The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur’s season of glum headlines made a new addition to the canon on March 31, even as their supporters enjoyed the respite of an extended three-week break for international football and the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The release of Spurs’ financials for 2024-25, a season in which they won the Europa League no less, detailed a club-record £120.6million pre-tax loss. Last season generated the club’s sixth consecutive deficit. Their losses since the turn of the decade total £450m.

Tottenham’s income statement is subject to some quirks which don’t apply to other Premier League teams, as we’ll see. But even withstanding those, the club’s financial health has wilted, despite the building of a world-class stadium and record revenues.

Worse could be to come.

Even as Saturday’s trip to Wolves brought a first league victory of 2026, it merely allowed them to keep pace in a relegation battle neither they nor anyone else expected them to be so firmly mired in. With just four games remaining this season, Spurs are third-bottom of the Premier League, two points from safety and flirting with a fate for which the word ‘unprecedented’ cannot begin to suffice.

If that drop down to the Championship happens, it will be seismic, both within and beyond Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That state-of-the-art venue hosting second-tier football would be a story in itself, vivid incongruence for a club who never expected to find themselves in this position.

Spurs have been one of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ for over a decade. A month from now, they may not be members of that league at all.

How have they arrived here? And what might relegation do to their pockets?

Spurs joined Brentford and Nottingham Forest last season in a club of paradoxes: each posted record revenues, but also turned them into record pre-tax losses. At all three, costs outstripped income even as the latter hit new highs, and it is a phenomenon far from limited to those teams. The same happened at several EFL clubs in 2024-25.

At Tottenham, those record revenues totalled £565.3million, a three per cent increase on the previous high set two years earlier. Improvements in both commercial and matchday income ensured dwindling Premier League prize money was offset, as did the financial benefits from winning the Europa League final.

One point which has distinguished England’s ‘Big Six’ from the rest is in how those clubs earn over half of their annual revenues from non-broadcast income (though Newcastle United notably entered that territory for the first time last season). Alongside the two Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal, Spurs’ matchday and commercial income topped £400million in 2024-25. The gulf to Chelsea’s figure — £287.6m — is stark, and reflects their fellow London club’s limitations while they remain at a Stamford Bridge which houses more than 20,000 fewer spectators than Tottenham’s ground does.

Earning a majority of income from non-TV money has been the case at Spurs since 2019, when Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opened, and their new home has been a strong earner. Matchday income has topped £100million in each of the past four seasons, and last season Spurs jumped past Liverpool to boast the third-highest gate receipts in England, even as the latter played in the more lucrative Champions League.

Tottenham’s stadium has become a coveted venue far beyond football, hosting NFL games annually alongside high-profile boxing events, rugby union matches and a bevy of music concerts.

The financial benefits of doing so are clear: Spurs earned £32.5million from non-football events last season. The average non-broadcast income of Premier League clubs outside the ‘Big Six’ was just £70.8m. That sum pushed their commercial income to £276.7m, an impressive £32m (13 per cent) increase in a year. Sponsorship income rose 11 per cent to £160m, and the club’s commercial revenue has now topped that of neighbours and arch-rivals Arsenal for eight years running.

Revenue should have hit another new high this season. The Athletic estimates Tottenham reaching the Champions League’s round of 16 earned them £74million in prize money, or roughly £40m more than they generated from winning the Europa League last year.

Spurs were football’s second most profitable club in 2018, yet despite revenues improving by £184.6million since then, the club’s pre-tax result has swung from a £138.9m profit to that £120.6m deficit. It is an alarming, quarter-billion-pound adverse swing.

It is also subject to some caveats.

The first stems from the very same factor helping to drive revenues to new heights. The stadium cost over £1billion to build and, as a result, Spurs’ depreciation charge has rocketed. Depreciation is an accounting concept which allocates the cost of an asset over its useful life (think transfer-fee amortisation, but for fixed assets). It is both a paper charge — Tottenham’s £57m depreciation expense in 2024-25 did not translate to cash paid out of the club — and also one reflective of reality, as assets do wear over time.

The cost of depreciating the stadium was always going to be large and, with no other English clubs having spent nearly so much on a new home (other than Everton, who didn’t move into theirs until this season), Spurs’ depreciation charge was always going to stand out.

Yet the club have also employed a rather aggressive depreciation policy. Spurs depreciate buildings over a period between five and 50 years but, based on the 2024-25 ‘Stadium’ charge, their new ground’s structure is being expensed over around 35. Several clubs hew more closely to 50 years; and Manchester United and Sunderland’s stadia are each depreciated over 75.

The shorter timeframe at Tottenham increases the annual charge, thus impacting their bottom line more than might otherwise be the case. When asked by The Athletic why they had opted to depreciate the stadium in such a way, the club did not provide a response.

Spurs’ depreciation charge is now £47million higher than in 2017-18, and last season saw a further £23.4m added to the deficit via the impact of a shift in the fair value of some warrant rights held by owner ENIC.

The warrants arose when ENIC injected cash as equity into the club in 2022, and essentially gifts it a larger shareholding, albeit only upon a change of controlling ownership. Those warrants equated to five per cent of Spurs shares when issued, stepping up by 1.5 per cent per annum between 2025 and 2032. In effect, the warrants increase ENIC’s holding in the club without new money having to be put in by the majority shareholder. The £23.4million charge in 2024-25 stemmed from an increase in the fair value of those warrants, driven by an uptick in Tottenham’s perceived market value.

Yet even after allowing for those non-cash matters, the underlying result has worsened noticeably.

Their EBITD (earnings before interest, tax and depreciation) was positive for 10 straight years, but that changed in 2024-25. With costs soaring, Spurs’ EBITD was £33.7million in the red, and a sharp departure from a record £126.5m positive result in 2018-19 — the season they reached the Champions League final.

In fairness, most Premier League clubs display poor operating profitability, and Spurs’ EBITD last season was still the fourth-best result in the division. But they also carry significant interest costs as a result of building the stadium, so they ideally need to be leaner at the operating level than others.

That they aren’t is exactly why ENIC has been moved to start putting money into the club, ostensibly to fund expenses which have far outstripped income growth. The £184.6million revenue improvement since 2018 has been dwarfed by cost rises; wages, operating costs and transfer-fee amortisation have risen by a collective £327.7m in the same period.

Tottenham remain one of the most careful salary payers in English football, and their wages to revenue figure of 45 per cent was the lowest across the top four divisions last season. For the second year running, they were not among England’s top six wage bills, though being seventh still meant their 17th-place finish in the top flight was a huge underachievement. The same will be true this season, even if relegation is avoided.

Other costs have ballooned. Operating expenses are up across football but their rise is particularly pronounced in north London, where both Spurs and Arsenal racked up over £200million in day-to-day costs last season.

As is the case with their neighbours, specifics have been kept to a minimum. Tottenham’s accounts attribute rising operating expenses to ‘hosting a larger number of football matches’ (31 — nine more than in 2023-24), alongside ‘third-party events and the technology transformation project’. Such costs rose at all but two Premier League clubs last season, but their £43.2million increase trailed only those of Arsenal (£52.6m) and Aston Villa (£56.8m). What’s more, Spurs’ operating costs are proportionally higher than anyone else’s, gobbling up 36 per cent of revenue.

Lack of transparency around operating costs is hardly unique to Tottenham, with a recent UEFA report labelling international financial reporting requirements ‘inadequate’ in understanding such costs, but the opacity does mean it is difficult to determine how much can be scythed in the event of relegation. The stadium is a world-class venue but costs a lot of money to run; the economics of operating it in the Championship are both unknown and unlikely to have been strongly considered in its planning stage.

Spurs will, at the very least, save money on travelling around Europe in UEFA competition next season.

The other big driver of costs, and losses, has been significant transfer spending. That reflects both a ballooning in player fees generally but also a sizeable shift in policy at Tottenham.

In six seasons to the end of 2018-19, Spurs spent £412.3million on new signings but offset it with some big sales, such as Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker. Their net spend in that period was just £68.4m, a figure 23 English clubs went beyond.

In the six full seasons since, £979.7million has gone on new Tottenham players and, despite the sizeable sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in August 2023, only £258.3m has come back the other way. A further £159m net went on transfers last summer.

Since they began ramping up transfer spending in 2019-20, Spurs are England’s fourth-highest net spenders, even remaining ahead of Liverpool after last summer’s record splurge by the champions. In seven seasons, they have spent £880.3million net on players, over £200m more than both Liverpool (£649.7m) and Manchester City (£625.2m). The trio of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have all spent over £1bn in that time.

The impact on Tottenham’s bottom line has been clear. In 2018-19, a £47.5million transfer-fee amortisation bill was in the Premier League’s bottom half. By last season, that cost had increased to £141.2m, fifth-highest in England and 25 per cent of revenue (2018-19 — 10 per cent).

The strategy hasn’t been particularly successful.

Winning the Europa League shouldn’t be sniffed at, but it was also an outlier rather than the norm. Spurs’ on-pitch performance has dropped off right at the time they’ve plunged deep into the transfer market, which reflects rather badly on their recruitment.

The club made player sales profits of £276.2million between 2013 and 2019, only topped by Chelsea (£398.8m) and Liverpool (£303.0m). In the next six-year period, even as transfer fees have soared and Kane, an academy graduate with minimal book value, was sold, Spurs made £203.9m — less than nine other English teams.

Even in the year of Kane’s departure, Tottenham sold players for less than they had cost them to buy. That has been the case for the past seven years running, reflecting the club’s inability to improve guys’ values while they are in north London.

That’s not out of the norm for the ‘Big Six’, who generally pay big fees for first-team signings which are unlikely to be recouped in full, but since 2019, Spurs have moved players on for £356.7million less than they were originally acquired for. That would be of less consequence if they’d gotten plenty out of them — Hugo Lloris, for example, left on a free in December 2023 after 11 years at the club — but for the most part, Tottenham have just got worse in that time.

Wages are a better corollary for performance, and, after several years of overachieving in the 2010s, Spurs generally began to land around where their salary costs would peg them. But, as of last season, that maxim has been shattered, too.

The Athletic detailed the cash crunch headed Spurs’ way a year ago, and events since have only confirmed them as a club who have departed from the self-sustaining strategy previously emblematic of ENIC’s ownership. For much of its first two decades at the helm, owner funding was neither required nor given. Even a £40million loan from ENIC in 2013-14 was repaid over the following three seasons.

Naturally, the stadium build needed significant lending, and Spurs’ £875.2million debt (£851.7m in borrowings, £23.5m in lease liabilities) at the end of June 2025 was the third highest in world football, only trailing Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Yet that lending was secured at low interest, with most of the debt at fixed rates and not due for repayment until well in the future. The average maturity date lands in the 2040s. Around £30million in annual interest payments flow out of the club, more than at any English side bar Manchester United but, relative to the size of their borrowings, that’s impressively low given current worldwide rates.

Even so, those interest costs bite rather harder when operating performance has tumbled in the manner it has for Tottenham. A once self-sustaining club have increasingly had to turn to others for cash.

As documented by The Athletic when Spurs’ 2024-25 accounts landed, they had just £20.4million in liquid cash on hand at the end of June, a 10-year low and a nearly £180m reduction in just two years. Even as the stadium build and its attendant costs completed, Spurs’ free cash flow — cash generated after covering operating costs and capital spending, like that on transfers — has remained mired in the red.

Last season generated a funding gap of £91.7million, similar to the year before. It was plugged using £58.6million of their existing cash balance, a £35m equity injection from ENIC and a £1.9m increase in borrowings.

While those soaring operating costs have bitten chunks out of operating cash flows that once topped £200million, it is transfer spending which has pushed Tottenham into needing external funding. In 2024-25, net cash out the door on players exceeded £100m for a third year running.

That is likely to have continued in 2025-26.

Even before spending that £159million last summer, Spurs owed a net £242.8m on transfers at the end of last June, almost half of it due inside a year. They now routinely hold some of the highest transfer debt in football, albeit both Manchester clubs topped £300m at the end of last season.

Champions League revenues this season have doubtless helped cash flow, but we already know Tottenham have turned elsewhere for funding again. ENIC injected a further £100million in shares in October, on the back of £35m in December 2024. Ownership has provided £232.5m in four years, against a net £24.6m during the previous 20.

A month before that, they ‘factored’ some of this season’s Premier League prize money distributions with Macquarie, an Australian lender. Such arrangements with Macquarie aren’t uncommon in football, but they are for Spurs. In exchange for a slice of their TV income this season, the club received a slab of money up front, which will then be repaid to Macquarie as the Premier League doles out its distributions.

The sum factored is undisclosed in the accounts. Bloomberg reported an amount of £90million but, when The Athletic requested confirmation from Tottenham, they did not respond. Whatever the number, it points to a club in continued need of external funding, which is a sharp departure from much of ENIC’s reign.

Some belt-tightening is already apparent beyond the field.

Spurs received approval to build a 30-storey hotel next to the stadium two years ago, and up to the end of June 2025 had committed £17.5million to that scheme. However, the build has barely begun; in a meeting with their Fan Advisory Board (FAB) in December, the club confirmed the ‘hotel development project remains on pause’.

There have long been plans to develop the area around the ground, including four residential towers behind the South Stand, but the same FAB minutes detail those moves as under review. The exception is the Printworks, a 287-bed student accommodation scheme on Tottenham High Road which began works last July.

Matthew Collecott, Spurs’ director of finance and operations, is the sole director of the UK-registered entity set up to manage the Printworks, though that business, like several others in their property portfolio, sits beyond the club’s corporate structure.

The Printworks company is ultimately overseen by High Road Holdings Limited, a company registered, like ENIC, in the Bahamas. Other UK-registered property businesses controlled by Bahamas-based companies include High Road West (Tottenham) Limited, Fairgate Tottenham Limited and Goodsyard Tottenham Limited. Across those three entities, all linked to Spurs’ owners but not headed or funded by the club, and now seemingly under review, development property stock totalled £50.7million at the end of June last year.

What would relegation next month do to Spurs’ finances? The obvious answer is ‘Nothing good’, though the extent of the bad is difficult to discern. There are no comparables to draw upon.

Revenue will take a battering. Even if they finish 18th in the 20-team table, Tottenham can expect TV money in the region of £200million this season, inclusive of that £74m from the Champions League. As a Championship side, estimated broadcast income would tumble to just £55m.

The impact on other revenue streams is much harder to determine. Matchday income would take a hit from hosting less lucrative games and, potentially, selling fewer tickets. Premium memberships will also be rather less appealing if they are in England’s second tier.

What exactly will happen to commercial revenues is unclear, although people close to the club say Spurs are relatively well protected. Their kit and merchandising contract with Nike generated £86million in 2024-25, the seventh highest amount in European football. It is unknown what impact relegation would have on that deal, or indeed any other.

Even if some reduction did take place, they would go into the Championship with by far the highest commercial income of any relegated club.

Leeds United, in 2022-23, boast the current record at £48million — nearly six times less than Tottenham’s commercial income last season.

Despite the big drop, Spurs still would boast by far the Championship’s highest income. That £32.5million from non-football events at the stadium last season was higher than the total matchday income of any club in the second tier, and is a revenue stream agnostic of footballing performance.

Parachute-payment clubs already enjoy a revenue advantage over the rest, and Tottenham would be way out in front even without the £50million they’d receive via that route next season. A reasonable estimate of the club’s revenue in the Championship lands at or beyond £300m; the division’s current record is just £137m, and most of its teams reside in the £25m to £40m range.

Of course, Spurs would also be way out in front on costs. As explained earlier, we don’t know the make-up of their £202million operating costs, but they wouldn’t be easily slashed. Record revenues did not translate to profits, and having an income advantage over the rest of the Championship would be of limited value given the expenses involved in running the world-class infrastructure Tottenham boast.

The Athletic reported in March that a majority of the current squad will see their wages halved if relegation occurs, and it is a safe bet plenty of them will be off anyway if the club do land in the Championship. Fees earned from those sales would help offset tumbling revenues, though Spurs’ transfer debts won’t just disappear on relegation and will need to be serviced.

One of the many embarrassments of potential relegation for Spurs is they would record the highest wage bill ever for a side to go down.

The 2025-26 figure there is unknown but their existing wages of £255.8million sit far beyond the average of most relegated teams and indeed the previous record for one to suffer that fate: Leicester City went down in 2022-23 with a wage bill of over £200m but, after adjusting for their 13-month accounting period, the figure was around £190m. Even that was far beyond the second-highest bill: Leicester, again, last season at £152.9m.

Most relegated teams turn to player sales to boost their coffers, and an exodus of first-teamers looks pretty obvious if the worst happens for Tottenham in the next few weeks. Whether they’ve shown it this season or not, plenty in the current squad would be fancied elsewhere, above the level of England’s second tier. How much the club can feasibly recoup is another matter entirely though, and past evidence suggests they’ll struggle to make their money back.

Other costs will remain unmoved; £30million in annual interest payments looks good against £500m to £600m revenues, much less so when income droops to the level it would in the Championship. The benefits of a world-class stadium are reduced if the competition it hosts is of lesser prestige. It is impossible to tell, but it would be interesting to know how much, if anything, the place’s football operations add to Spurs’ bottom line if both Premier League and Champions League matches are absent.

ENIC’s funding of its football club has ramped up in recent seasons, as the cost of investing in the squad has not been rewarded on the field. Even this season, with a return to Champions League football, Spurs were moved to drawing on a reported £190million across funding from ownership and that Macquarie agreement.

If relegation comes, and perhaps even it doesn’t, ENIC will likely have to delve into its pockets once more.

Any pain incurred by having to provide more funding will be compounded by the inevitable impact of relegation on Spurs’ value.

The official line is, and long has been, that they are not for sale. Yet it is also obvious that at just about every large English club, the owners are keen to see their asset appreciate.

A year outside the Premier League would do little to push Tottenham toward the £3.75billion valuation previously desired. More than one season in exile would paint an even grimmer picture.

That valuation, of course, was pushed for by then chairman Daniel Levy, whose departure sent shockwaves through football last September. Levy had widely been admired as one of the sport’s canniest operators, and viewed as instrumental in helping Spurs build a world-class stadium and remain sustainable while competing at the top end of the Premier League. Levy was paid £5.8million during his final full season in 2024-25, which is more than any other director at an English club.

Levy retains a 29.88 per cent holding in ENIC, but is gone from the top table at Tottenham. Whether the club will echo his fall from grace will become clear soon enough, and many are watching closely. A Spurs in the Championship could have an impact far beyond their area of north London.

The consensus has generally been that England’s elite clubs are relegation-proof; Manchester United’s painful mismanagement in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years has been evidence enough of that. Spurs dropping through the trapdoor to the Championship would render that an illusion.

In turn, valuations of the Premier League’s top teams might be viewed with greater scepticism. The ‘Big Six’ are each dependent on the riches of the Champions League to make their business models work. Falling out of the top tier entirely hardly bears thinking about for would-be investors.

A reason English football clubs already lag behind franchise valuations in North America (where there is no relegation) is revenue uncertainty, even as most assume Premier League status is a given. Removing that assumed floor would hinder valuations further, and, as The Athletic outlined last week, some current ownership groups are particularly in need of a valuation boost in the near future.

That has long been a talked-of aim at Spurs too, but the once-simple task of staying in the top flight now takes on primary importance. Going down should not put them out of business, but it wouldn’t be very welcome either.

Tottenham have gone from England’s most profitable and self-sustaining club to one where costs are racing past revenues and transfer debts have piled up. Winning the Europa League aside — an achievement, without doubt — they have little to show for it. Relegation would be the ultimate indignity.

It might also show the rest of football’s elite that, even in today’s game, not quite everything can be dictated by money. It might remind plenty that football is, always has been, and always should be, a sport at root.

Bad teams, if they’re just bad enough, are vulnerable to the consequences of being bad, no matter how rich they are.

Tottenham Hotspur’s former chief football officer Scott Munn has been appointed as the general secretary of the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF).

Kazakhstan are ranked 110th in FIFA’s global rankings and have never qualified for the European Championship or the World Cup. They finished second from bottom of their European qualification group for this summer’s tournament.

Munn worked as the chief executive officer of City Football Group (CFG) China for four years before he officially joined Spurs in September 2023.

The Australian, 52, left Spurs at the end of last season, as part of a series of senior personnel changes in north London. Munn’s compatriot, Ange Postecoglou, was dimissed as head coach shortly after the end of the campaign, while executive chairman Daniel Levy, executive director Donna Cullen and Rebecca Caplehorn, head of administration and governance, have since left the club.

At Spurs, Munn was responsible for overhauling the scouting and medical departments. At the end of the 2023-24 season, head of medicine and sports science Geoff Scott left after a 20-year spell with the club and is now the director of performance at Nottingham Forest, who are fighting against Spurs to avoid relegation.

Sam Pooley, then head of sports science, also left, with Adam Brett appointed as director of performance services and Nick Davies becoming the new head of sports science.

Spurs suffered an injury crisis during the 2024-25 season which disrupted their season. Brett and Davies both left the club last summer after only a year in their roles, before Munn was placed on gardening leave.

There was more upheaval in the medical department as new head coach Thomas Frank brought several members of backroom staff with him from Brentford including physiotherapists, nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches. Frank was sacked in February eight months into a three-year contract.

Spurs have been heavily disrupted by injuries for the third season in a row, and Dan Lewindon started work as their new performance director in February.

Munn is listed as a board member on the website of Italian side Parma but is now set for a key role in developing Kazakhstani football.

In a statement on the KFF’s website, president Marat Omarov said: “The federation is at a defining stage. We are building a foundation that will determine the future of football in our country. Achieving high results requires people with experience and discipline.

“Scott Munn brings invaluable hands-on expertise that will directly serve the development of Kazakhstan’s football. His profile meets all the requirements of this role, and I am confident he will deliver the results that our football deserves.”

Munn said: “I am delighted to be joining the Kazakhstan Football Federation at such a pivotal time. I was impressed by the vision outlined by President Omarov and the significant work already undertaken. I look forward to engaging with all of the game’s stakeholders, both at club and international level, to help drive football in the country forward.”

Tottenham Hotspur kept their survival hopes alive with three points against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, but not even their first league win of 2026 could be celebrated without another setback.

On the hour mark, Xavi Simons was challenged by Wolves full-back Hugo Bueno near the touchline and went tumbling off the pitch. The Netherlands international immediately reached for his right knee, and team-mates Mathys Tel and Micky van de Ven, as well as several Wolves defenders, rushed to him as he lay down in agony, awaiting treatment.

After being seen by Tottenham’s medical staff, he stood up and conducted several fitness tests, but dropped to the floor and was taken off on a stretcher. On Monday morning, Tottenham confirmed that Xavi has sustained an injury to his right anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out for the rest of the season, the World Cup, and likely the entirety of 2026.

He is one of 11 senior first-team players currently unavailable to Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi. Here, The Athletic looks at who De Zerbi can hope to count on for this Sunday’s clash against Aston Villa.

Goalkeepers

De Zerbi has been unable to call upon his compatriot Guglielmo Vicario in his three matches in charge, with the goalkeeper recovering from a minor hernia operation performed during the March international break.

In the meantime, Antonin Kinsky has shone between the sticks, impressing with his distribution and shot-stopping ability, including a crucial diving save in the ninth minute of stoppage time from a Joao Gomes free kick.

Kinsky is a more natural fit for De Zerbi’s playing style, and he appears to have bounced back from his horror 18-minute outing against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16, so he may keep his place, even if Vicario is back in time for Sunday.

However, De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference on Friday that he hopes Vicario can return to training on Monday (today) and that he was a “very important player for us”, suggesting he may be in line to return straight to the starting XI.

Brandon Austin, 27, who has made just one league appearance in English football, is Tottenham’s third-choice goalkeeper.

Defenders

Ahead of Kinsky, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso look set to keep their place in central defence. After an injury-hit season last term, Van de Ven has been one of the few positive stories on that front in 2025-26, starting 31 of Tottenham’s 34 league matches.

Danso has typically been a reliable partner, with the Austria international often filling in for club captain Cristian Romero, who has missed six matches through suspension. He is ruled out for the remainder of this season, having suffered a tear to his medial collateral ligament in his right knee in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on April 12.

Radu Dragusin is Tottenham’s only other senior central defender to call upon in reserve.

Pedro Porro and Djed Spence provide depth at right-back, though Spence may be required again to cover for Destiny Udogie on the left, after the Italian did not travel on Sunday with a muscle injury. De Zerbi said he “hopes (he) can be available next week at Villa Park”, suggesting he could be in the frame to return, but Udogie has struggled throughout the season with persistent minor muscle injuries, starting just 10 league games.

If he does not return in time, Spence will likely be backed up by Brazilian left-back Souza, who was signed in January from Santos. The 19-year-old has featured four times for Spurs, starting twice.

Ben Davies, who can cover at left-back and central defence, may not feature again this season, having undergone surgery on his left ankle in January. The 100-cap Wales international, who has featured 245 times for Tottenham in the league and is the club’s longest-serving player, is out of contract in the summer.

Midfielders

De Zerbi will be encouraged by Rodrigo Bentancur, who returned from three months on the sidelines against Brighton and Hove Albion last week and has performed well at the base of midfield since.

Palhinha, Yves Bissouma, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray are all fit and available to partner him in a midfield double pivot, or play slightly further forward in the No 10 position. While Pape Matar Sarr‘s shoulder injury prevents De Zerbi from having a full complement of central midfielders, the problem lies ahead and around them.

Tottenham have desperately lacked creativity all season, and that has taken a further hit with Xavi’s injury. Like Tudor and Frank, De Zerbi has been unable to field Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, though the latter has made De Zerbi’s two most recent matchday squads for his “important” influence on the dressing room. Kulusevski has not featured at all this season after a complicated rehabilitation from an injury to his right patella sustained last May, and Maddison is not yet available despite being named in those squads.

Maddison’s potential return before the end of the season may provide a morale boost, but he has not played a competitive match since last April’s 5-1 defeat to Liverpool and would surely take some time to reach match fitness and rhythm.

Wingers

Creativity is not flowing from the wings either, where the injury crisis is somehow even deeper. Mohammed Kudus, a player De Zerbi was counting on to provide attacking inspiration when he took the job, is also out for the remainder of the season after suffering a setback in his recovery from a quad injury sustained in January. He was initially forecast to return after the March international break, but is now in a race against time to be fit for Ghana at the World Cup following a relapse.

He joins Wilson Odobert in the treatment room, who may not feature again in 2026 after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the 2-1 home loss to Newcastle United in February.

It leaves Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel, who replaced his countryman at half-time at Molineux, as his only senior wide options, though Kolo Muani is considered a natural No 9. De Zerbi said he also considers Bergvall as an option from the left and Souza from the right.

Promising 18-year-old Tynan Thompson could be promoted to the senior squad to make his first-team debut, after scoring for Tottenham’s under-21 side in a 1-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League 2 on Friday night. Richarlison has also played on the left side of attack for Tottenham, Everton and Watford in the Premier League.

Strikers

However, Richarlison may be needed to lead the line. Dominic Solanke was the other injury casualty of the win against Wolves, with the England striker replaced by the Brazilian in the 40th minute.

After the game, De Zerbi said, “It is not a big problem,” but he does not know how many games they will miss him for.

Solanke missed the first half of the season with an ankle injury and made a promising return, scoring twice in the 2-2 home draw with Manchester City on February 1, his second start of the season. He has scored just once since, the opener in the 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace last month.

Until he is available again, Richarlison is the most likely candidate to lead the line for De Zerbi. The Brazilian is Tottenham’s top scorer this season with nine league goals. Tottenham academy product Will Lankshear has scored 11 goals for Oxford United in the Championship, but could not save them from relegation to League One. Oxford’s season ends on Saturday, but neither he nor fellow Oxford loanee Jamie Donley can reinforce Spurs’ attack, as loanees cannot play in the remaining matches for their parent club, even after their loanee club’s season ends.

Tel and Kolo Muani will provide cover at the point of attack for a depleted squad stretched even thinner for the season’s climax.

Tottenham Hotspur and Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons has confirmed that he will miss the rest of the season and this summer’s World Cup due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

Simons was taken off on a stretcher after appearing to jar his knee around an hour into Tottenham’s 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday – their first in the Premier League since December 28.

The 22-year-old went down after colliding with Wolves’ Hugo Bueno while trying to keep the ball in play, and appeared in pain. He stood back up after receiving treatment but dropped to the floor again and then protested when Roberto De Zerbi, the Spurs head coach, substituted him for match-winner Joao Palhinha. He was then carried off the pitch.

Tottenham confirmed the injury in post on social media on Monday. Simons is the fourth Spurs player to suffer an ACL tear in the last two seasons. James Maddison sustained the injury during pre-season in August, Wilson Odobert tore his ACL in February, while Radu Dragusin ruptured the ligament in February 2025.

In a post on Instagram, Simons confirmed that his season was over and he would miss out on the opportunity to represent the Netherlands in North America this summer.

“They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way,” he wrote. “My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.

“All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me … along with the World Cup. Representing my country this summer … just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best teammate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.”

Spurs have been desperately short of creativity this season, with both Dejan Kulusevski and Maddison yet to feature this term because of knee injuries of their own. Kulusevski, the Sweden forward, is targeting a return at the World Cup following two surgeries on his patella, while Maddison has been back on the bench for the last two matches following his injury – although De Zerbi said he was included in the squad largely for his leadership qualities and is still not fully fit.

Simons joined Spurs from RB Leipzig in a deal worth €60million (£51.8m; $70m) in the summer, agreeing a five-year deal. He has made 41 appearances this season, scoring five times.

He has been capped 34 times by the Netherlands, scoring six goals. His only previous World Cup appearance came as a substitute in a 3-1 win in the round of 16 over the United States in Qatar in 2022.

‘Simons will be sorely missed’

Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris

Simons’ knee injury is a huge blow to Spurs’ chances of avoiding relegation. The Netherlands international has endured a bumpy debut season in north London. He took time to adapt to the Premier League after joining Spurs from RB Leipzig towards the end of last summer’s transfer window and was sent off against Liverpool in December when it looked like he had finally settled.

He has struggled to fully earn the trust of his head coaches. Igor Tudor left him out of the starting 11 for three games in a row while Roberto De Zerbi only brought him off the bench in the 85th minute in his first match in charge against Sunderland. Simons has provided a few moments of quality and inspiration though which Spurs will sorely miss in their final four league games. The best examples are his stunning goals against Atletico Madrid and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Spurs have found it difficult to create high-quality chances this season due to the long-term absences of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Simons is one of the only members of this squad capable of playing intricate passes which he demonstrated with a beautiful cross for Pedro Porro’s goal against Brighton. The 23-year-old has created 34 chances this season which is only behind Porro (42) despite only starting 19 games.

Simons has described his injury as “cruel” on social media and said that he is “heartbroken.” He will have to watch from the sidelines as Spurs attempt to avoid relegation and the Netherlands try to win the World Cup for the first time. He was due to play a much more prominent role this summer under Ronald Koeman who started him in five of their six games at the European Championships in 2024. Depending on the severity of the injury, Simons could miss a significant portion of next season too.

Manchester United’s European hopes suffered a blow after Marc Skinner’s side were held to a listless goalless draw against Tottenham Hotspur, extending their winless run in all competitions to four.

United currently sit third in the Women’s Super League table, the league’s final European qualification spot. Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Everton lifted them four points clear of United, while Arsenal remain one point behind Skinner’s team, albeit with three games in hand.

A win against fifth-place Spurs would have buoyed United’s top-three hopes heading into the season’s final two matches, which will see United face sixth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea.

However, United produced an poor performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, failing to mount more than a shot on goal in the entire first half compared to Spurs’ nine and they were fortunate Martin Ho’s side failed to make the most of their chances.

Spurs, who finished 11th last season but have experienced a renaissance under former United assistant manager Ho, found pockets of space to exploit but failed to capitalise on their 22 shots at goal.

United, meanwhile, managed just 10 shots in total, none on target in the second-half, with an xG of just 0.46. The result extended United’s win-less run in all competitions to four, the longest in their WSL history, while also meaning United have failed to claim a win from any of the WSL’s top five sides this season.

Sunday’s result placed further scrutiny on head coach Skinner. Skinner signed a two-year deal last summer, with a one-year option, after earning United qualification for the Champions League for the second time in his five-year tenure.

The Athletic was denied the opportunity to ask Skinner questions in his post-match media duties by United’s press officer, who later said this was in response to an “overly negative story” that followed the club’s Champions League exit.

The story in question arrived after United’s exit from the Champions League following their 5-3 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals to Bayern Munich, in which The Athletic assessed United’s future, including the financial and coaching limitations of the team.

The exit from the Champions League came weeks after United’s 2-0 League Cup final defeat to Chelsea, making it 16 defeats in 19 matches against Chelsea.

Asked about his future by other members of the media, Skinner said: “Look, I’ve said this two or three seasons ago when we finished fifth and we won the FA Cup. We came back stronger than next year, and we qualified for Champions League.

“This year, we’ve come into the Champions League and gone to the quarterfinals, got to our first League Cup final. I’m absolutely so passionate about what we do. But we have to do some changes in the summer. We have to make some changes to make sure that we can compete with what’s clearly a financial market at times, right? And we want to do it our own way. We’ve said that and we’re clear on that. But we have to make sure we write those smart assignments to keep pushing this team forward.”

United have reached three successive FA Cup finals under Skinner, winning the 2023-24 edition 4-0 against Spurs but losing the other two to Chelsea 1-0 and 3-0. United reached a first League Cup final this season, again losing to defending champions Chelsea, this time 2-0 to take the number of defeats against the west London side to a total of 16 from 19 matches in all competitions.

However, Skinner has cut a divisive figure amongst the fanbase in recent seasons for what is deemed to be tactical limitations and an inability to push the squad further as other WSL teams increase investment.

United return to action against Brighton on Saturday.

Joao Palhinha leapt over the advertising boards to celebrate with Tottenham Hotspur’s travelling supporters.

The Portugal international’s 82nd-minute strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers left Spurs on the brink of winning a Premier League game for the first time since December but nobody would have blamed any of those fans who had made the trip to Molineux for holding back slightly.

Last Sunday, they went wild when Xavi Simons scored a stunning goal to give them a late 2-1 lead at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, only for Georginio Rutter to crush their spirit with a stoppage-time equaliser.

Spurs managed to hold onto their advantage this time, and owe a huge amount of gratitude to Antonin Kinsky who tipped Joao Gomes’ free-kick over the bar.

Kinsky collided with the post when he made that save but jumped back to his feet in anticipation of a corner. Seconds later, referee Anthony Taylor blew the full-time whistle.

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur charged over and jabbed a celebratory finger towards his goalkeeper’s face before hugging him. Full-back Pedro Porro and Palhinha embraced. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi fist-pumped in front of the Spurs fans.

It was an ugly performance, but the psychological boost of Tottenham ending their 15-game winless run in the league that dates back to December 28 was clear to see.

Spurs started the game positively but their intensity levels dropped quickly.

Just before half-time, first-choice striker Dominic Solanke suffered a muscle injury. Then Simons left the game on a stretcher just past the hour after hurting his knee. Tottenham desperately needed somebody to provide them with a creative spark and had just lost two of their most influential attacking players.

At one stage late in the match, Spurs were four points away from safety because West Ham United were beating Everton in one of the day’s other 3pm kick-offs. If they could not win against already-relegated, last-placed Wolves, surely they were, deservedly, doomed to play in the Championship next season.

They created a couple of chances from Porro’s outswinging corners and finally found the goal which has given them a renewed sense of hope.

De Zerbi has said on multiple occasions since his appointment on March 31 that his tactical philosophy is not important with only a few weeks left until the end of the season. The Italian wants to act like an older brother or father figure to the squad to try to guide them away from danger and these three points are the perfect tonic for their fragile confidence.

After the Wolves game, De Zerbi revealed he had been surprised by the players since he replaced Igor Tudor.

“If you watch the game from the stand or TV, you can’t understand if they have the right spirit or if they have the right attitude,” he said. “I work with them every day and all players are professional, good guys, and they are suffering for this situation. (I) just (need) to give them confidence and order on the pitch, because I didn’t like the second half at all. We could play better, we have to play better, much better than the second half. We have to play like the first 30 minutes. Maybe creating more chances to score and more shots on goal.”

There were lots of examples of Spurs players demonstrating they had the right attitude.

In the 24th minute, Kevin Danso’s mis-hit pass went behind Yves Bissouma. Djed Spence and Bissouma chased after the ball to prevent Wolves from winning a throw-in. It might not seem significant but it indicated they were prepared to work hard.

A few minutes later, Solanke blocked Rodrigo Gomes’ fierce volley from a corner. Bentancur, in only his second appearance since recovering from a hamstring injury which ruled him out for three months, was unafraid to challenge his team-mates when they made poor decisions in possession.

When Danso’s weak header presented Adam Armstrong with a one-v-one opportunity in the second half, Kinsky sprang off his line and bravely punched the ball away. The mentality of this squad has been questioned throughout the season but they refused to give up against Wolves.

However, this turned out to be a bittersweet victory. Losing Xavi and Solanke for an extended period of time will significantly damage their chances of escaping the relegation zone.

Solanke has been unfortunate with injuries since he joined Spurs from Bournemouth in August 2024 for a club-record fee of £65million. The England international has been restricted to 20 appearances in all competitions this season and has only scored three times but that includes both goals in February’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City.

Solanke is capable of producing match-winning moments and is excellent off the ball. The 28-year-old’s latest setback is a blow for Spurs and damages his chances of featuring at this summer’s World Cup. De Zerbi said Solanke’s muscle injury was “not a big problem”, while Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani can cover him.

De Zerbi praised Xavi for his ability to receive the ball when it is “hot” before the draw with Brighton. The Netherlands international is unafraid to try to make things happen out of sheer will.

Spurs have struggled to create chances this season due to the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Maddison has been named in the squad for their last two games but De Zerbi admitted “he is not available yet” to feature and has been included for his leadership qualities. De Zerbi did not sound optimistic about Kulusevski’s chances of representing Sweden at the World Cup in June let alone returning for Spurs before the end of the campaign.

Xavi leaves a creative void which somebody needs to fill but there is no obvious solution. Lucas Bergvall has operated as a No 10 on a few occasions but looks more suited to a deeper role long-term. Conor Gallagher lacks Xavi’s technical quality and Pape Matar Sarr is struggling with a shoulder injury.

Wilson Odobert is recovering from an ACL injury. Earlier this month Spurs revealed Mohammed Kudus had suffered a setback in his recovery from a quad injury and might require surgery. Spurs’ attacking options have been decimated by injuries while Kolo Muani’s underwhelming performances prompted De Zerbi to say they needed to have “breakfast, lunch and dinner” together every day “because he is a top player (in terms of) potential and he plays (better) the better he feels”.

Spurs finally showed everybody that they are willing to fight to stay in the division but the problem is they might not have enough players to survive.

Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Xavi Simons suffered a knee injury in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Spurs were on the counter-attack following a corner in the second half when Xavi tried to keep the ball in play deep in Wolves’ half. The 22-year-old fell awkwardly after colliding with Hugo Bueno.

Xavi went down in pain but stood back up after receiving treatment for a couple of minutes. The Netherlands international dropped to the floor again and then protested when De Zerbi substituted him for Joao Palhinha. A couple of minutes later, Xavi was put on a stretcher and taken to the dressing room.

Dominic Solanke picked up a muscle injury in the first half and was replaced by Richarlison.

Despite losing two of their most influential attacking players, Palhinha’s second-half goal secured Spurs their first league win since December. They remain in the bottom three following West Ham United’s 2-1 victory over Everton. Losing Solanke and Xavi for an extended period of time will damage their chances of avoiding relegation.

It is a blow to both of their chances of playing at this summer’s World Cup for England and the Netherlands respectively.

“For Xavi it is a problem of his knee,” De Zerbi said in his post-match press conference.

“We go to see in the next days, Monday or Tuesday. For Solanke it is not a big problem. I don’t know how many games we lose him but I would like to know the situation with Xavi because the knee is always different than the muscular injury.

“He felt pain. I spoke to him two, three minutes ago. He feels better than the beginning of the injury.”

Tottenham Hotspur are two points adrift of safety with four games to play after a dramatic round of fixtures in which they, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest all won.

It means just six points cover Leeds United in 15th, Forest in 16th, West Ham in 17th and third-bottom Spurs, with Burnley and Wolves already relegated. Newcastle United are two points further ahead in 14th, with their match against Arsenal ongoing at time of writing.

Here, The Athletic explains who each club have left to play in their final four games, which of them has the easiest and toughest fixtures, when each team last went down and how soon the third and final side can be relegated from the Premier League this season.

What is the situation right now?

Tottenham’s 1-0 win at Wolves on Saturday — their first in the league in 2026 — kept the gap between them and the safety line down to two points, the same as it was at kick-off, but with one fewer round of games remaining.

For a while, it looked like Roberto De Zerbi’s side were about to climb out of the bottom three after Joao Palhinha gave them an 82nd-minute lead at Molineux and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall wiped out West Ham’s 1-0 advantage at home to Everton moments later.

Those two strikes, for a few minutes, turned a potential four-point West Ham lead into a tiny Spurs advantage on goal difference. But Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time winner for West Ham dumped Tottenham back into the drop zone.

Nottingham Forest, five clear of Spurs, and Leeds United, a further point better off, are the other sides in realistic danger but both will be feeling much more comfortable right now than their two rivals.

What are Spurs, West Ham, Leeds and Forest’s remaining fixtures?

Leeds United: Burnley (home, May 1), Tottenham (away, May 11), Brighton (home, May 17*), West Ham (away, May 24)

Nottingham Forest: Chelsea (away, May 4), Newcastle (home, May 10), Manchester United (away, May 17*), Bournemouth (home, May 24)

West Ham United: Brentford (away, May 2), Arsenal (home, May 10), Newcastle (away, May 17*), Leeds (home, May 24)

Tottenham Hotspur: Aston Villa (away, May 3), Leeds (home, May 11), Chelsea (away, May 17*), Everton (home, May 24)

* — may be moved for live TV coverage

Where is each side’s best chance of picking up wins?

For Leeds, all four fixtures look winnable and Daniel Farke’s side are unlikely to need many more points. In fact, there is a good chance that their current total of 40 is enough already. Should Forest need another point or three, their home game against struggling Newcastle in a couple of weeks looks like their best chance.

West Ham’s run-in looks like the most daunting of the four but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will be banking on beating Leeds at the London Stadium on the final day of the season should things get tight, while Tottenham will view their own home game against the same opposition a week on Monday as a glorious chance for a win, especially if the Yorkshire club are officially safe and into the FA Cup final by then.

But if Spurs are to survive as a top-flight club this season it will probably go all the way, so their final-day home match with Everton looks potentially huge.

When were these teams last relegated?

There is no doubt that relegation for Spurs would be the biggest shift in the Premier League’s tectonic plates because many of their current fans were not alive when the club were last dumped out of the top flight. That came in 1977 in the first year of what would become a decorated eight-year stint as manager for Keith Burkinshaw.

His side won promotion a year later, and Tottenham have been a permanent fixture in the First Division and then the Premier League ever since.

West Ham have been relegated twice this century but the most recent occasion was in 2011 when an Avram Grant-managed team finished bottom of the table. They bounced straight back to the Premier League a year later under Sam Allardyce and have stayed for 14 seasons including the current one.

Forest were last relegated from the top division in 1999 and remained outside it until 2022, even spending three years in the third tier.

Leeds fans only have to look back to 2023 for their most recent Premier League exit. They returned a year ago.

What’s the earliest Spurs could be relegated?

In theory, they could go down as early as May 11 if they fail to take a minimum two points from next Sunday’s game against Aston Villa and the home match with Leeds that following Monday and West Ham beat both Brentford and Arsenal in their next two fixtures. That combination of results would give Nuno Espirito Santo’s side at least a seven-point lead and Tottenham would only have six left to play for.

West Ham cannot now go down until May 17 — the penultimate weekend of the season — if Spurs win two of their next three matches and results go against the east Londoners. If Forest and Leeds are to be relegated, it will go down to the final round of Premier League games on Sunday, May 24.

How worried are West Ham and Spurs?

West Ham writer Roshane Thomas: There were scenes of jubilation when Callum Wilson scored that stoppage-time winner against Everton on Saturday. All the other West Ham players ran towards him in the lower tier of the west stand as they celebrated with supporters. The victory means the gap between them and Tottenham remains the same at two points, but West Ham will take huge confidence given the manner of their latest victory.

Minutes before full time today, supporters in the stands were shown on the press-box TV monitors anxiously checking their phones when it emerged Tottenham had scored at Wolves. The mood soon changed to frustration when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a dramatic Everton equaliser in the 88th minute. But an unmarked Wilson, courtesy of Jarrod Bowen’s assist, was the hero when he got his winner four minutes later. Post-match, there was a massive roar from the London Stadium faithful, while the home players embraced on the field.

West Ham have strengthened their position in terms of securing Premier League survival with this result. They no longer have to rely on other clubs as their top-flight fate is firmly in their hands. They crucially have momentum with four league games remaining against Brentford (a), Arsenal (h), Newcastle (h) and Leeds (h). Tottenham may have won their first league match this calendar year today, but West Ham’s unity remains strong, as shown against Everton.

Tottenham writer Jay Harris: Spurs are still in the bottom three but they have won a league game for the first time in 119 days with today’s nervy 1-0 at Wolves.

Breaking that horrible run will give the players a huge boost psychologically and you could tell it was a significant moment by the way they celebrated with their travelling supporters at full time. Goalscorer Joao Palhinha could not stop hugging his team-mates, including Antonin Kinsky and Pedro Porro, while head coach Roberto De Zerbi gleefully pumped his fists in front of the away fans.

Palhinha’s scrappy late goal capped off an ugly performance, but nobody involved with the club will care for now. When their happiness subsides, Spurs will worry about the severity of the injuries suffered by Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons, with both forced off at Molineux. They deserve credit for grinding out a win this afternoon without two of their most influential attacking players but it is going to be difficult to maintain this momentum if those two now have to miss their remaining four games.

Tottenham Hotspur remain two points adrift of safety despite Joao Palhinha’s late goal earning them victory against Wolves and a first Premier League win of 2026.

Spurs looked in serious trouble after Nottingham Forest’s thumping 5-0 victory over Sunderland on Friday increased their lead over them to eight points. When West Ham took the lead over Everton on Saturday, it served to extend the live gap to Roberto De Zerbi’s side to four points.

Tottenham briefly jumped out of the drop zone in the live table after Palhinha scored on 82 minutes and Everton equalised at the London Stadium on 88 minutes, sending Spurs fans into wild celebrations at Molineux.

But Callum Wilson’s late winner for West Ham lifted them back up to 17th, two points clear of Spurs with four games to play.

Tottenham did avoid equalling their worst winless run in league history, a 16-game record set in 1935, but worrying-looking injuries for Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons will add to their problems.

Here The Athletic’s Jay Harris breaks down the key moments.

Where does this leave Spurs?

They are in a bad situation but have been given a small glimmer of hope.

Palhinha’s late goal earned them their first win in the Premier League since December. The injuries to Solanke and Xavi will make their escape act difficult, but the psychological impact of finally winning a match should be huge.

Spurs started brightly against Wolves but their intensity dropped off after the first 15 minutes. That was summed up by Randal Kolo Muani who initially caused Hugo Bueno problems and then was anonymous for the rest of the first half. It was no surprise De Zerbi replaced Kolo Muani with Mathys Tel at the break.

One of Spurs’ biggest problems this season has been their inability to create high-quality chances. They should be desperately fighting for their lives but offered very little threat in open play. Rodrigo Bentancur’s header from Pedro Porro’s corner in the second half was their best opportunity until Palhinha scored when it felt like all hope was lost.

The Portuguese’s scrappy effort sparked a wild few minutes in the battle to avoid the drop. Back in London, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s 88th minute equaliser briefly gave Everton hope of drawing with West Ham. If Spurs had lost and West Ham had won, De Zerbi’s side would have been in a perilous position.

It looked like the momentum was about to swing massively in Spurs’ favour and they were, for a blissful few minutes, out of the bottom three on goal difference. Then the Wolves’ fans started taunting the opposition fans and chanting “Tottenham away, ole ole.” A few seconds later the news filtered through that West Ham had retaken the lead.

Still, there were huge celebrations off the bench and in the away section after Antonin Kinsky’s fine late save ensured a big win.

What happened to Simons and Solanke?

Spurs have been struck by a horrible injury curse over the last two seasons. It feels like every time one player returns from the treatment room, somebody else takes his place.

James Maddison suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season. Dejan Kulusevski is still recovering from a complicated knee injury which then head coach Ange Postecoglou originally referred to as a “knock” last year. Maddison and Kulusevski have not played a single minute for Spurs this season.

Mohammed Kudus has suffered a setback in his return from a hamstring injury while Destiny Udogie is back on the sidelines only a few weeks after recovering from his own hamstring issue.

Spurs’ injury curse took a new cruel twist on Saturday afternoon. Dominic Solanke was substituted just before half-time after dropping to the floor off the ball a couple of minutes after a tackle on Wolves’ midfielder Andre. He appeared to be rubbing the back of his left leg.

Solanke has endured a difficult time at Spurs since he joined them from Bournemouth in August 2024 for a club-record fee, but remains one of their most influential players. Losing the England international for any period of time damages their chances of avoiding relegation and his own quest to play at this summer’s World Cup.

What happened with Simons in the second half looked more ominous.

The 22-year-old went down holding his right knee after chasing the ball and colliding with Hugo Bueno. He tried to continue and even waved towards the bench in anger when he was replaced by Palhinha. However, Simons had to be stretchered around the pitch towards the dressing room a couple of minutes later.

Simons was nearly Spurs’ matchwinner in last weekend’s draw with Brighton & Hove Albion and he was exceptional in the second leg of their Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid. He has been the only player to provide a creative spark and now it looks like he could miss their final few games of the season.

Losing one of their best attacking players would have left Spurs in a difficult spot. Losing two in the same game will leave them numb.

How important was Palhinha’s goal (and Tel’s help)?

A lot of the credit for Palhinha’s goal should actually go to Mathys Tel. The France Under-21 international chased the ball when it looked like it was going out of play. He prevented Wolves from earning a goal kick and Spurs kept hold of possession until they won a corner.

Porro’s out-swinging delivery led to a great chance for Bentancur a few minutes before Palhinha scored and Wolves did not learn their lesson. The ball was allowed to drop inside the box and Richarlison scuffed a left-footed effort towards goal. The effort was going wide until Palhinha poked the ball into the net at the front post.

It is the second time this season Palhinha has saved Spurs from a damaging result against Wolves. Back in September, the midfielder’s stoppage-time effort earned Spurs a point under then head coach Thomas Frank and prevented them from suffering an embarrassing defeat.

If Simons’ curling strike last week was worthy of winning a game, Palhinha’s goal was at the opposite end of the scale. It was scrappy and scruffy but nobody cared. He jumped over the advertising hoardings to celebrate with the Spurs fans. Roberto De Zerbi jumped up and down on the touchline. Spurs had scraped over the line to end a 15-game winless run.

De Zerbi recognised the significance of the moment by bringing on Radu Dragusin for Conor Gallagher in the final few minutes. Then Kinksy clattered into the post making a fantastic save from Joao Gomes’ free kick with one of the last plays of the game.

This group of players have finally shown their supporters that they are up for the challenge and prepared to fight to stay in the division. There may be injuries, but there is also hope.

What did De Zerbi say?

We will bring you this after the Tottenham head coach has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Spurs?

Tottenham Hotspur go to Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend with their season and future on a knife-edge.

Win this afternoon (Saturday) and Spurs could end the day outside the bottom three, depending on results elsewhere, bringing a renewed sense of optimism. Lose away to already-relegated opposition, combined with the possibility of West Ham United beating visitors Everton in a match happening at the same time, and the writing of the north London club’s first relegation since the 1976-77 season is on the wall.

It means yet another game watched through their fingers or from behind the sofa for the millions of Tottenham fans unable to make the trip to Molineux, as relegation to the Championship becomes an ever more likely prospect.

“All of a sudden, the fate being so disastrous has made games not even including Spurs incredibly stressful. Like, unbelievably stressful,” says Adam, 38, who has been a season-ticket holder for 20 years.

“On Monday night (when West Ham got a point from a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace), I was on the floor, practically hyperventilating, watching the (West Ham attacking) corner at the end. From a physiological perspective, the lack of sleep… During the Sunderland game (a 1-0 away defeat two weeks ago), I ended up with a massive migraine. I had a friend around to watch it, but we didn’t speak for about 40 minutes after we conceded. We were in a haze.”

Off the back of ending a 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League last May, many Tottenham fans went into this season with excitement.

While they missed out on influential creative midfielders including Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze in the transfer market, which has undoubtedly contributed to their calamitous season, Spurs strengthened their attacking ranks with Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons, and began life under new head coach Thomas Frank with back-to-back league wins, beating Burnley at home before an impressive 2-0 win away at serial champions Manchester City.

But after that decent start, their form collapsed. Tottenham have picked up just two league wins from 24 league matches since the start of November, and are yet to record one this calendar year. Frank was sacked after a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United on February 10, with match-going fans having long grown tired of the continued poor performances and results.

“It was towards the end of the Thomas Frank period when I really just tuned away from football,” says Gary, 26, who now only watches Spurs’ fixtures. “Partly because it’s hard to watch other teams do well, and the other part is that even thinking about football was getting me in a bad mood. I just wanted to get away from it all, really.

“During the international break that just came up, I didn’t watch any of the England games. Then I didn’t watch any of the FA Cup quarter-finals weekend after it. So it was nearly a month off football. Those three weeks were bliss — not thinking about Spurs, not thinking about football, just getting on with life.

“I watch every Spurs game with my dad, but since we’re not watching any other football, I’m not spending time with him. I go out for lunch on the weekends with my mum, because I see it as free now. I’m going to the gym more — it’s probably having quite a positive impact on my life. It’s made me realise there’s more to life than football, and how much football has impacted my life.”

While Gary has been able to extricate himself from following every Spurs-related game or update, some fellow fans, including Ben, 45, who has had a season ticket since 1989, have been consumed by the team’s protracted slide in recent seasons and struggle to escape from thinking about it.

“I’m a pessimist,” says Ben. “I’ve seen this slippery slope coming. Every single week, hoping for a lucky win, but it’s just been bad luck — injury after injury. Every Saturday night or Sunday, I’m in a vile mood, trying to get a Monday off work, because of the Arsenal, Chelsea, and West Ham fans. It’s just been playing on my mind all the time.

“I haven’t got kids, Spurs are everything in my life. I’m Spurs-mad. I’m turning Twitter off next week; I’ve already planned when Instagram and Facebook are going off. I’m meeting a Spurs fan today who was at the last relegation in the ’70s, and it’s affecting him massively. He said his wife is struggling to handle his emotions right now.

“It’s making me feel physically sick. I’ve got a few days’ holiday held back if I need to take it. I’m due for a sabbatical and was thinking whether this is a good time…”

Tottenham saw no new-manager bounce when Frank was replaced with Igor Tudor, and the Croatian was sacked after just 44 days in charge without delivering a single win. Performances have improved under Tudor’s successor Roberto De Zerbi, and the Italian’s upbeat messaging has encouraged the fanbase, but Spurs cannot hope to stay up unless they can win some matches. This wait for a first Premier League victory in 2026 has become one of the run-in’s biggest stories, making the topic even harder for their fans to avoid.

“It’s such a bizarre situation to find a club of our stature in a relegation fight that everyone wants to talk about it,” says Gary. “It’s not just after the game when you get banter from your friends. If the game’s on Saturday and I see friends on Sunday, they’ll speak about it. I go to work on Monday, and people want to speak about it.

“By the time people stop speaking about the game from the Saturday before, we lose again on the Saturday after — rinse and repeat. It’s in almost every aspect of my life at the moment. People want to talk about the situation, and I don’t blame them, because obviously, it’s a big talking point for everyone, but it means that it’s so hard to get away from.”

For some Tottenham fans, the prospect of relegation was so ludicrous that they would entertain thoughts and conversations about it.

Spurs were 12 points ahead of third-bottom West Ham on New Year’s Day, and even if rumblings and fears about tumbling out of the Premier League were starting to spread online and through the terraces, few actually believed it was a possibility.

“Initially, it was a perverse mix of wanting to experience it without actually wishing to experience it,” says Darryl, 38, whose father bought him a Tottenham season ticket before he was born, and has had one ever since. “You’re peering through the looking glass and wondering what would happen if we did go down. ‘Could they? Would they have financial issues with the stadium debt? How many players would leave? Could it even be a good thing?’. Like wondering what would happen if I were the last person alive. ‘What would I do?’. ‘Oh, it would actually be really grim’. And it would be a grim reality to go down. It could be a hell of a long time before we get back to where we would want to be.”

The majority of Spurs fans will have no memory of relegation, and it is an entirely different prospect these days than it was in 1977. At that time, it was not uncommon for clubs to win promotion from the Second Division and be immediately competitive at the top end of the First Division, as the domestic elite was then known.

Derby County, for example, won the title in 1971-72, two seasons after being promoted. Brian Clough went one better with Nottingham Forest in 1977-78, winning the league and then the European Cup with Derby’s East Midlands neighbours and arch-rivals immediately upon earning promotion.

Now, those stories are far more uncommon. Leicester City achieved a similar feat 10 years ago, but that’s considered the greatest shock in modern football history. Wolves, who immediately finished in the Europa League places in 2019 after a six-season spell away from the top flight, offer a more realistic target.

Having no reference point for their own club, however, is a primary driver of the anxiety for Tottenham supporters.

“It’ll be very hard to feel that connection with them again, because I see this relegation as the ultimate betrayal,” says Adam. “To allow themselves to be in this situation is categorically unacceptable. I think the reason I’m so angry and stressed about it is that it feels like our relationship with the club and that thing that we’ve always loved doing, and the thing that you do with your mates, and you talk to everybody about — my dad calls me about it after every final whistle — will change negatively forever, and it’ll never be the same again.”

“It’s the fear and stress of that, the anxiety of everybody looking at you slightly differently because you no longer support Spurs, this big club that you can be proud of; you now support this national embarrassment, who have gone through probably the worst thing that any club of our size will ever go through. That will forever tarnish us, and our children will be tarnished by that.”

For other fans, it’s the worry of having to wait longer for the ninth-richest club in the world to fulfil their great promise.

“I’m an optimist at heart, and the most disappointing thing about a potential relegation for me is that I see the potential with Spurs,” says Gary. “I see how we could challenge for the very top honours, and I see how we could become an elite football club. A potential relegation puts that back so many years.

“I don’t really care what other people say. I’ve always hated the ‘Big Six’ label. I don’t think it does anything for us. If anything, it brings more negative eyes on us than anything else. For me, the thing that keeps me up at night is thinking we could be great, and us being relegated sets us back so many years. I’m quite optimistic about where we can go if we stay up, and going down muddies that vision so much.”

One thing almost every Spurs fan can agree on is that today’s game at Wolves will have a significant bearing on their Great Escape prospects.

Should a win lead to them avoiding the drop, Tottenham have the ability to bounce back from all this next season with a clean bill of health and aspire to qualify for Europe — though few will be surprised if they struggle again. If they do get relegated this season, the implications will be sizeable. However, it may also finally provide some solace, allowing fans to process the reality without the hope of survival.

“If it actually happens, it will be a huge relief,” says Adam. “I don’t think it will be that stressful. It’ll be upsetting for a couple of days, but I think we’ll move on pretty quickly.

“And when you think that this has been an emotional struggle every day for the last three or four months, it will be a huge relief not to be going through that anymore, because it’ll be done one way or another.”