Football365

The race for the Champions League and the relegation battle have both become much clearer after an absolutely disastrous weekend for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

We can confidently say the top five is as good as set. It will be Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool – probably in that order.

Yes, it’s a fun part of a pretty mad Premier League season, especially with so many clubs punching above their weight, but the two biggest stories are undoubtedly the title race and Tottenham’s fight against relegation.

It’s quite hard to put into words just how disastrous a weekend it has been for the north Londoners.

For the first time this season, Spurs looked like a team who knew they were in a relegation battle in Saturday’s home match against Brighton and Hove Albion.

They were actually pretty good against the Premier League’s in-form team.

The result, however, was probably their most painful in an excruciating campaign.

An injury-time Brighton equaliser denied Spurs their first win in the Premier League this year, leaving them a point behind 17th-placed West Ham United, who play their game in hand against Crystal Palace on Monday night.

They face an injury-ravaged Palace team on the back of a tough Europa Conference League match against Fiorentina, which was followed by a celebratory night out in Florence.

So they are missing multiple important players and are hungover? Literally nothing is going Spurs’ way.

That game hasn’t even happened yet and Spurs fans have already accepted their fate.

Their one ray of hope was Nottingham Forest’s home game against Burnley on Sunday. We are really, really stretching with the word ‘hope’, by the way.

Forest were the strong favourites on paper but made hard work of what should have been a routine victory. Of course, when you’re in the bottom four at this stage of the season, routine victories are an extreme rarity.

Up 1-0 at half-time, Burnley were exposing themselves as the only Premier League team who want Spurs to stay up. Either form showed or the Clarets realised what they were denying us, because they were put to the sword in the second period.

Because this is Tottenham, it was Morgan Gibbs-White – who was agonisingly close to joining the Londoners last summer – who turned things around with a 15-minute hat-trick.

Two brilliant right-footed finishes followed by a precise header earned Vitor Pereira’s side a 4-1 home victory and a five-point buffer between themselves and Spurs.

It’s a catastrophic weekend for Spurs, made even more depressing by the false hope they were given by Xavi Simons’ belter against Brighton and Zian Flemming’s opener at the City Ground.

At this point, you have to question whether this is a social experiment.

We can safely assume Forest and Leeds United are safe. Because Spurs won’t help themselves, they need Palace to do them a solid against West Ham.

The way this weekend is going for Spurs, that obviously will not happen.

They are down, aren’t they? Bloody hell.

Joe Hart feels Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi are “really impressive” and they are “not the Spurs we have been used to” in a good way after the draw against Brighton.

Spurs have been in trouble for a while. That trouble has looked recently like it might almost be too much to handle, with the north London club’s loss against Sunderland on April 12 ensuring they remained in the Premier League relegation places, where they dropped down after West Ham beat Wolves to climb above them.

The Sunderland loss was the first of new manager De Zerbi’s tenure, and it looked like after his first loss, he might have been about to follow that up with his first victory, against Brighton, on Saturday.

Tottenham were 2-1 up as the 90 minutes passed, but in a hefty chunk of added time, Georgino Rutter scored to level the game at 2-2, ensuring Spurs are still 18th, one point below the Hammers.

Though Tottenham didn’t gain a crucial three points, former goalkeeper Hart feels there were positives to take from the game.

He said on Match of the Day: “He has identified what he doesn’t want to see, but what he wanted to see was to get that stadium rocking.

READ: Two relegations delayed by bumbling Spurs as Simons’ saviour moment wasted by team-mate

“The way that they pressed was really good, really impressive in fact. It is not the Spurs we have been used to; it is not the Spurs we have seen this season.

“He wanted to set the atmosphere: every single one of his players is running forward with intent, blocking passing lanes, and forcing Brighton to be perfect.”

There is positivity in that, as if every side who plays Spurs have to be perfect between now and the end of the season, there’s a good chance the struggling side will pick up some vital points.

READ: Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi insists relegation ‘not the problem’ but he will leave on one condition

But with that said, Tottenham made strides but still were not able to get over the line against Brighton, despite being 2-1 up after the initial 90 minutes had passed.

As such, even if they play to a good level, there’s a sense that they could still let clubs back into games. With only five games to go, and two of those coming against top-six clubs, in Aston Villa and Chelsea, opportunities to get the points they so desperately need are slipping away.

Kevin Danso and Tottenham Hotspur have reacted to the racist social media abuse suffered by the centre-back after his late error cost the club three crucial points against Brighton on Saturday.

Spurs looked on course for a maiden win under new boss Roberto De Zerbi, and a first Premier League victory of 2026, after Xavi Simons scored with a spectacular 77th-minute strike to give them a 2-1 lead.

However, a lapse in concentration by Danso, who had possession pinched from him inside the box by Jan Paul van Hecke that led to Georginio Rutter firing in a stoppage-time equaliser, broke Tottenham hearts.

The result leaves the north London outfit sitting in the relegation zone, with only five games remaining to save themselves from dropping into the second tier of English football for the first time in 50 years.

After the final whistle, Danso was visibly distraught and had to be consoled by his teammates.

And the Austria international has revealed that he has seen the racist comments aimed at him, but that the intended abuse ‘will not define him’.

Danso wrote on Instagram: “Not the result we needed yesterday. We gave everything, we learn and we move. I’ve also seen the comments. The racist abuse has no place in this game or anywhere. But it doesn’t define me, and it won’t distract me from what is important. I know who I am, what I stand for, and why I play.

“Now it’s about staying focused, working harder, and coming back stronger for the next games. We keep pushing, we keep believing, and we give our all every single time we step on that pitch. Stronger. Together. On to the next.”

Meanwhile, a club statement from Tottenham on the abuse aimed at Danso, read: “Since yesterday’s fixture against Brighton, which took place during the Premier League’s No Room For Racism weekend, Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media.

“We have heard and seen vile, dehumanising racism. Behaviour that is without doubt a criminal offence. It will not be tolerated.

“The club is taking immediate action. We are reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police and to the appropriate authorities in the country where perpetrators reside, as well as to relevant social media platforms.

“We will push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify.”

READ NEXT: Roberto De Zerbi insists relegation ‘not the problem’ but he will leave on one condition

De Zerbi’s Spurs will now head to bottom club Wolves on April 25 before a trip to Aston Villa and then the visit of Leeds United on May 11.

Anything less than a win at Molineux could see the gap to safety grow even larger.

It was a stark, painfully revealing quote. But it was not difficult to see why Roberto De Zerbi purposely downgraded himself from his position as the third best-paid coach in the Premier League to that of glorified cheerleader and psychologist.

This is why “the target now is to win one game”, why a Champions League club has to “work on one win”, why the Europa League winners are being promised by their newly-appointed firefighter that “if we are able to win a game everything will change”.

The opportunity to witness that change remains elusive. Spurs, again, were much improved under De Zerbi. Spurs, again, could not translate that into a victory. Spurs, again, wilted when the chance was there to transform their season.

In the circumstances, there could hardly have been a more crushing result. Spurs have lost 20 games this season and likely not felt as dejected as after a home draw in which they led twice, enjoyed an emotional release of shirt-removing magnitude and held on for dear life until the 95th minute.

Spurs would have risen to 16th with those three points, even if only temporarily. Nottingham Forest hosting Burnley and West Ham travelling to a Crystal Palace side which was on the lash Just Days Before their Monday evening game made this a potentially ruinous weekend for their hopes of survival.

And for a time they rose to that occasion. Spurs had by far the better start, took a deserved lead through Pedro Porro and hit the post almost immediately after.

It was the first time Spurs had been ahead in a Premier League game since March 5, when they conceded within six minutes of taking the lead against Palace and eventually lost 3-1. They held on for four before Brighton equalised through a stunning Kaoru Mitoma volley.

A finish of exquisite quality, it nevertheless was only made possible by the amount of space afforded to Pascal Gross as he swung in a pinpoint delivery to the back post; only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kevin de Bruyne have more Premier League assists than the German since he made his Brighton debut, so it might have been an idea to close him down a little.

That was Brighton’s second shot of the game. Three more followed early in the second half but Spurs sustained the pressure and eventually offered the perfect response.

“He has to score, he has to make assists and he has to run without the ball,” De Zerbi said of Simons in his pre-match press conference, with the Dutchman ticking each box here. His lofted ball in for Pedro was sublime, his curling finish off the post to Spurs ahead was exemplary, and there was enough running to induce cramp for the final ten minutes or so as his side tried to close the result out.

Simons might still prove to be a £52m bargain. He also might be playing Lincoln and Stevenage in the league next season, because still in 2026, one Premier League win is a mountain Spurs cannot climb.

Brighton’s second stoppage-time equaliser was devastating. Jan Paul van Hecke atoned for his error in losing the ball for Spurs’ second by muscling out Kevin Danso – who inexplicably took a touch to control Yankuba Minteh’s cross instead of simply clearing the ball – before turning and playing in the largely goalless Georginio Rutter to finish exquisitely.

Neither he nor Mitoma had scored for Brighton since January; that both of their most recent goals at club level had come against Burnley was fitting. Spurs are a relegation team and belong in such company.

Burnley, of course, have won this year. Wolves, too, with this result merely postponing their drop to the Championship. They would have been down had Spurs won, but such an outcome doesn’t actually appear to be possible any more.

Roberto De Zerbi has clarified his future at Tottenham Hotspur and has admitted that he will leave the club on one condition.

De Zerbi recently returned to the Premier League to join Spurs, having been tasked with saving the north London side from relegation.

The former Marseille and Brighton boss was initially against the idea of joining Spurs before the summer, but he made a U-turn after being offered ludicrous terms by the struggling Premier League side.

The Italian manager failed to inspire an immediate upturn in his first game in charge, with Spurs suffering a 1-0 loss to Sunderland. They are now 18th in the Premier League and without a league win this year.

This means Spurs face the increasingly real threat of relegation from the Premier League, but De Zerbi has insisted that another factor will decide his future.

READ: Big Weekend: Manchester City v Arsenal, Enzo Fernandez, Roberto De Zerbi, Everton

When asked by reporters whether he will remain at Spurs regardless of what league they are in next season, De Zerbi said: “The problem is not the league.

“The problem is to keep the relationship with the board and to have the same ideas in the project.”

De Zerbi was then pressed to clarify that having a strong relationship with the Spurs hierarchy and being aligned on ambitions, rather than league situation, is the key factor regarding his future. To which, he responded: “Yes. Everyone on the same page”.

Ahead of Saturday’s match against Brighton, De Zerbi has sent a clear warning to his players and personally called out several key stars.

“I have to get to know my players better and better every week,” De Zerbi said on Friday.

“We have no time to lose. We have no time to understand the problems we have this season. We have to be focused just on the next game. Transfer confidence.

“I can bring my philosophy of football. But also working to create a good atmosphere, a good relationship with the players. In this moment of football, the qualities of the players are important. But the spirit, the relationship between the players is too.

“We have to feel everyone’s responsibility in this situation. And we can’t cry. We have to push to get out of this situation.

“We need players with personality and character. Otherwise they don’t play with me.”

On players who need to step up, De Zerbi added: “I would like Micky van de Ven to reach this level. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is a leader. Palhinha is another.

“I would like to push with [Dominic] Solanke because he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League. I want him to become stronger as a personality and a character on the pitch.

“Xavi Simons is very young, but is a leader on the ball because he has personality. He has the right character to receive the ball when the ball is hot. But we need characters and personalities.”

Tottenham are looking to sign Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer at the end of the season, according to reports.

Spurs have been in awful form this season with the north Londoners failing to win a Premier League match since the turn of the year, leaving them in serious relegation trouble.

West Ham’s comprehensive 4-0 win over Wolves, couple with Tottenham‘s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland last weekend saw Spurs drop into the relegation zone and cut adrift.

Tottenham are now two points from safety with just six matches remaining, to leave many neutral fans salivating at the prospect of Spurs playing in the Championship next season.

Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is one player who has come in for plenty of criticism this season, while back-up stopper, Antonin Kinsky, clearly needs some more experience before being considered Tottenham’s number one going forward.

And now the Daily Telegraph have claimed that Tottenham are ‘tracking’ Leeds goalkeeper Darlow as they look to improve that department in the summer.

READ: Big Weekend: Manchester City v Arsenal, Enzo Fernandez, Roberto De Zerbi, Everton

As well as Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, Darlow is one of the players that Tottenham are attempting to bring in on a free transfer.

The Telegraph wrote: ‘The club could revive a move for Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson, who they tried to sign in January, and are believed to be tracking Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow.

‘Like Senesi and Robertson, 35-year-old Darlow is out of contract this summer and Spurs are preparing to sign at least one new goalkeeper.’

Tottenham insider John Wenham thinks Manchester City’s James Trafford or Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson would be worth a deal in the summer.

Speaking earlier this month, Wenham told Tottenham News: “On the goalkeeper situation, James Trafford has been linked heavily, and I think he’d be very good, and he would come because he wants to be a number one.

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“He would be promised that at Tottenham, he would play all 38 league games next season without any injuries, but the other one I think is also worth a shout is Dean Henderson at Palace. I could see Spurs also looking at him.

“I do think they will have an English goalkeeper next season, and I think it will be one of those two that Tottenham do go for, it would be a monumental improvement on what we’ve got now, which is a situation where I expect both Vicario and Kinsky to leave in the summer.”

On Italy internationals Vicario and Destiny Udogie, Wenham added: “It’s interesting, the two Italian players in the squad, being an Italian in De Zerbi, are still two that I think should be moved on this summer.

“Vicario, just for all manner of reasons, and Udogie, he’s a very good player, but he cannot stay fit; he’s just too unreliable.”

In different circumstances, Roberto De Zerbi might have raised a wry smile that his home debut as Spurs boss would be against the club which first brought him to the Premier League.

But such is Tottenham’s plight, there is no time for any sort of smiles at the moment and a more likely expression to be found on De Zerbi’s face is one of deep concern – especially with Brighton top of the Premier League’s form table after five wins in the last six.

Tottenham are rock-bottom of that same table after taking just one point from the last possible 18. From being an amusing possibility for opposing fans, the prospect of Spurs going down is now a very realistic probability after they ended last weekend in the relegation zone.

Tottenham v Brighton kick-off time

Tottenham v Brighton kicks off at 17.30pm BST on Saturday, April 18 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham v Brighton how to watch

The game will be shown live in the UK via Sky Sports Premier League & Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage begins at 5pm.

BBC Radio 5 Live will provide live radio coverage.

Tottenham team news

Tottenham’s already extensive injury list was added to last weekend when skipper Cristian Romero suffered a medial knee ligament injury which could keep him out for the whole run-in.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is recovering from a hernia operation so Antonin Kinsky may deputise between the sticks again.

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur and Mohammed Kudus are all long-term absentees.

Brighton team news

Brighton will be without skipper Lewis Dunk due to the central defender serving the second game of a two-match ban.

Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas are both sidelined with knee injuries but 40-year-old veteran midfielder James Milner should return from a minor knock.

Tottenham v Brighton odds

Tottenham are 9/5 to grab three incredibly vital points while Brighton are 7/4 and The Draw 5/2.

Going into the weekend, Spurs are a shade of odds-on (10/11) for the drop with several bookies. In that same market, West Ham are 13/8, Nottingham Forest 5/1 and Leeds 14/1.

Tottenham v Brighton prediction

Tottenham are winless in 14 Premier League games since the calendar flipped to 2026 and runs like that only end one way.

Wins for West Ham and Leeds last weekend added to the feeling that Spurs are being left behind in the battle to beat the drop and it seems typical of Tottenham’s luck that they’re running into a Brighton side on their best run of the season.

Basement dwellers Wolves (12) have taken more home points than Tottenham (10) this season while Brighton have won their last three on the road.

It’s hard to make any sort of case for Tottenham, who lost 1-0 at Sunderland in De Zerbi’s first game in charge last weekend.

In summary, the 7/5 for a Brighton win looks a must whatever angle you come at it from and that includes looking at the corresponding fixture last season when the Seagulls smashed Spurs 4-1.

A 2-0 Brighton win at 14/1 is worth a look too.

David Ornstein has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are currently the ‘leading contender’ to sign AFC Bournemouth star Marcos Senesi.

Spurs are currently in a serious fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with the north London club sitting in the bottom three with six games remaining.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side are without a Premier League win in 2026 and slipped into the bottom three last weekend, but they are still working on signings.

Their potential arrivals are surely dependent on whether they get relegated, but it has emerged that they have struck an agreement to sign Liverpool star Andy Robertson on a free transfer.

And Senesi could also join Spurs on a free transfer after Ornstein revealed on Friday that they are the frontrunners in the race to sign the Bournemouth defender.

READ: Tottenham v Brighton: Prediction, team news, line-ups and odds

Senesi has been one of the most consistent and top-performing centre-backs in the Premier League this summer, and he has been linked with several Big Six clubs in recent weeks.

This includes Liverpool and Chelsea, but The Athletic‘s Ornstein understands a potential move to Spurs is already ‘advanced’.

Ornstein explained: ‘Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi this summer, subject to maintaining their Premier League status.

‘The north London club are currently the leading contender to sign the 28-year-old centre-back — who will become a free agent in July — although no deal has been finalised and the Argentine’s situation remains open with ongoing interest from other clubs.’

Regardless of whether Spurs survive, there will be major changes at the club in the summer and our colleagues at TEAMtalk have shed light on who is most likely to move elsewhere.

As per the report, should Spurs get relegated, exits for Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons are considered ‘inevitable’.

The report explains: ‘One area of the squad that Tottenham are determined to keep intact is their midfield, with James Maddison, Conor Gallagher and Archie Gray all viewed as untouchable.

‘While the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons are among those who would likely depart if the worst were to happen, Maddison, Gallagher and Gray are seen as central to the club’s future regardless of division.’

Former Tottenham centre-back Toby Alderweireld has delivered a scathing assessment of the north London club’s current predicament, picking out the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven for criticism in a squad that is “not good enough in terms of quality”.

Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen formed one of the best centre-back pairings for Spurs in the Premier League era during Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure in north London, with the duo pivotal to the club’s run to the Champions League final in 2019.

However, since the Argentine’s sacking seven years ago, Tottenham have lost a plethora of elite talent that has seen them slide down the table over the past two seasons, to such an extent they now sit in the relegation zone with just six games of the 2025/26 campaign remaining.

And Alderweireld has taken shots at all aspects of how the club are currently operating, with Spurs currently working under their third manager of the season. However, it’s the players who are the main focus of the Belgian’s wrath.

“I think you also need to start looking at pure quality,” Alderweireld told ESPN NL. “What do big players do? What do quality players do? That is to be decisive at important moments, achieve your level … And that has not been happening all season.

“Players who were acquired for a lot of money but who nevertheless don’t deliver and not in just one or two matches or a period, but throughout the whole season.

“You just have to conclude that they are not good enough in terms of quality.”

Alderweireld also highlighted the staggering drop off in form of Romero and centre-back partner Van de Ven, with both players tipped to move on come the summer, regardless of relegation.

“I look at Romero, I look at Van de Ven … They just aren’t reaching their level,” he added. “Again, not for a period, but actually for an entire season.

“Then I also look at Romero who gets red cards too often, doesn’t make the right decisions and therefore lets his team down.”

With Spurs having moved on from both Thomas Frank and interim boss Igor Tudor this season and then losing De Zerbi’s first game in charge, Alderweireld insists it’s the players, not managers, who must take greater responsibility for the club’s downfall.

“Now you notice that the coach isn’t the problem, it’s really purely the squad,” Alderweireld said. “The quality in the squad, the responsibilities of the players. You could always put another coach in charge, but you notice that they just don’t deliver what they need to deliver.

“And that is ultimately just quality.”

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“Structural problems” at the club have also played a role, according to the former Belgium international, who added: “It comes down to shaping the right people, the right team. And those purchases have gone wrong, and that has been happening year after year. So that is indeed a structural problem.

“I have also read that the club is run fantastically from a business perspective, but not as a football club and as a football club everything matters. Your value is on the pitch, and that shows what the club looks like. And that’s not good.”

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur could be involved in four deals this summer, with the Reds interested in signing both Pedro Porro and Luka Vuskovic, according to reports.

Tottenham have positioned themselves at the front of the queue to sign Andy Robertson when he leaves Liverpool this summer. Tottenham failed to snare the left-back during the January window but can get him on a free transfer in the summer when his Liverpool contract expires.

The Daily Mail reported on Thursday that Tottenham are keen on signing Robertson’s Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones to bolster their midfield ranks.

However, both moves are reliant on Roberto De Zerbi keeping Spurs in the Premier League.

As per Anfield Watch, Liverpool could respond by moving for both Porro and Vuskovic this summer.

Liverpool are ‘lining up a move for Porro‘ and are ‘ready to sign’ him. Anfield chiefs Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards are firmly considering a deal for the full-back after club scouts recommended his signing.

READ: Top 10 Premier League strikers: Haaland behind Chelsea, Liverpool forwards

Porro ‘profiles well as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold,’ the report claims. Liverpool signed Jeremie Frimpong last summer to replace Alexander-Arnold, but the Dutchman has had an injury-hit debut campaign on Merseyside and has also been used as a right winger at times.

A separate report from Anfield Watch states that Liverpool are also ‘preparing a move for Vuskovic.’

Deals for Porro and Vuskovic will become far more likely if Spurs are relegated to the Championship – but such a scenario would stop Robertson and Jones from heading to north London.

The reports make no mention of how much Porro or Vuskovic might cost Liverpool. Spurs have previously quoted interested clubs over £50m for Porro, though he will surely be available for a lower price this summer given he has had a poor campaign.

The Spaniard’s price tag will drop further if Spurs fail to stay in the top flight.

Centre-back Vuskovic will likely cost more than Porro as he has massive potential. Vuskovic is currently on loan at Hamburg and has earned a reputation as one of the finest young defenders in Europe.

Previous reports have suggested Spurs want somewhere between €40-60m (£35-52m) for the teenage sensation. Once again, that price will depend on Spurs’ fate this season.

The 19-year-old hasn’t even made a competitive appearance for Spurs yet, but he will not want to drop down to the Championship.

Liverpool are hunting another centre-back this summer, even after agreeing an early deal for Jeremy Jacquet to join.

Vuskovic would be a superb option for the future, though Liverpool need ready-made players as both Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni are still developing.

Micky van de Ven is another Spurs centre-half Liverpool have been linked with, and that move would make more sense.

Van De Ven has been touted as an elite option to succeed from his Dutch compatriot Virgil van Dijk at Anfield.

Van De Ven has had a disappointing season, like Porro and most other Spurs players, though he will surely perform better away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium given the turmoil there.