Tottenham have been slipping down the table for the vast majority of the season, which is particularly disappointing after they made a relatively strong start to the campaign. They took 17 points from their first nine matches to sit third at the end of October. Since then, they have won just twice, steadily moving downwards, out of the top half, then into the bottom six or seven, onwards into a genuine relegation battle and now, at last, with just six matches remaining, into the bottom three.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Leeds | 32 | 8 | 12 | 12 | -10 | 36 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest | 32 | 8 | 9 | 15 | -12 | 33 |
| 17 | West Ham | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | -17 | 32 |
| 18 | Tottenham | 32 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -11 | 30 |
| 19 | Burnley | 32 | 4 | 8 | 20 | -30 | 20 |
| 20 | Wolves | 32 | 3 | 8 | 21 | -34 | 17 |
Since that bright start under Thomas Frank, the first of three managers they have used this season, they have taken just 13 points from the last 69 on offer. They remain winless in the Premier League in 2026 and are clearly in huge danger of being relegated for the first time since 1977.
West Ham Thrash Wolves to Plunge Spurs into the Mire
The latest round of Premier League matches was a Friday-to-Monday affair, and the first game saw West Ham host Wolves. The Hammers came into the game knowing they simply had to beat their opponents. The West Midlands side were at the bottom of the table. Despite recently taking seven points from four games, including a draw with Arsenal and back-to-back wins over Villa and Liverpool, they were edging closer to seeing their fate mathematically assured.
Wolves were 12 points behind the Hammers, so this was a must-win clash for both, but it was the home team that came out on top. The match was 0-0 until the 42nd minute, but then West Ham took the lead and never looked back. They won 4-0, a result that moved them out of the bottom three.
Previously a point behind Spurs, they were now two points above them, with their London rivals set to play away at Sunderland on Sunday. It was a long wait for Tottenham, and having recently been appointed, Roberto De Zerbi had just seven games to save Spurs. He now has six, and they need saving more than ever.
New Manager, Same Old Spurs
Sunderland have been the surprise package of the season, and along with Brentford and perhaps Everton, they have been the team that has most overperformed this term. The Black Cats have been particularly impressive in front of their own fans, a loyal and vocal bunch who turn out in great numbers and make themselves heard.
It was always going to be a tough game for De Zerbi’s first in charge, but the fact that it was away was no bad thing. Spurs have been okay on their travels, and if they do go down, it will be their home form that is to blame. They sit ninth in the away table, even after losing to Sunderland, but they are rock bottom of the home standings.
Sunderland thoroughly deserved their win, with the visitors playing like a side that looked doomed. They were timid, lacking in confidence and playing with insufficient fight and heart, especially after they conceded.
In the first half, they actually acquitted themselves reasonably well. Which is to say they were not abysmal. Sunderland were the better side, but not by much, and Tottenham had their chances. De Zerbi made five changes to his side’s line-up, and there were some positive signs.
However, when you are down, life has a habit of kicking you, and after 61 minutes, the hosts took the lead through a heavily deflected effort from Nordi Mukiele. The second half was cagier than the first, but Tottenham offered very little in attack and barely had just two shots in normal time in the second period.
Shortly after going behind, bad luck struck Spurs again, with skipper and key defender Cristian Romero having to go off due to him suffering a suspected concussion. The Argentine was in tears as he departed the pitch, an image that Tottenham fans will desperately hope is not one that comes to define their season.
Sunderland should probably have doubled their lead, but when a massive 11 minutes of stoppage time was announced, the visitors finally managed to rouse themselves. They had as many shots in added time as they did in the 45 minutes of normal time in the second period.
Overall, the home keeper made seven saves, the most he had made all season, but that probably paints an unrealistic picture of the game. Spurs ended with an xG of just 0.84 and a mere 0.15 in the second period. They created zero ‘big chances’ as they chased the game and never really looked like scoring.
They face Brighton at home next, and given their woes in front of their own fans and the Seagulls’ form (they have won five of their last six, narrowly losing the other to Arsenal), few Spurs fans will be overly optimistic about that one. It increasingly looks like relegation is their shocking but inevitable fate.