The New York Times

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.”

Ever wondered what it is like to be a Premier League referee?

The ref cam, attached to the match official’s right ear, showing their point of view, has given a new insight into a referee’s perspective in the top flight this season.

After trials in pre-season friendlies during the United States-staged Summer Series two years ago, and a league match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace in May 2024, this campaign’s rollout has been more comprehensive.

As well as brief cuts to the camera during live game coverage, we are now seeing mic’d up edits posted to the social channels of the Premier League and its broadcast partners, which often feature confrontations and decisions that have become larger talking points.

It is content we are likely to see more of, with FIFA deeming its own ref cam experiment at last summer’s revamped Club World Cup in the U.S. to have gone “beyond their expectations”. Those cameras will be used at all 104 World Cup matches in the U.S., Canada and Mexico this June and July, while it has also been introduced in the NWSL, the U.S. women’s top-flight, and featured last weekend in the final of Spain’s Copa del Rey between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad.

From dealing with West Ham United winger Adama Traore bulldozing Chelsea players to intriguing exchanges in the Merseyside and north London derbies, here are eight things it has shown us from behind the curtain.

The human side of referees

Nobody thought officials were aliens, but the ref cam puts you in their shoes.

You see the impressive speed at which players get around the pitch and decisions on incidents get made, and the task facing referees, who have to keep up with moves being executed by people who are often many years younger than them and in their physical prime.

We have even seen some banter between referees and players. During Manchester United’s 2-0 home victory against Tottenham Hotspur in February, Michael Oliver joked with Spurs midfielder Conor Gallagher that he might have scored from one chance if he’d taken a better first touch, as seen below.

Another example came in last weekend’s Merseyside derby.

After James Tarkowski disputed a foul given against his Everton side, Chris Kavanagh jokingly asked the 33-year-old centre-back if he is going to become a referee once he retires as a player.

The players who test officials’ patience

From the footage released so far, West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes and Victor Lindelof of Aston Villa have had the frostiest confrontations with referees.

During Chelsea’s 3-2 comeback victory against them in January, West Ham won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Fernandes began pestering the players forming the wall and was met with an “Oi, excuse me” intervention from referee Anthony Taylor.

“Do not come here causing problems. Stand there, and don’t speak to anybody,” Taylor continued, with Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo also berated during that incident.

At one point in Villa’s 2-1 defeat of his previous club Manchester United in December, Lindelof could be heard saying “I didn’t touch him” to Oliver, not realising the official had penalised another player. As Oliver explained the situation to Lindelof, the Swedish defender walked away.

@premierleague

This is amazing insight 😮 Watch a Premier League match from the referee’s POV, when Aston Villa hosted Man Utd in December 🤳 #PremierLeague

♬ original sound – Premier League

Ninety-plus minutes of match footage gets edited down to about two minutes before it’s released, so the fiercest protests are unlikely to make the cut. We saw Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford booked during last Sunday’s defeat against Liverpool for dissent, but the mic did not pick up what the England No 1 said.

Equally, there is clearly respect between the players and the officials. Mohamed Salah and Kavanagh shared a nice exchange at the end of the same match. The referee told the soon-to-depart Liverpool forward “(A) pleasure, Mo,” to which Salah replied, “If I don’t see you, it was a pleasure.”

What really happens in heated moments

One feisty moment caught on ref cam during that same Chelsea-West Ham game was when Traore tussled with Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro.

The first question Taylor asked the VAR officials via their audio link was if Traore had pulled Cucurella’s hair (he did not; he just helped him to the ground). Joao Neves of Paris Saint-Germain was sent off in the Club World Cup final for pulling the Spanish defender’s hair last July, as was Southampton’s Jack Stephens in the Premier League in December 2024.

All this happened towards the Chelsea corner flag, but West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek saw the funny side of it and asked the ref if it was a possible penalty. “Come on, Tomas,” Chelsea captain Reece James responded.

During the ensuing melee, West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo grabbed Joao Pedro’s neck. “You’ve gotta check VAR though,” Chelsea’s Cole Palmer told Taylor.

We then saw Taylor go over to the monitor. “Oh, yeah. Grabs him round the throat,” he said, before showing Todibo a red card.

The best view of the goals

Referees have to try to position themselves in line with play to keep up with the unfolding match action.

This has meant they have regularly enjoyed the perfect vantage point for some of the best goals scored this season, such as Dominik Szoboszlai’s winning free kick for Liverpool against Arsenal in August.

In the mic’d up content, Oliver was right on top of Morgan Rogers’ two goals for Villa in that December match against Manchester United, both scored from the left side of the box. So much so that he could see the flight of the shot and said “Goal” on each occasion before the ball had hit the back of the net.

Over recent weeks, there have been similarly satisfying angles of Alex Scott’s winning team goal for Bournemouth against Arsenal and Cody Gakpo’s inch-perfect pass to Salah against Everton.

Kolo Muani controversy

In the footage from the north London derby in February, we saw the disallowed Tottenham goal against Arsenal in which Randal Kolo Muani was deemed to have pushed Gabriel in the back before putting the ball in the net.

His team-mates Micky van de Ven and Gallagher protested the decision, but referee Peter Bankes ended the discussion by saying, “It is a clear foul. End of.”

Some fans reshared the images and said the referee’s view of the incident was not clear. This is where ref cam has its limitations, as it does not have full peripheral vision.

Whether you believe it was a foul or not, Bankes’ on-field decision was that it had been, and VAR did not deem it a clear and obvious error — even if Gabriel’s fall from the push appeared rather soft.

VAR is all-encompassing

Watching just the ref cam clips, which are sometimes less than two minutes long, gives you an indication of how much refereeing now centres on VAR.

Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your view of the technology, but every goal being met with the statement “on-field decision is goal/no goal” gives you a sense of where things stand.

In the clips, referees can be heard giving small updates and communicating with their VAR colleagues, who can be hundreds of miles away, as much as they do with the players surrounding them on the pitch.

Romero predicts the future

At the start of Premier League games, referees carry out a coin toss with the two teams’ captains to determine who kicks off and which end of the pitch they want to attack to start.

At the start of that Manchester United win against Tottenham in February, Oliver took out a coin with red and silver sides. Referring to Romero by his nickname, ‘Cuti’, Oliver asked the Argentina centre-back to pick a side. He opted for red, with a grin on his face.

Twenty-nine minutes later, Romero was shown a red card for a high challenge on Casemiro.

“It’s finished — red card,” Oliver said. “They’ve already checked it?” asked Van de Ven, Romero’s fellow defender. Oliver repeated his initial statement three or four times afterwards.

Should it be used more?

At the end of Manchester United’s Villa Park defeat in February, an out-of-view player for the home side could be heard telling Oliver, “Hey, you should have a camera at every game. You’ve been flawless.”

In other sports, such as rugby union, referees have been mic’d up in matches since the early 2000s, and it has proved a popular and successful development.

Football has been late to the party, but the fact that it will be used at the upcoming World Cup, among other competitions, suggests it is now here to stay.