huge deal. It not only sends a psychological message to Spurs, who face Chelsea soon, but it also opens up a five point gap between themselves and the Lilywhites.

It's down to Tottenham and West Ham

So at this point, Spurs, who lost 3-0 to Nottingham Forest not long ago, are faced with a real truth with three games left in this Premier League relegation fight. They have no chance at catching Forest and Leeds, realistically, especially if Forest are only continuing their form - and given their success in Europe and standing last season, there is no reason to believe that this is a fluke with breakout players like Elliot Anderson still balling.

Tottenham Hotspur have to face the fact that, for them, the Premier League relegation fight is a two horse race. It is down to them and West Ham United. Nobody above them is going to falter and give them a Plan B escape route. They are going to have to outgun West Ham, and if the teams above them in the table like Leeds and Forest are playing this well, then Spurs must continue to hold a high standard.

Wolves and Burnley are already dead to rights. But West Ham, despite a 3-0 defeat to European contenders Brentford, are still snuck in one point behind Tottenham in 18th. Sure, Spurs have a 10 goal advantage in goal difference, but that is not something to take for granted at this point. Spurs are still in a tough spot.

Suddenly, there are storylines for Tottenham Hotspur fans to be proud of, and as they ride high from a 2-1 win over Aston Villa that pulled them out of the Premier League relegation places as part of a three game undefeated streak, there are several individual breakout performances recently under Roberto De Zerbi who are giving this club hope.

Young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky is chiefly among them. After a gruesome Champions League night against Atletico Madrid that sealed Spurs exit from the competition, Kinsky was seemingly a lost cause and destined for a transfer out of the N17 after the way in which he was fed to the lions by Igor Tudor - a mishap of man management that was the first hint for many Spurs fans that Tudor simply did not have the mustard to coach Tottenham.

A hernia to starting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, though, gave Kinsky the opportunity to come back, and it is not as if Vicario was showing any signs of rebounding - and the hernia pain alone could not be the full reason for the extent of his wishes when most of his problems appeared to be mental.

Antonin Kinsky is superior

Well, it has been a few games now of Antonin Kinsky starting in the Tottenham Hotspur goal, and with Vicario increasingly linked to Inter Milan in a summer transfer that is as good as imminent at this stage, Spurs clearly have no reason to deviate from the path of the Czech shot stopper between the sticks.

What Kinsky has done personally in bouncing back from his performance against Atletico Madrid to raise the floor for Tottenham in this relegation fight is nothing short of both extraordinary and inspirational, but it is also not a fluke.

Whereas Guglielmo Vicario was losing games and dropping points with horrendous distribution and mental errors, Slippy K has not let his guard down since that tragic evening in Spain. Kinsky's passing has been exquisite, and he has really put Vicario to shame in that regard.

Importantly, Roberto De Zerbi can do a lot more in terms of building play up and controlling possession when he has a goalkeeper who can pass effectively. Young and unproven as he may be, Kinsky has shown great vision and security with his passing, leading players into wide spaces that drive the ball forward with momentum from the start without losing the ball - something Vicario could only dream of as Tottenham goalkeeper.

As Tottenham Hotspur fans finally bask in some glory after a huge win over Aston Villa to now make it three straight fixtures without a defeat, even the players shining out on loan and giving Spurs hopes of a future iwth better days are enjoying life, too.

Luka Vuskovic recently returned from a knee injury to get some minutes for Hamburg against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, but the biggest news development goes to young winger Mikey Moore, whose now stellar loan spell with Rangers is being rewarded with some honors, too.

Tottenham fans are no doubt familiar with all the plaudits Vuskovic is earning as both the best young player and the best overall center back in the German top flight, but Moore has been getting Rangers fans to dream of a permanent move with how incredibly well he is playing.

Mikey Moore's stock is flying

And now, Mikey Moore has officially won the Scottish Premier League's award for the best young player of the season, stamping an official approval on a season that also has Tottenham Hotspur fans begging for him to come back and help save the day for an attack lacking excitement right now.

A healthy Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Xavi Simons, and WIlson Odobert with Mikey Moore and Mathys Tel alongside them on the wings sounds incredible. And if Tottenham can stay in the Premier League and bag an actual top striker to displace their veteran trio, then that will be all the better to seal the deal.

What has set Moore apart this season and made Rangers love the player is a lot of what Tottenham need to bring to the attack. He shows so much grit, toughness, and quality in the big games, as he is able to provide both excitement and end product in key moments while working and hustling with the intensity of a box to box midfielder.

Although Moore is not world class yet and still has a way's to go, the 18 year old attacking midfielder and winger has already made a huge mark on his loan in Scotland and was even a touted player at Tottenham the year before; he just needed to move on loan to get those regular minutes and responsibility of playing for a club every week.

Tottenham will almost certainly bring Moore back into the first team fold next season, and this honor as Scotland's best young player only seals his status as someone with the ability to elevate the Spurs attack in 2026/27.

For much of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur center midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was a liability. He could not exert enough influence over matches as Spurs would get overrun and drop results, with the experienced member of the midfield unable to create or even just meaningfully progress the ball.

Young Archie Gray stepped in his shoes and was so much better, even standing out as the team's clear best player during their worst of the descent into the Premier League relegation places. But surprisingly, immediately after Bentancur returned from a few months out of action, new manager Roberto De Zerbi reinserted the Uruguayan international into the starting lineup.

Although Spurs fans were initially confused and a bit miffed by this decision, time has proven De Zerbi right for trusting the keys of the midfield to the more experienced player, regardless of how Bentancur struggled under Thomas Frank for much of the season.

Rodrigo Bentancur has stepped up

De Zerbi is trusting his veterans to get Tottenham Hotspur out of Premier League relegation, and, so far, that trust is paying off. And he has done wonders with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur, turning them into pillars of the team.

So for Tottenham fans who bristled at the idea of Bentancur starting over a more talented Archie Gray who also has much more future upside, Bentancur has forced them to admit a truth that may have been an inconvenient one to ponder at the time. But by some manner of his ability to calmly preside over the Spurs overall game play, this Tottenham team is demonstrably better with Bentancur a part of the starting XI.

At least in this form under Roberto De Zerbi, Bentancur is one of the most important players on Tottenham with an influence that is impossible to ignore. Tottenham fans would have been surprised to know even six months ago that Bentancur would later become this pivotal in a relegation fight - or maybe even that Spurs would be at serious risk of relegation in the first place - but by now this is a factoid that the Lilywhites have come to embrace.

Bentancur is finding open players, and he is being much more brave than he was for Tottenham at the beginning of the season when he was severely disappointing, almost trying to hide behind the others to avoid stepping up with responsibility. But now, Bentancur has stepped it up, and Spurs are so much better off for it.

After watching Brentford hand them an apologetic gift for the Thomas Frank debacle in the form of a 3-0 thrashing of rivals West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur finally took care of business in a big game, defeating old top four rivals Aston Villa 2-1 on Sunday night in the Premier League to officially dig themselves out of the relegation places.

Spurs are not out of the woods just yet, but there is a real optimism in the air around the club for the first time since the beginning of the season when they beat Manchester City. New manager Roberto De Zerbi is getting results and getting his players to perform more confidently - and no player has turned it around more profoundly under De Zerbi than Conor Gallagher.

Derided as a monumental waste of money as he floundered miserably in his opening fixtures at the club, Gallagher is now playing the best football of his career since arguably his Crystal Palace days when he was making a name for himself as a top Premier League midfielder.

Conor Gallagher made the difference vs. Aston Villa

Gallagher scored an absolute belter of a goal against Aston Villa to really stamp home his improved form. He did more than just score, playing a genuinely great defensive game as a ball winner, and De Zerbi has truly gotten the best out of Gallagher as a box to box midfielder in ways that his predecessors could not at all.

Tottenham Hotspur still wiffed on the winter transfer window, and the improvements Conor Gallagher is making under Roberto De Zerbi do not change that. But it has been refreshing to see how De Zerbi has been able to turn one of the worst performing players on the team and a huge liability in the middle of the park into someone who is legitimately helping them get points on the board in this Premier League relegation battle.

More than just getting passable performances out of him, De Zerbi has turned Gallagher into one of the best players on Spurs right now. Gallagher is creating chances, genuinely impacting games with great individual plays, and maintaining more control over the midfield, particularly defensive control even when playing as a No. 10 in the formation.

Tottenham are now picking up wins on the board as a club, not just scrounging out draws, and while beating the worst team in the league is one thing, taking down Aston Villa is another entirely. Gallagher is a big part of the club's success.

Tottenham Hotspur were described as being in "dreamland" midway through the first half of Sunday night's all-important duel at Aston Villa.

Brentford's 3-0 win over West Ham United handed Spurs an opportunity to move out of the relegation zone, and Roberto De Zerbi's side grasped the chance with both hands. Many were out to lament Unai Emery's rotation and Villa's indifference, but it was the resurgent Lilywhites that exacerbated the hosts' woes.

Goals from the outstanding Conor Gallagher and Richarlison secured the points, with Emilliano Buendia's clever late header the only stain on a brilliant showing that'll universally encourage a fatalistic fanbase.

Key to our success in the West Midlands was a midfield pairing that was chastised and slandered under former manager Thomas Frank. However, with De Zerbi masterfully empowering his players and instilling belief, Rodrigo Bentancur, in particular, has rediscovered his slickest form.

Bentancur is performing like the No. 6 Tottenham needed all along

Bentancur suffered under Frank. The Uruguayan has dealt with an array of injuries since his 2022 pomp, and the iteration that manifested during the first half of 2025/26 paled in comparison to the elegant midfielder who once looked like one of the Premier League's tidiest.

After a period in midfield purgatory, Spurs have unlocked Bentancur utopia once more, and the engine room is rejuvenated as a result. The former Juventus star is the cool and composed head Tottenham required, with De Zerbi's reinstallation of confidence and self-belief aiding Bentancur's re-emergence as a critical figure.

He was limited to 65 minutes of magic on Sunday night before a fresh fitness concern brought his outing to a premature end. Given the slight dip in control that ensued, it was clear how important Bentancur was to our superb performance, and another injury blow, one that could end his season, would be ever so cruel.

However, those concerns were alleviated post-match by the manager, who said his No. 30 was simply "just tired". Bentancur and the equally shattered Randal Kolo Muani, whose U-turn from disinterest to 'Tottenham 'til he dies' has been pretty remarkable, made way for Djed Spence and Yves Bissouma.

With eight days to prepare for Leeds United's visit next Monday night, Bentancur should be absolutely fine. Those who feared what his reunion alongside Palhinha would produce at Villa Park will rejoice if that's the duo De Zerbi opts for against Daniel Farke's physical outfit. The Italian's got the boys playing again.

While everyone has been busy worrying over James Maddison's return to action, perhaps Tottenham's midfield saviour has already arrived. After Frank convinced the world he was no good, Rodrigo Bentancur has got his swagger back, folks.

The injury crisis that has ravaged Tottenham Hotspur this season is nothing like we have seen before, and Spurs supporters had already become accustomed to a rash of injuries the last few seasons. But now with Cristian Romero, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Dominic Solanke, and Wilson Odobert all out for the rest of the season (the jury is still out on Solanke technically) on top of all the other injuries this season (big and small, including James Maddison only just working his way back from last season's torn ACL), Spurs have been destroyed.

But there are small hopes for Roberto De Zerbi to keep in his mind as positives. Beyond Maddison returning, Rodrigo Bentancur already came back to the Tottenham midfield from his multi month injury due to a hamstring tear, and he is playing his best football of the season. And soon, Pape Matar Sarr is returning to the middle of the park, too, after missing a few games.

Luka Vuskovic is back

There is one more injury return that Tottenham can technically consider a positive, even though he can't actually help Spurs right now in the relegation fight. But after missing the last few games with a knee injury and getting bit by an injury bug despite being a country or two over, budding superstar center back Luka Vuskovic was quietly back on the bench for Hamburg this weekend in the Bundesliga.

Hamburg won the match 2-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Croatian international was able to enter the match for the final 15 minutes or so without any issues. Again, Vuskovic is not a Tottenham Hotspur player right now, but he could be in just a few months and is a member of the organiztion on their books. So while his injury return does not help save Tottenham from relegation, it is always great news to hear that the most valuable long term player in the club is healthy again.

Vuskovic will probably play with his brother at Hamburg for one more season, but then Tottenham really need to make sure they are in the Premier League by the time he is ready to join them or any other big club. Because Vuskovic is the next big thing in world football and is already one of the best players at any position in the Bundesliga. Just knowing he is a Tottenham player and is back to health is a real positive for Spurs fans.