Tottenham Hotspur's wait for a first Premier League victory of 2026 goes on. At the weekend, in Igor Tudor's second match in charge, Spurs were beaten again, this time defeated 2-1 by Fulham at Craven Cottage. The Lilywhites have therefore picked up just four points from ten league outings this year, equalling the club's longest-ever Premier League winless run, also ten matches under Ossie Ardiles in March 1994.
Back then, Spurs finished 15th, and they would snap your hand off for a repeat of that this year. 32 years ago, that winless sequence came to an end thanks to a 1-0 victory over Everton; Steve Sedgley the only scorer at Goodison. Well, if Tudor's new team are beaten again this mid-week, the club's 48 year stay in the top division really could be about to come to an end.
Tottenham's crucial sequence of fixtures
Next up, Spurs will welcome Crystal Palace to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday. Having played 28 Premier League matches and picked up only 29 points to date, every match is must win, still sat just four points clear of the relegation zone.
However, if Tudor's new team repeat what Ange Postecoglou's men achieved in the corresponding fixtures last season, they really could be doomed.
Tottenham's remaining PL fixtures & result from last season
Excluding the two games against newly-promoted clubs, Tottenham lost the corresponding fixture last season from each of their next seven Premier League outings. Across these matches, Postecoglou's side scored just five goals and conceded 20.
The only fixture Spurs did win last season was Everton at home, but that doesn't come around until the final day, so who knows what mess they'll be in by then. One could say, Spurs were even worse last year and were purely focussing on the Europa League. On the contrary, at this stage of the previous campaign, 28 matches in, Postecoglou's team had 34 points on the board, which is five more than they have now. So, despite finishing 17th, and currently being one place higher, Tottenham have somehow managed to regress.
Just looking at the three matches between now and the March international break, the visit to Anfield feels like a complete write off. Meanwhile, the home games against fellow strugglers Palace and Forest appear winnable, and a victory in both would more or less secure safety. However, were Spurs to fail to win both, they would be still very much be in trouble as we hit the run in.
Tudor has made no immediate impact since his appointment, and Thursday's clash is one of the biggest matches the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has ever hosted, but not in a way any supporter could ever have envisaged. Tudor's team simply must start fast against Palace to have the fans on their side and prevent the atmosphere from turning toxic.