This might really be happening. Tottenham Hotspur is in 18th place, meaning it no longer controls its own destiny. Opta projects Forest to finish with 41 points and West Ham with 38, and expecting Spurs to gain nine points from its final six matches is very uncomfortable. Sure, it certainly is possible for that to happen, but it really does feel like relegation is finally the more likely outcome.
Last weekend was more of the same despite the managerial switch, with lifeless efforts nothing new. Roberto De Zerbi now gets a crack at his old club, who comes into North London having won five of its last six in the Premier League. Hopefully seeing Brighton & Hove Albion brings something extra out of De Zerbi’s men, though no one is banking on that to happen.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, April 18
Time: 12:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: NBC (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
Table: Spurs (18th, 30 pts), Brighton (t-9th, 46 pts)
Spurs and Brighton last met a long time ago, drawing 2-2 at the Amex thanks to a two-goal Tottenham comeback. The visitors came into the contest having three of its first four league matches, but obviously have not done a lot of winning since then. In terms of De Zerbi, despite decent success at Brighton, his sides did go just 1-0-3 against Tottenham (though he personally missed one of the losses due to a health issue).
Two Things to Watch
Reinvigorated attack
De Zerbi is here to throw the kitchen sink forward and finally generate some goals for a side that has not scored more than once in any league fixture since the start of February. That did not change at all against Sunderland, and he now faces a defense that is tied for the fifth-fewest goals allowed this season, conceding just three times in its past six league outings.
Obviously the Richarlison-Dominic Solanke-Randal Kolo Muani gambit did not yield any results, but do not expect the aggressive manager to back down. Especially with Cristian Romero now out, this club’s only hope — as slim as it may be — is to keep the foot on the gas and to attempt to overwhelm its opposition. There is not creativity healthy right now, but maybe energy and effort can bridge those gaps.
It does feel like Brighton is not a great side to try this against, but what other options are there? The Seagulls do not offer the league’s most dangerous attack, but have scored multiple goals in four of the past six and are unlikely to be kept off the scoresheet completely. Tottenham needs a little chaos on Sunday, and hopefully some aggression can finally pay off.
The calendar
My journey into this sinking reality is not unique, but seeing Spurs in an actual relegation position IN APRIL has really done it for me. Betting odds have this ultimate disaster at roughly 50 percent, and knowing that Forest and West Ham losing out would still not even be enough unless Tottenham does some work itself is an extremely frightening place to be.
This match feels like the linchpin. Either way, next weekend’s trip to Wolves absolutely must end in three points no matter what, but stumbling again ahead of that makes the pressure for Molineux even heavier. The vibes would be hurt even more by De Zerbi falling to his former employer, and having the home crowd leave disappointed would not help.
The pressure continues to grow, and this will definitely not be the last Cup Final sort of outing. But one look at the fixture list shows just how few opportunities actually remain. Forest have Burnley this weekend, West Ham have Palace; both could easily grab points. If Spurs fall flat once more, the race against the clock might essentially be over.