Tottenham at risk of worst losing run in 32 years ahead of Premier League clash against Brighton

Roberto De Zerbi will face his former club when Tottenham Hotspur take on Brighton & Hove Albion in a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday.

For Brighton, the fixture presents another opportunity to climb the table and strengthen their push for European qualification, but for Spurs, the stakes are far higher.

Sitting in the relegation zone with just 30 points from 32 matches, the north London side are in a perilous position, with survival now the immediate priority before any deeper reflection on their struggles.

Winless in 14 Premier League matches since the turn of the year, De Zerbi must quickly find a way to reverse their fortunes, having already lost his first game in charge against Sunderland.

Tottenham must avoid embarrassing losing record

This will be De Zerbi’s first home match in charge, and he can take some encouragement from the fact that only one of the previous 13 Tottenham managers has lost their first home game.

However, that sole exception was his predecessor Igor Tudor, who suffered defeat against Arsenal earlier this year.

Spurs have managed just 10 points at home this season - the worst record in the league - making it difficult to draw much confidence ahead of this encounter.

According to BBC Sport, Tottenham last lost five consecutive home league matches in 1994, and they are now at risk of matching that unwanted 32-year-old record.

They currently trail West Ham and Nottingham Forest by two and three points respectively, and a short run of positive results could still secure their top-flight status with six games remaining.

Tottenham battling injury crisis - huge blow ahead of Brighton clash

Spurs are expected to be without their influential captain Cristian Romero, who could miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

The centre-back has reportedly suffered a partial MCL tear, which could also impact his World Cup prospects.