LONDON — The trademark thousand-yard stare at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium now gazes firmly into the void of relegation.
Last season’s UEFA Europa League champions — recognized as one of the wealthiest and most prominent clubs in the Premier League, who faced Atlético Madrid in a UEFA Champions League round-of-16 match midweek — find themselves in a perilous battle to avoid relegation after suffering a 3-0 defeat at home to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.
Spurs could ill afford to lose this matchup. However, for the fourth consecutive home game in the Premier League, they did just that, and it was a decisive loss.
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Forest’s victory lifted them two points ahead of Igor Tudor’s squad — who may soon be under new management — leaving Spurs in 17th place, just one point above West Ham United, currently occupying the third and final relegation spot.
While their slender lead over West Ham keeps Spurs from dropping into the relegation zone as they head into the international break, questions linger about how long this will last since they have not tasted victory in league play in 2026.
Their last league win was a narrow 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace on December 28. They last prevailed at their impressive £1 billion stadium three weeks earlier against Brentford, marking their first home win since defeating Burnley 3-0 on the opening day of the season.
That reveals the stark reality: Spurs have claimed just two home victories all season, earning a meager 10 points at home — the worst record in the Premier League.
The fans may be one of the few positives for the club as they face a crucial run of seven matches that could determine their fate between survival and relegation.
Even after supporters called off a planned protest against the club’s owners, the ENIC Group, opting instead for a vibrant welcome for the team bus, the atmosphere soured significantly as fans loudly booed the players following the match.
Before kickoff, they revealed a banner reading “All Together – Always.” However, by the final whistle, it felt more like “Us Against Them” as the players and Tudor faced the brunt of their discontent.
With good reason. The fans supported the team passionately, yet the players faltered under the pressure of needing a win.
The team’s struggles were compounded by the ineffective Tudor, whose label as a “firefighter” could soon extinguish with just one win from seven matches in charge. The Croatian manager has overseen one victory in Europe, a draw against Liverpool, and five defeats.
During that lone win, a 3-2 triumph against Atlético when the tie was already decided, midfielder Xavi Simons shone brightly, scoring two goals. Yet for a match that desperately needed a win, Tudor opted to bench this key player, bringing him on at 67 minutes when Forest were already leading 2-0 and comfortably in control.
Tudor isn’t the sole issue at Spurs. If he remains head coach after the international break, when Tottenham travel to face Sunderland, many would regard it as a surprise. In fact, it may be irresponsible for the club directors to retain him any longer given the minimal positive influence he has had since he took over from Thomas Frank just over a month ago.
However, Forest’s experience shows that changing managers does not always guarantee immediate improvement. Vitor Pereira is the fourth manager engaged by Forest this season, following Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, and Sean Dyche, and this marked his first league win in five matches since taking charge in mid-February.
Forest exhibited a composure that Spurs lacked, quickly exhausting their creative options. Just before halftime, Igor Jesus scored to put the visitors ahead, a nightmare scenario for a confidence-depleted team. Spurs needed an early goal to lift their spirits and engage their supporters, but Jesus’ strike dampened the atmosphere.
From that moment, Forest took command, capitalizing on the nervousness of both the Spurs players and fans. They secured their lead in the second half when Morgan Gibbs-White redirected Neco Williams‘s cross into the net past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs are not a team known for overcoming challenges; they tend to falter instead. Unfortunately, this does not bode well for them, especially with their next match after the international break seeing West Ham take on bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers. By the time Spurs face Sunderland, they could very well find themselves in the relegation zone.
When Forest scored again in the 87th minute through Taiwo Awoniyi, the stadium was almost empty, with only a few Spurs fans remaining to voice their dissatisfaction until the final whistle.
The atmosphere was one of bitterness, a fitting description of the mood surrounding the club. And if things don’t improve, Spurs could be in for even darker days ahead.