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Nearly 50 years have passed since Tottenham Hotspur last dropped out of the top flight of English football during the 1976-77 season. That year, they finished 22nd with 33 points from 42 games (when a win equalled two points, not three). The north London outfit have never been relegated in the Premier League era, but the threat of that happening is a very realistic possibility. And their humiliating 3-0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest, a match many felt they couldn't lose if they were to stay up, only underlined their issues.
Club Comparison
Tottenham Hotspur
Nottingham Forest
Premier League
Premier League
€802.50m
Market Value
€568.00m
First Tier
League Level
First Tier
€265.60m
Expenditures 25/26
€241.83m
Igor Tudor
Managers
Vítor Pereira
Full Club Comparison
When Igor Jesus headed home from inside the six-yard box on the stroke of half-time, the silence was deafening. Players were not fulfilling their tasks defensively and they paid the price. Then, in the second half, Neco Williams was completely unmarked at the far post when he was found via a deep cross, and only a strong hand from Guglielmo Vicario denied the full-back from making it 2-0. The anxiety in the ground was palpable at this point, with the sinking feeling that Spurs genuinely could go down if they didn't score the next goal.
The ghost of Gibbs-White
The crowd did their best to lift the team, but the absence of identity in the team was evident. Igor Tudor's system left huge gaps in the midfield to be exposed and Morgan Gibbs-White - afforded the freedom of London - passed into the back of the net to double the lead. Given how both teams had started the second half, the goal was sadly inevitable - and worse yet, it came from the player who nearly joined them in the summer.
In July, Spurs had reportedly triggered his €69 million release clause, only for Gibbs-White to be convinced to stay at the City Ground by owner Evangelos Marinakis. How crucial will that decision prove to be in May when the season is over? Taiwo Awoniyi compounded the misery by adding a third late on, guaranteeing Spurs still don't have a Premier League win in 2026.
How close have Spurs been to Premier League relegation before?
The closest they have come to plummeting to the second tier was back in the 1997/98 season. After a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea on April 11, Spurs were languishing in 17th, only one point clear of Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers in the relegation zone. Unlike now, they had a star player to come back from injury and turn their fortunes around. When Darren Anderton returned from injury, the winger helped Spurs embark on a five-game unbeaten run and they survived the drop.
But this team doesn't have a Jurgen Klinsmann, Harry Kane or Heung-min Son to lift them out of adversity. They don't have even have an Ossie Ardilles-type character to lead them. Head coach Tudor hasn't won any of his five Premier League games in charge and surely won't get a chance to manage a sixth, with fans calling for him to be sacked.
Transfer and discipline issues
Speculation continues to link Micky van de Ven with a move to Barcelona in the summer, while Cristian Romero's outbursts on social media against the board and subsequent four-match suspension for his second red card of the season have been unhelpful distractions. Expensive summer signings such as Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus haven't delivered often enough, with the latter ruled out through injury. Conor Gallagher hasn't enjoyed the impact many expected when he arrived from Atletico Madrid in January.
Few could've blamed them for having one eye on events in Birmingham on Sunday, with relegation rivals West Ham travelling to Aston Villa and playing at exactly the same time. John McGinn's 15th-minute strike snatched away any hope of West Ham taking points away from Villa Park before Ollie Watkins made it 2-0 in the second half. But Tottenham didn't do their bit, losing by the same scoreline. How can the fans find any optimism in these times when they haven't been in such a position in the 21st Century?
Will Spurs actually go down?
With a squad value of €802.5 million and a €265 million gross spend in the summer, it seemed almost impossible at the start of the season under Thomas Frank that Spurs would find themselves in this position again, having finished 17th under Ange Postecoglou in 2024/25. At least then, the Europa League triumph gave them something to celebrate after ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.
But with seven games to go and Forest climbing above them in the Premier League table, it's no longer an outside possibility. They have taken five points from their last 36 available in the league. Make no mistake, that is relegation form. They still have to play Sunderland, Brighton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and finally Everton before knowing their fate. In the same fixtures last season, they faced five of those teams and only beat one of them - a 4-0 win over Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - losing the other four fixtures.
Seven games to save themselves, but it would take a remarkable turnaround and perhaps a third manager this season to change their fortunes. It's down to these players to ensure they don't have the ignominy of being part of arguably the most incredible relegation story since the league was founded 34 years ago.