BBC

As thousands of Tottenham fans streamed out of their stadium at half-time on Thursday, no one could have been in any doubt about the threat of relegation.

After taking an early lead against Crystal Palace, three goals for the visitors in 12 first-half minutes - sparked by a penalty conceded and red card for Micky van de Ven - condemned Igor Tudor's side to another miserable defeat.

Spurs remain the only Premier League side without a victory in 2026. Their 11-match winless league run is the club's longest since 1935, when they went 15 games without winning.

With nine matches to go, they remain one point above the relegation zone and in real danger of losing their Premier League status for the first time.

The thousands of empty seats were telling. The fans who remained until the end met the final whistle with loud jeers as belief of survival appears to be draining from them.

"Anxiety was all through the stadium," former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole said on TNT Sports. "The whole performance was tepid.

"There was no bite and no anger and the fans were feeling that. It feels like they have given up.

"It looks like the fans are disillusioned, disenchanted and not believing it."

When Tudor was appointed as interim boss last month, he said Tottenham "100%" wouldn't go down. It would take a brave person to say that now.

"Of course i understand the fans [leaving]. It's normal, they wanted more," said the Croat, whose has lost all three of his matches in charge.

"I need to choose the right guys: Who is in the boat and who will leave the boat."

Tudor refused to be drawn into conversations about his future after full-time, despite questions already being raised about whether he would see out the season.

Spurs fan Chris Cowlin told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm lost for words over what I've seen tonight. You want fight, desire and most importantly points.

"It is too much for a lot of people and this is the reality that Spurs might get relegated.

"When we moved to this stadium in 2019 it was meant to be a game changer for us, the springboard for success and always competing for top honours. I've never known a time like this.

"We've gone through so many managers since moving to this stadium; six permanent managers and four interim appointments. Spurs have gone round in circles."

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not a happy place at the moment.

They have not won in the Premier League in 2026 and have only led in league games for 13 minutes since 7 January.

Outside the stadium, Tottenham supporters told BBC Sport the club were "in their worst moment in history" and "were more likely than not to go down".

One fan blamed Tottenham's form on the players, saying "there are too many egos" and "the players are still living off that high of the Europa League and sleep-walking to relegation".

Another added "Nottingham Forest and West Ham have got fight and grit. We don't have any of that."

One supporter said the board's failures in the transfer market was the main culprit, pointing to a lack of goalscoring options and a failure to cover Tottenham's many, many injuries.

Spurs currently have nine players sidelined.

Fans also pointed to the team's lack of discipline. Cristian Romero was serving the final game of a four-match ban after a straight red card in February.

Van de Ven's sending off on Thursday means he will now serve a three-match ban.

Many also queried the appointment of former Juventus boss Tudor. The Croat had never managed in the Premier League before his appointment in February.

Others defended him with one adding each new manager appointment simply "papers over the cracks".

One of the Premier League's traditional 'big six', Tottenham haven't been relegated since 1976-77.

Ten months ago, they won the Europa League and, despite being 16th in the Premier League table, are in the Champions League last 16.

Since promotion from the Second Division in 1949-50, they have spent just one season below the top flight (1977-78).

But none of that guarantees anything right now. Tottenham's next Premier League game is at Liverpool on 15 March. They still need to play fellow strugglers Forest, Leeds and Wolves. And they need points.

"Tottenham have not got many games left, but they need to find a concoction and some understanding to go get some results over the line," former Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It is ridiculous to think of them sacking [Tudor] after three games after seeing what the players have ultimately produced.

"This is the same group and sacking the manager after three games is an admission that he was the wrong man in the first place."

Reaction after Tottenham Hotspur beaten at home by Crystal Palace. Glenn Murray and Jonathan Pearce join Eleanor Oldroyd to reflect on a dismal night in North London for Spurs. Hear their thoughts on why everything changed after Micky van de Ven's first half red card and where this leaves Tottenham with nine games of the season remaining. Tottenham fan Chris Cowlin joins to give his immediate thoughts, plus hear from both managers: Igor Tudor, and a victorious Oliver Glasner.

Time Codes:

Fri 2000 Wolves v Liverpool (FA Cup)

Sat 1230 England v Iceland (Women's World Cup Qualifiers) on Sports Extra

Sat 1530 Wales v Montenegro (Women's World Cup Qualifiers) on Sports Extra

Sat 1700 Scotland v Luxembourg (Women's World Cup Qualifiers) on Sports Extra 3

Sat 1745 Wrexham v Chelsea (FA Cup)

Sat 2000 Newcastle v Manchester City (FA Cup)

Sun 1200 Fulham v Southampton (FA Cup) on Sports Extra 2

Sun 1330 Port Vale v Sunderland (FA Cup)

Sun 1630 Leeds v Norwich (FA Cup)

Mon 1930 West Ham v Brentford (FA Cup)

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praises his team's reaction as they fight back from a goal down to beat Spurs 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with all the goals coming in the first half.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Igor Tudor says he believes the club will be able to avoid relegation from the Premier League, insisting "the moment will pass" after watching his side lose 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace, a result that leaves them one point above the relegation zone.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Crystal Palace

The prospect of one of the Premier League's six wealthiest clubs being relegated to the Championship should be essentially impossible, given the immense resouces they have at their disposal.

But with 10 games left to play Tottenham Hotspur are just a point above 18th-placed West Ham, and in the kind of wretched run of form that makes it difficult to see where enough points are going to come from.

So, what would be the financial impact on Spurs if the unthinkable really does happen?

Spurs earned £690m worth of income last year, according to data from the Uefa European club finance and investment landscape report, putting them ninth overall in Europe.

That income would take a serious hit if they were to drop into the Championship.

According to BBC Sport analysis, the reduction could be as much as £261m overall.

One key area in which they would be harmed is ticket revenue, which earned the club £130m, the fifth-highest across the continent.

Currently, Spurs charge an average of £76 per fan for each home match, with only five clubs in Europe costing more.

Since building their new stadium for around £1bn, Spurs have focused heavily on selling hospitality tickets and corporate packages for matches in order to maximise matchday takings.

But they will simply not be able to charge the same amount for an opening day fixture against a side like Lincoln City - who are currently chasing promotion from League One - in the second tier in August, should they ultimately finish in the bottom three, and a drop in attendances would likely occur too.

Midfielder Dele Alli has returned to Tottenham Hotspur to train independently.

The 29-year-old has been allowed to use the club's facilities while he improves his fitness and looks to join a new club.

Dele has posted clips of him training at the club's academy grounds on his social media platforms.

He has been without a club since September 2025, when he left Serie A club Como after his contract was terminated.

Dele recently returned to Spurs as a special guest at the north London derby against Arsenal in February.

He scored 67 goals over 269 appearances over seven years for Spurs, before leaving in 2022.

Dele has played most of his career game time at Spurs, at a total of 19,150 minutes, having previously played a total of 6,514 minutes at MK Dons.

Since leaving north London, fitness and form struggles prevented the midfielder from fully establishing himself at Everton or Besiktas.

Dele made 13 appearances for the Merseyside team between 2022-2024. playing a total of 369 minutes.

He went on loan to Turkish side Besiktas, where he scored three goals in 15 appearances between 2022 and 2023, playing 830 minutes.

The prospect of one of the Premier League's six wealthiest clubs being relegated to the Championship should be essentially impossible, given the immense resouces they have at their disposal.

But with 10 games left to play Tottenham Hotspur are just a point above 18th-placed West Ham, and in the kind of wretched run of form that makes it difficult to see where enough points are going to come from.

With Wolves and Burnley almost certainly set to occupy the bottom two places at the end of the season, and the likes of the Hammers, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds still at risk too, Spurs are by no means favourites for the drop.

But they are now at enormous risk.

So, what would be the financial impact on Spurs if the unthinkable really does happen?

Spurs earned £690m worth of income last year, according to data from the Uefa European club finance and investment landscape report, putting them ninth overall in Europe.

That income would take a serious hit if they were to drop into the Championship.

According to BBC Sport analysis, the reduction could be as much as £261m overall.

One key area in which they would be harmed is ticket revenue, which earned the club £130m, the fifth-highest across the continent.

Currently, Spurs charge an average of £76 per fan for each home match, with only five clubs in Europe costing more.

Since building their new stadium for around £1bn, Spurs have focused heavily on selling hospitality tickets and corporate packages for matches in order to maximise matchday takings.

But they will simply not be able to charge the same amount for an opening day fixture against a side like Lincoln City - who are currently chasing promotion from League One - in the second tier in August, should they ultimately finish in the bottom three, and a drop in attendances would likely occur too.

Elsewhere, Spurs' broadcast revenue would plummet too. They would no longer have access to the funds generated from the Premier League's lucrative domestic and international broadcast deals, which last year meant Ipswich Town earned more in broadcast revenue than Barcelona.

And the tens of millions they earn from Champions League TV income will drop to nothing, unless they manage to win the tournament, which would guarantee them a place in next year's competition even if they are playing second-tier football.

Furthermore, the club-record £269m of commercial income Spurs earned last year would likely take significant damage.

Sponsorships such as kit manufacturer Nike and front-of-shirt sponsors AIA's deals (worth around £70m combined annually) will have their values slashed thanks to relegation clauses.

Playing four more home matches in the Championship could also have an impact on Spurs' ability to host other lucrative events and concerts, which the club has heavily focused on.

"For a club of Spurs' ambitions and financial scale, relegation would not simply be a short-term sporting setback", says football finance expert Kieran Maguire. "The economics of English football make recovery a multi-year project."

Spurs lost £129m last year, according to the data, and the risk of even greater losses going forward if relegated is evident.

In some regards, Spurs' expenses would be reduced by dropping to the Championship. It has been widely reported, for example, that their players' contracts include a clause dropping their salaries by 50% in case of relegation.

If that clause is inserted into the contract of every player in the squad, then last year's record wage bill of £276m could be turned into £138m when the contractual period ticks over to the new season on 1 July.

But in a variety of other ways outgoings would remain the same, and potentially even rise.

One of the major financial issues clubs across the continent have been facing in recent years is rising operational costs, including things like utilities, transport, insurance, marketing, and administration.

Last year, Spurs had the third-highest operating costs in all of Europe, paying out £260m. That was a rise of £27m on the previous year, and the figure could rise again if essentials like energy prices continue to increase in the wider global economy.

Many of those day-to-day operating bills won't simply be reduced by playing at a lower level - the price for powering the stadium for a night match against Norwich City in the Championship is the same as doing so for Newcastle in the Premier League.

Spurs also had 877 full-time employees last year, an increase of 57 on the previous year, giving them the 12th-biggest workforce in Europe.

Barring a cull of that workforce, Spurs will have to keep paying top-tier European salaries while not even playing in the English top flight.

In recent years Spurs have been simultaneously lauded for being one of the most sustainably-run clubs in Europe, while also drawing criticism from fans for not using more of their revenue to pay higher wages.

Some believe that the financial peril that plummeting to the Championship would bring is partly due to a reluctance to take financial risks in recent years.

"I would say money," ex-Spurs winger Gareth Bale told The Overlap podcast when asked why the club finds itself at such great risk of relegation.

"Look at the wage bill - it's lower [than other clubs with big ambitions].

"They always seem to buy young and hope they're going to grow into something bigger, which has worked in the past with me and a few other players, but they're an established club now.

"They have the stadium, they have the training ground, they have the fan base. They need to be buying bigger players, maybe paying a bit more. It's that bit of a gamble that you maybe need to take that, from a business point of view, they're not willing to do.

"For me that's probably the biggest issue - they don't sign the finished player.

"A £50 million player is not what it used to be. You have to be spending £80m, £90m, £100m now just to get a good player.

"It's like they just need to gamble a bit more, other clubs are more willing to take a risk financially."

Gareth Bale has revealed he carried a secret injury throughout his career, with the problem eventually leading to his early retirement.

Bale, 36, won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid to become one of Britain's most successful players.

He called time on his playing days at the age of 33 shortly after playing for Wales at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He has now disclosed details of a back injury suffered while a teenager at Spurs that he says contributed to his decision to step away from the game.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Bale said: "I tore my disc in my back when I was 18 at Tottenham. I played my whole career with that.

"I had a lot of calf injuries which was due to my back. I never came out and said this when I was playing because some people would say 'he's making excuses'.

"It was manageable but over time it caught up with me."

Bale's move to Real Madrid in 2013 broke football's transfer record and he says the Spanish giants were aware of the issue.

He called the problem "manageable" but said it hung over his time in La Liga, where he played a key role in the club's return to European dominance.

He says he was even forced to brush his teeth while standing on his heels because of the risk of injury to his calf.

"I never knew when it would come," he said, "and obviously people were like, 'oh, he doesn't look after himself' [but] I would literally make sure my calves and soleus were bulletproof.

"But again, if it misfires and it goes, there's nothing I could do about it. I'd have an injection in my back to calm it all down."

Arguably Wales' greatest footballer, Bale broke records for appearances and goals for the men's national side having made his debut as a 16-year-old.

He was talismanic as Wales reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and also helped them reach the last 16 of Euro 2020 before scoring the goal against Ukraine that booked a place in the country's first World Cup in 64 years.

"I always got to a point where I guess a lot of people do in their career, do you keep going for what reason? What else do I want to achieve?" said Bale, who retired with 111 Wales appearances and 41 goals, having also played in MLS with LAFC.

"I felt like I achieved everything I wanted to. The last thing I did was qualify for a World Cup, which was the one thing that was last on my list.

"I felt it was the right time. It was a few years prior that I was probably ready but it just caught up with me."

Bale also said a family illness was a factor in retiring and added he had considered post-retirement plans for several years before announcing in January 2023 he was hanging up his boots.

That has included an interest in club ownership, with Bale forming part of a consortium that showed an interest in buying hometown club Cardiff City last summer.

Cardiff did not give serious consideration to the proposal that Bale admits "didn't materialise" but he says ownership remains an ambition.

"I always said when I retired, I wanted one, two, three years just to decompress, enjoy the kids and then try and find a few paths I want to do," he added.

"Something like that interests me more than... going into management. I feel like I've done that as a player and you've got to put even more hours in as a coach and a manager."

Ask Me Anything

This season's Premier League relegation battle is shaping up to be one of the toughest in decades.

No team in the last nine campaigns has earned 36 points and been relegated, yet after 29 rounds of games, the latest Opta projections suggest that 18th place is currently set to finish on 37 points, meaning 38 points would ensure survival.

In the 30 Premier League seasons that have had 38 games a season for each club, 36 points would have ensured survival 60% of the time.

That rate of survival increases to 80% for 38 points, 90% for 40 points and 100% for 43 or more points.

West Ham hold the record for the team relegated with the most points in the 20-team era. In the 2002-03 season, the Hammers picked up 42 points but were still relegated.

The safety thresholds for the last two seasons have been significantly lower due to newly-promoted teams struggling in the Premier League. The last two seasons have seen 26 and 27 points be enough to seal safety, respectively.

Only once prior to the 2023-24 season has a total below 30 points been enough to seal survival.

Post

Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

Believe it or not, but Finlay is just an example of the messages we have had predicting Spurs as relegation certainties.

We will publish more shortly.

Keep your messages coming in and we would love to also hear from West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United supporters.

How are you feeling right now? Nervous?

Sadly, the next post on what points target clubs might have to aim for to retain their top-flight status may not brighten your mood...

How big a point could that be for Forest?

Man City 2-2 Nottm Forest

Shamoon Hafez

Football news reporter

Nottingham Forest were the ones celebrating a point at the end of a frantic second half at Manchester City, but could well have taken home all three as the clock ticked into added time.

Elliot Anderson, who has been linked with a move to City in the summer transfer window, swung in a corner which was met by Ryan Yates at the near post, but the substitute thumped his header the wrong side of the post.

Forest needed to get something out of the game with West Ham beating Fulham and Anderson's equaliser ensured they did not drop into the bottom three but are now perilously close to it.

Despite the unlikely point, Forest remain winless in their last six league games, while their new manager - ex-Wolves boss Vitor Pereira - is yet to taste victory as a top-flight manager in 13 attempts this season.

Summerville strike heaps pressure on rivals

Fulham 0-1 West Ham

Crysencio Summerville scored the only goal of the game as West Ham boosted their hopes of Premier League survival with a hard-fought win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The Dutchman pounced on a lapse in communication between Bernd Leno and Calvin Bassey shortly after the hour mark to earn the struggling Hammers only a seventh win of the Premier League season - albeit their fourth in the last eight matches.

After Nottingham Forest's 2-2 draw with Manchester City, the three points moved Nuno Espirito Santo's current side level on points with his former club.

It really now is game on, but could both West Ham and Forest yet leapfrog either Leeds, Tottenham or both to survive in the top flight for another season?

get involved

Get Involved - Who will avoid relegation?

Click 'Get Involved' to have your say

Bottom two Wolves and Burnley have both shown fight over recent weeks, but remain well adrift of safety.

Wolves are 12 points below 17th-placed Nottingham Forest with eight games to play, while Burnley are nine points behind Forest with a maximum 27 left to play for.

Anything can happen in the remaining weeks - teams higher up the table, such as Crystal Palace and Brighton, could yet be sucked into the relegation battle.

But it looks like one from Leeds United, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham will join Wolves and Burnley in the Championship next season.

Which team will it be? Share your thoughts using the 'Get Involved' button.

What's to come?

While the title chatter may be over and done with, we aren't going anywhere just yet.

From one end of the Premier League table, we're heading to the other.

There were some significant results at the top, but maybe those at the bottom had even bigger implications in the grand scheme of things...

A positive result for West Ham and a big point for Nottingham Forest have piled huge pressure on Tottenham Hotspur, who host Crystal Palace this evening.

All of that to come and more as we make our way into Thursday afternoon.

'We are used to this, all the 50-50s have gone against us'

Man City 2-2 Nottm Forest

Manchester City

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva, speaking to TNT Sports about the penalty incident that didn't go their way: "We are used to this [happening] this season. All the 50-50s have gone against us.

"The Erling [Haaland] incident - for me it is a penalty. What can Erling do? This season we are used to it. We know how it works.

"Our job is to be better. These things we cannot control. What we can control is our own performances. That is what we must focus on."

'I don't think because there's contact it should be a penalty'

Man City 2-2 Nottm Forest

Danny Murphy

Former Liverpool midfielder on BBC Match of the Day

On the Erling Haaland penalty appeal:

There is contact. Erling Haaland's leg hits Matz Sels' face here. I don't think just because there's contact it should be a penalty but some refs would've given it. I don't think it's a stonewall one, but I think if it was given, it wouldn't have been overturned.

As well, Man City are playing a team fighting relegation with all the quality they've got, they don't want to be relying on refereeing decisions. But I understand the disgruntlement around it.

'I would expect a penalty' - former referee Gallagher

Man City 2-2 Nottm Forest

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports about whether Manchester City should've been awarded a penalty for Matz Sels' challenge on Erling Haaland: "As a forward, if I push the ball past the goalkeeper like that and the goalkeeper hits the man and doesn't get the ball, I would expect a penalty. The forward has pushed the ball away, the goalkeeper hasn't got it, he's gone to ground, he's got to get the ball, and he doesn't."

On why VAR didn't intervene: "I think their view is probably that Haaland has dragged his foot into him, but I don't see it like that, and that's my opinion."

Former Premier League forward Jay Bothroyd agreed with Gallagher, adding: "That's 100% a penalty. I'm not understanding why they haven't given that.

"Like Dermot said there, he's got the ball around the goalkeeper. I think the goalkeeper even knows. I think Haaland is even thinking 'I'm definitely getting a penalty here. He's taken me out'.

"I don't understand what they've seen."

Should Man City have been awarded a penalty?

Man City 2-2 Nottm Forest

Manchester City

Erling Haaland had his chances in the game after returning to the starting line-up from an injury that kept him out of Manchester City's win at Leeds.

He managed to get in behind the Nottingham Forest defence in the first half, taking the ball around goalkeeper Matz Sels but firing into the side netting.

The Norway striker was presented with a similar chance in the second half while City were leading 2-1, but this time appeared to be caught by Sels.

Haaland put forward a strong appeal for a penalty but referee Darren England did not award a spot-kick and video assistant referee Tony Harrington decided not to overturn the decision.

'They are not the Man City of old'

Paul Robinson

Former England goalkeeper on the Football Daily podcast

I don't think many people would have seen that one coming tonight.

Forest have only won four away games all season.

A lot has been said about Manchester City, we all expect them to go on that run and they have the home game against Arsenal which is being held up as the pivotal game.

Actually they are not the City of old. We have seen that, we know there are chinks in their armour. They were on a great run, have an especially impressive home record, and you would have genuinely expected them to pick up the points.

Three or four weeks ago I was in the City camp for the title race, thinking Pep thrives at this moment of the season, he enjoys it, and his teams seem to kick on.

Both of them are competing in four competitions so there will still be twists and turns, but from an Arsenal point of view there are always questions as they haven't got it over the line and done it for so long. That finger will always be pointed and that question asked until they do it.

But, the questions they are being asked they are answering. Manchester City are stumbling at times.

Tottenham's home record is wretched - Wolves are the only top-flight team to have picked up fewer points than them on their own turf so far.

The atmosphere there has been toxic all season anyway, and we are into territory where, if Tudor loses this, things could get even worse.

I am not sure about Crystal Palace either, mind you. After a difficult few weeks, they actually looked good against Manchester United on Sunday but they will miss the suspended Maxence Lacroix here, who is important for them at the back.

It would be against the odds, but I am going to back Spurs here. Their last league win came against Palace, at the end of 2025 - maybe they will get their first league win of 2026 against the same opposition.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1