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The geniuses at Opta have been crunching the numbers and provided the latest projections for the rest of the Premier League season. The Supercomputer gives us the latest probabilities on where each team is expected to finish in the final table, including who will lift the title, who will squeeze into the European places and, of course, who will go down.

With around a quarter of the season left to play, virtually nothing is certain in the crazy world of Premier League football.

Each team has fewer than 10 matches to play to achieve what remains of their ambitions this season, whether that be lifting the big one at the top, securing a place in Europe for next season, or further down just keeping themselves in the division.

Teams return to league business after, for those involved, a weekend of FA Cup fifth-round action and European assignments in midweek.

But what are your team’s chances of fulfilling their dreams this season?

Our friends at Opta have once again crunched the numbers, providing the latest probabilities for where each of the 20 protagonists in this long-running drama we call the Premier League will end up when final whistles are blown around the country on May 24.

Premier League predictor table

Gunners aim to keep City in the rear-view on road to title glory

While mathematically, it’s still not strictly impossible for a late charge from the chasing pack, it seems highly unlikely that this season’s Premier League champions will not be either one of Arsenal or Manchester City.

With so many near-misses in recent years, including three successive second-place finishes, The Gunners’ current seven-point lead places them as strong favourites to finally get over the line, with Opta giving them a hefty 94.4% chance of getting the job done.

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The 5.6% chance given to City to once again hunt down the north Londoners seems low given they have a game in hand and welcome the table-toppers to Etihad Stadium in April, but at this late stage, Pep Guardiola’s side will need to be virtually perfect while hoping Arsenal slip up.

City's first assignment will be to overcome relegation battlers West Ham, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, this Saturday night to at the very least maintain the current gap to the leaders, depending on how Mikel Arteta's side perform at home versus Everton earlier in the day.

Both teams also have other commitments in the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup - as well as facing each other in next weekend's EFL Cup final - which could have knock-on effects and lead to further twists in the title race in the coming weeks.

Big battles to decide UCL hunt?

With a top-four finish guaranteeing a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, just three points separate Manchester United in third place from Liverpool in sixth, with Aston Villa and Chelsea in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Fifth place is likely to also secure entry based on English sides’ strong showing in Europe this year.

Man Utd have been the form team in the division since Michael Carrick’s appointment as caretaker head coach in January, winning six of his eight matches in charge, but were beaten for the first time in their last outing away at 10-man Newcastle United.

Opta give The Red Devils a 56% chance of remaining in the top four (76% for top five).

Conversely, Villa, who were very recently within touching distance of the summit, have seen their form nosedive, with just two wins over the same period as Man Utd's resurgence. Despite this, they are still backed with a 62% chance of a top-four finish (82% for top five).

Chelsea are at 40% for a top-four finish (64% for top five) while Liverpool are currently outsiders at 37.5% (62% top five).

The Champions League qualification battle is likely to be decided by fixtures between the main contenders, with several juicy battles among the quartet in the final weeks of the campaign.

Key fixtures between top-four chasers

DateFixtureMarch 15Man Utd v Aston VillaApril 18Chelsea v Man UtdMay 2*Man Utd v Liverpool May 9*Liverpool v ChelseaMay 17*Aston Villa v Liverpool

*Date TBC

Beyond these four, Brentford are given less than a 4% chance of gatecrashing the top four, and a 10% chance of sneaking into fifth.

However, while it’s currently unclear how far down the league European places will be allocated as we wait for cup competitions both domestically and on the continent to be decided, seventh place seems highly likely to receive a spot, potentially in the UEFA Conference League.

The Bees, who have never played in Europe, are at 58% to finish seventh or above, boosting their hopes of an historic first.

Spurs circle the drain in shock fight for survival

The bottom of the table makes for very interesting reading.

Despite an impressive upturn in form, which has seen Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and Liverpool in recent weeks, a dire first half of the campaign has effectively condemned them to second-tier football next season. They're given zero chance by statisticians of escaping the drop this season.

Even above them, Burnley have just a measly one in 200 chance (0.5%) of retaining their Premier League status.

With those two effectively written off, this leaves one more place with, at this point, four teams scrambling to avoid it.

Currently occupying the dreaded 18th position are West Ham on 28 points, level with Nottingham Forest, who are one place higher.

The shock name of Tottenham Hotspur rests in 16th on 29 points, and Leeds United one place higher on 31.

The Hammers are currently favourites to go down on 47%, while Leeds are considered the least likely of the four for relegation with a less than a one in 10 likelihood of a return to the Championship following promotion last season.

Forest, on their fourth manager of the season in Vitor Pereira, are given a 28.7% chance of their Premier League stay coming to an end, but all eyes are on one team in particular in the battle for survival.

Spurs, who won the UEFA Europa League last season and, as it stands, are still just about in the UEFA Champions League, could be staring at the unthinkable scenario of playing outside the top flight for the first time since 1977/78.

The north London giants head into their next league game away to champions Liverpool at Anfield with no wins in their last 10 Premier League matches, losing their last five on the bounce.

Although Opta only give them a 17.6% chance of falling through the relegation trapdoor, a hairy end to the season could be in store for the beleaguered North London side.

Despite being given just under an 8% chance of going down, Leeds will take nothing for granted and know they will need to pick up valuable points in the coming weeks.

Four of their remaining nine matches are against fellow strugglers, and there is a potential blockbuster final-day showdown with West Ham.

Like the top-four battle, these 'six-pointers' could well shape the bottom of the table come May.

Key fixtures between relegation candidates

DateFixtureMarch 22Spurs v Nottingham ForestApril 10West Ham v WolvesApril 18Leeds v WolvesApril 18Nottingham Forest v Burnley April 25Wolves v Spurs May 2*Leeds v Burnley May 9*Spurs v LeedsMay 24*West Ham v Leeds

*Date TBC

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The Premier League endured a miserable week in the UEFA Champions League, with all six clubs failing to win the first legs of their last-16 ties. Heavy defeats for Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester City have left their hopes hanging by a thread, while Liverpool and Newcastle United also face a fight to progress. New Opta projections paint a bleak picture - but history offers a sliver of hope.

Played six. Won none. Conceded 16. As UEFA Champions League weeks go, this was about as chastening as it can get for the Premier League elite.

Tottenham Hotspur were 4-0 down inside 22 minutes at Atletico Madrid, by which point stand-in boss Igor Tudor had already chosen to swap his goalkeepers.

Chelsea collapsed from 2-2 to a 5-2 defeat against European champions Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester City were ripped apart as Real Madrid rode Federico Valverde's first career hat-trick.

Liverpool were relieved to escape Istanbul with only a one-goal deficit after a defensive display to forget, while Arsenal and Newcastle United at least emerged with credible draws.

Remarkably, all six Premier League sides saw their chances of reaching the quarter-finals fall this week, according to Opta.

Team% chance of quarter-finals before first leg% chance of quarter-finals after first legArsenal86%78%Liverpool79%51%Newcastle39%32%Man City69%17%Chelsea52%7%Spurs40%3%

Arsenal (78%) remain strong favourites to progress. Liverpool (51%) now have effectively a coin flip against Galatasaray, while Newcastle (32%) are still in a respectable position despite Lamine Yamal's late penalty for Barcelona.

For the rest, the outlook is far bleaker - though not entirely hopeless.

"I think Arsenal go through, I think Liverpool will go through," said TNT Sports expert Steve McManaman.

"City have got a chance, I think Tottenham and Chelsea are gone. Newcastle have got a hard job in the Camp Nou."

Can Spurs, Chelsea or Man City pull off a miracle?

History offers only faint encouragement.

Of the 51 occasions where a side has trailed by three goals after the first leg, just four teams have successfully turned the tie around.

SeasonMatchFirst legSecond leg2003/04Deportivo La Coruna 5-4 AC Milan1-44-02016/17Barcelona 6-5 PSG0-46-12017/18Roma 4-4 Barcelona (Roma win on away goals)1-43-02018/19Liverpool 4-3 Barcelona 0-34-0

Chelsea will hope PSG's 'remontada' trauma still lingers, while they can also draw confidence from last summer's 3-0 win over the French champions in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

Joe Cole admitted Chelsea's chances are now "very unlikely" ahead of the return leg at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday - but insisted that "a lot can happen in football".

Spurs fans will not need reminding of that. Their own miracle came in the 2019 semi-finals, 24 hours after Liverpool's barmy comeback against Barcelona.

Already trailing 1-0 from the first leg against Ajax, Spurs conceded two more in Amsterdam - leaving them needing three goals in 45 minutes. Step forward, Lucas Moura, who delivered all three on one of the competition's most dramatic nights.

Why Man City have the best chance of a comeback

The numbers suggest City have the best chance of adding to that short comeback list.

Since 2018, they have won six Champions League knockout matches by three goals or more - comfortably the most of the three English sides facing a major deficit - including their 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the 2022/23 semi-final second leg.

TeamChampions League knockout games won by 3+ goalsMan City6Chelsea2Spurs1

The challenge, of course, is doing it against a side that does not need to chase the game.

"I think City have got a chance at the Etihad," said ex-City stopper and TNT Sports expert Joe Hart. "Of the teams who have got a three-goal deficit, City are the ones who have got the chance."

Real Madrid's own record offers some encouragement too. Since 2009, they have lost five Champions League knockout matches by three goals or more - more than Atletico Madrid (two) and PSG (one - yep, that game).

TeamChampions League knockout games lost by 3+ goalsReal Madrid5Atletico Madrid2PSG1

But with Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham back in training after missing the first leg, City will likely need something close to a historic performance to reach the last eight.

Who are the favourites to win the Champions League?

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich have overtaken Arsenal as the tournament favourites, with Opta giving them a 26.3% chance of lifting the trophy after their 6-1 mauling of Atalanta on Italian soil.

Arsenal (22.1%) remain the Premier League's best hope. The other five English clubs all sit below 5%. Only Atalanta have worse odds than Spurs, whose chances are rated at just 0.1%.

Team% chance of trophyBayern Munich26.3%Arsenal22.1%Barcelona12.1%PSG10.2%Real Madrid8.3%Atletico Madrid6.1%Liverpool4.6%Newcastle United2.6%Manchester City2.3%Bodo/Glimt2.2%Bayer Leverkusen1%Galatasaray0.9%Chelsea0.8%Sporting CP0.5%Tottenham Hotspur0.1%Atalanta0.0%

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Spurs players look 'lost' after Atletico Madrid drubbing, Igor Tudor must instil belief - Ange Postecoglou

It was a night to forget for Tottenham Hotspur against Atletico Madrid as a nightmare opening 15 minutes set the tone for another difficult defeat. Igor Tudor is already under pressure just four games into his tenure and ex-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou spoke to TNT Sports about the worrying state of affairs at the club, with relegation from the Premier League a real possibility.

Former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou said the club's players look "lost" after their 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg.

Spurs found themselves 3-0 down after just 15 minutes in the Spanish capital and goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was substituted soon after in an error-strewn first half.

Interim head coach Igor Tudor, who has lost all four of his games since replacing Thomas Frank, is under increasing pressure, and Postecoglou suggested the key to turning things around is to restore the players' belief.

"It pains me to see it," Postecoglou told TNT Sports. "It looks like the players are fairly lost at the moment. There's obvious pressure there and it's a real difficult time.

"It all manifested itself in what happened last night - kind of the worst case scenario playing against a side away from home in Atletico who never drop their performance level. It was a horror start for them."

Asked what Spurs need to inspire an upturn in fortunes, he added: "There is no way that anyone objectively would say these players are performing at the levels they're capable of. You've got to try and ease the pressure on them.

"Even last night, I thought it was tremendous opportunity for them because they've done well in the Champions League, they're on the good side of the draw. Atletico away's tough but you've still got to take them back to Tottenham.

"I'm sure they've trained on that pitch before but the amount of times they were slipping over, I think that's still pressure, a real desperation in everything you do. Mentally, you're desperate and that manifests in a physical way, rushing things.

"It's hard to comment from the outside but for me it's about instilling some belief: show them the players they are, not the players they can be."

Postecoglou also offered his sympathy to Kinsky, whose two errors led to his premature substitution in Madrid.

"I really felt for Tony. I brought him to the club, he's an outstanding young keeper," the Australian said. "He's unbelievable. He's a fairly confident young man.

"That would've hurt him last night. We all know how brutal the football industry is, you've got to rebound from that.

"I felt for the players and fans last night because I know it's not the level they're capable of."

Having been heavily beaten in the Champions League, Spurs will now turn their attention to their bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with a trip to champions Liverpool on Sunday.

And Postecoglou urged his former players not to make the "wrong" kind of history.

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"If I was there now that's what I'd be saying to them: don't go into history for the wrong thing now," he added.

"There's a great motivation for you, don't be the group that takes a backwards step now, because they were the group that brought success after 17 years [by winning the UEFA Europa League]."

Asked whether there is enough character in the dressing room to survive, Postecoglou said: "There is. Let me tell you, for us to win the Europa League last year, if there wasn't character we wouldn't be able to do it.

"We were under pressure last year too but I saw a group of players absolutely focused on creating something special. It exists."

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Ange Postecoglou believes that Tottenham Hotspur players "look lost" and calls on Igor Tudor to "instil belief" around the club following the chastening UEFA Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid.

It was a night to forget in the Spanish capital as Tottenham Hotspur sunk to an all-time low in the UEFA Champions League against Atletico Madrid. Spurs found themselves 4-0 down after 22 minutes with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky withdrawn before the half-hour mark on his Champions League debut. The fallout in England was brutal but how did the Spanish media react to the mauling in Madrid?

The opening 30 minutes between Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur will go down as one of the most memorable in UEFA Champions League history.

Diego Simeone's men raced into a 3-0 lead inside 15 minutes with Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky at fault for two of the goals on a Champions League debut to forget.

Kinsky's night turned from bad to worse because he was substituted moments after conceding the third goal with Spurs interim head coach Igor Tudor failing to acknowledge the goalkeeper as he trudged off.

Spurs would go on to suffer a 5-2 defeat in the Metropolitano Stadium on Tuesday night - the same venue where they lost to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final.

As expected, Tudor was under the spotlight for the team's inept display with TNT Sports pundits Joe Hart and Steve McManaman criticising the Croatian following his fourth defeat in a row at the club.

But how did the Spanish react to Spurs' mauling in Madrid? Did they hit a more sympathetic tone or were they equally as critical of Tudor and his team's performance? TNT Sports brings you the best analysis from Spain.

'Tottenham are a perplexing team' - Marca

The Madrid-based sports newspaper Marca adorned the phrase 'Red and white steamroller' on its front page following Atletico's emphatic win.

The start of Marca's report summed up how the rest of the watching world was feeling.

"What happened during a quarter of an hour at the Metropolitano could perfectly go down in the annals of football," the report reads.

Was that the craziest first 30 minutes in Champions League history?

'This is embarrassing!' - Spurs keeper Kinsky subbed after 16 minutes

The last sentence of the opening paragraph also perfectly summarised how many Spurs supporters would have felt: "In short, 3-0 without even trying."

The report also described Kinsky's first-half substitution as "justifiable from a footballing perspective, [but] terribly cruel from a human one."

Marca went on to label Spurs as a "perplexing team" but also criticised the hosts for letting them off the hook despite the La Liga outfit taking a three-goal advantage to north London for the second leg.

'A zombie. An absurdity. A ghost. A tragedy' - AS

The Spanish daily sports newspaper Diario AS described Atletico's win as "The happiest night" on its front page but they did not hold back in adding salt to Spurs' wounds.

"Kinsky had dressed up as Karius and refused to let go of the disguise," the report reads in reference to former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius who made two errors in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid.

When analysing Tudor's decision to substitute the Spurs goalkeeper, the newspaper adds: "If Kinsky was already shaken, Tudor then finished him off: he demanded to be substituted.

"A dead man was heading to the dressing room in front of a stunned crowd."

The brutal assessment of Spurs' performance did not stop there.

The report continues: "Tottenham is a dead team. A zombie. An absurdity. A ghost. A tragedy. Live surrealism. A lame joke. It doesn't matter who plays. Put on the circus music."

When attention turned towards crediting Atletico for their part in this memorable victory, veteran Antoine Griezmann was lauded for his performance in the same way that Ally McCoist was waxing lyrical about his assist for Julian Alvarez's goal in the second.

The report concluded: "When he [Griezmann] retires, his boots should be on display in the Louvre."

'A terminally ill patient waiting for a miracle' - Mundo Deportivo

It is no surprise that the Catalan based sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo led with Barcelona's dramatic draw at Newcastle but there was still room on the front page for Atletico's win which is loosely translated as "a five-star display."

The opening paragraph of the report was probably one of the best written in any language from Tuesday night.

"Those who do not believe in bad luck, curses, ill omens, misfortune, fate should take a look at what was seen at the Metropolitano," the newspaper began.

The report continued: "The first 15 minutes of the match were a series of catastrophic misfortunes, as the saying goes, for an English team whose performance on the pitch was enough to understand why, with such a talented squad, they are only one point above the relegation zone," the report reads.

"It's impossible to string together so much bad luck in such a short space of time. Awful."

'Man management at its very worst' - Tudor slammed for Kinsky treatment

Tudor 'decided his own fate' on 'surreal' night - McManaman

'Everything is going against us' - Tudor on Spurs thrashing in Madrid

There was yet more sympathy for Kinsky following his early substitution which was described as "pure and utter surrealism".

In agreement with Marca, the report was less than flattering towards Atletico for not finishing off the tie with a more ruthless streak in the second half.

"If Igor Tudor's team wasn't completely eliminated at the Metropolitano, it was because Atletico paid the price for their complacency and overconfidence at two crucial moments, leaving Tottenham with a glimmer of hope.

"A terminally ill patient, awaiting a miracle."

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Guglielmo Vicario ready to jump ship, Julian Alvarez unsure about future after thrashing Tottenham Hotspur - Euro Transfer News

In Wednesday's Euro Transfer News, Guglielmo Vicario is apparently ready to jump ship, Julian Alvarez has given an update on his Atletico Madrid future, and Barcelona have been linked with two former stars in case they do not sign Marcus Rashford permanently. That is not all, though. Juventus are reportedly interested in Bernardo Silva, and Nicolo Tresoldi is catching the eye across Europe.

Vicario ready to jump ship

Inter are reportedly ready and waiting to capitalise if Tottenham Hotspur are relegated from the Premier League this season.

The Serie A side are hoping the north London club go down as it would pave the way for them to sign their goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, according to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato.

Vicario was left out of Spurs’ starting XI for their 5-2 UEFA Champions League defeat against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, but he had to come off the bench in the first half after catastrophic errors from Antonin Kinsky.

Vicario himself has been criticised for his role in the club’s disastrous campaign which has seen them pulled into a relegation dogfight.

Calcio Mercato believe the shot-stopper could be seen as a replacement for Yann Sommer, who is set to leave Inter at the end of the season.

"So the Nerazzurri management watches with interest and almost "hopes" that Tottenham will actually fall, because then the club's demands for their jewels would also collapse," read the article.

"Inter has long been closely monitoring one name above all others: Guglielmo Vicario. The transfer market has identified him as the ideal candidate for the post-Sommer era, which will begin this summer when the Swiss goalkeeper's contract expires.

"For his part, Vicario is waiting and has reportedly already given his green light to wear the Nerazzurri shirt - this time, for sure."

Alvarez gives update on Madrid future

Julian Alvarez scored twice to help Atletico Madrid thrash Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, but there is still doubt surrounding the Argentina international’s long-term future at the club.

He has been linked with some of Europe’s top sides in recent months, including Arsenal and Barcelona.

Alvarez admitted that he does not know what the future holds after the victory against Spurs.

"I don't know, I might be [at Atletico next season], or I might not," Alvarez said. "I'm happy. I'm thinking about the day to day."

However, Diego Simeone noted that Alvarez is happy in the Spanish capital during his post-match press conference.

"He looks happy to me," Simeone said. "He's scoring goals, if you look at the teams he's been at [River Plate and Manchester City], Atletico is the team where he's scored the most goals.

"He looks committed, positive. There isn't much difference between this season and last season in terms of the goals he's scored.

"Let's hope he can stay for many years at Atletico Madrid, and we can keep building a team so that important players want to stay."

Barca line up Rashford alternatives

Spanish publication Marca say Barcelona will turn to Abde Ezzalzouli or Jan Virgili if a deal to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis at the end of the season falls through.

Rashford is currently on loan with the Liga giants from Manchester United, and reports suggest he will join the club permanently at the end of the campaign for a fee in the region of €26 million.

However, Barcelona have a backup plan should the transfer fail to materialise. Ezzalzouli and Virgili are both former Barca players, with the former currently playing for Real Betis and the latter at Mallorca.

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Marca believe both transfers would be significantly cheaper than a move to bring in Rashford.

"One of them is Abde," read the article. "Barcelona still retains a portion of the rights to the current Betis player, making him a very attractive and less expensive option than Rashford. The Catalan club still owns 20% of Abde's rights.

"Another player who could arrive if the Rashford option is ruled out is Virgili, who is performing excellently in his first season at Mallorca.

"In this case, Barcelona retains 50% of the player's rights, having transferred him to the Balearic club last summer for €3.5 million.

Silva linked with Juventus

Juventus have joined the race to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva at the end of the season, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

However, the Italian outlet say the Serie A giants could face stiff competition for his signature from Turkish side Galatasaray, Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, and Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.

Silva’s current deal with City is set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, meaning the 31-year-old will be available on a free transfer.

He is also still playing a significant role in Pep Guardiola’s midfield, having produced two goals and five assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this term.

"There has already been some contact with CEO Damien Comolli and sporting director Marco Ottolini," read the article.

"Just as it is a mystery that we have gathered information on the Portuguese Galatasaray (recently capable, thanks to favourable taxation, of attracting champions like Osimhen and Sane), Inter Miami and Benfica, who dream of bringing the prodigal son home after 12 years."

Tresoldi attarcting interest across Europe

Florian Plettenberg believes that some of Europe’s biggest clubs will be interested in signing Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi this summer.

The Germany Under-21 international has been in impressive form this term, producing 15 goals and five assists across all competitions.

Plettenberg says Tresoldi hopes to be called up to the senior Germany national team after such a successful campaign.

"Several top clubs in the Bundesliga, as well as other attractive clubs across Europe, have already made concrete enquiries for the summer regarding Nicolo Tresoldi," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"The 21-year-old striker is enjoying an outstanding season at Club Brugge. Tresoldi is also still hoping for a call-up from Julian Nagelsmann. One to watch for the summer transfer window."

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Tottenham Hotspur are 'fragile and weak," substituting Antonin Kinsky during Champions League tie against Atletico Madid was 'necessary' - Igor Tudor

Speaking in a press conference after Tottenham Hotspur's 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid, head coach Igor Tudor said his side are "fragile and weak", while also explaining the substitution of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Igor Tudor bemoans bad luck as Atletico Madrid put five past Tottenham Hotspur in Champions League - 'Everything is going against us'

Igor Tudor's position at Tottenham Hotspur came into even sharper focus after a calamitous 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday night. The Croatian would not be drawn on the decision to take Antonin Kinsky off after 16 minutes without appearing to acknowledge him, and also bemoaned his side's bad luck.

Tottenham Hotspur interim head coach Igor Tudor refused to comment on his future and said "everything is going against us" after a 5-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

The Premier League side endured a disastrous first half in their UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg in Spain.

Antonin Kinsky made two early errors and was subbed off after 16 minutes, while the side were 4-0 down after just 22 minutes.

Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke struck either side of a superb counter-attack goal from Julian Alvarez to keep Spurs just about in the tie, but things went from awful to even worse when Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha clashed heads in a sickening collision which suggests they might not be available for the next games on the schedule.

Tudor appeared not to acknowledge Kinsky when he reached the touchline, drawing condemnation from ex-Spurs stopper Joe Hart, and speaking to TNT Sports, the Croatian would not be drawn on the matter.

He said: "In moments like this we don't need to comment or speak too much. Strange game, we give them three goals. We start good and then the problems killed us. Very strange, very unusual. It took our confidence that we started with. We had an opportunity to make it 4-2, then we conceded 5-1.

"We apologise to the fans, to everyone. Everything looks like it's going wrong. Even at the end, two players going out. It looks like everything is going against us."

He nevertheless defended his decision to pick Kinsky, while admitting that in retrospect it was a mistake to have given him his Champions League debut.

He explained: "After you see what happened, is for sure the wrong decision, but it was for me the right decision to do, thinking before [the match] because the team [was] changing competition, it was the right moment to do [it].

"Unfortunately what happened, happened, so I changed the goalkeeper after 15 minutes. It's not easy.

"We need to keep working, not speaking too much, focus on what we can do. It's difficult to explain, it's the first time I've seen this in my career. We need to win and stay positive."

Tudor’s position has come under question already, despite his recent appointment after the sacking of previous head coach Thomas Frank and he became the first Spurs boss to lose the first four matches of his tenure, conceding 14 goals in the process.

Was that the craziest first 30 minutes in Champions League history?

This is embarrassing!' - Spurs keeper Kinsky subbed after 16 minutes

'Man management at its very worst' - Tudor slammed for Kinsky treatment

When pressed on whether he felt he would be given the chance to keep working on a turnaround, he was non-committal, saying: "It's not about me, to explain too much. We need to stay calm and less talking. Now is not the moment for big explanations. We stay calm and continue."

Tottenham welcome Atletico for the second leg in north London on Wednesday, March 18, and before then face a tough trip to Anfield to play Liverpool this Sunday.

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Igor Tudor 'decided his own fate' at 'rudderless' Tottenham Hotspur in 'surreal' UEFA Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid - Steve McManaman

Tottenham Hotspur are a "rudderless ship" and have become "even more dire" since the appointment of Igor Tudor as interim head coach, TNT Sports expert Steve McManaman said. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder felt the Spurs boss - who replaced Thomas Frank on a deal until the end of the season - "decided his own fate" during Tuesday's "surreal" 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid.

TNT Sports expert Steve McManaman said Igor Tudor "decided his own fate" as Tottenham Hotspur interim head coach after their 5-2 UEFA Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Spurs were 4-0 down inside 22 minutes after a catastrophic opening period which saw goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky - making his Champions League debut for Spurs - withdrawn after two major errors.

Tudor did not acknowledge Kinsky as he walked down the tunnel, which was heavily criticised by both McManaman and Joe Hart in the TNT Sports studio.

And alongside other changes to his line-up, which saw Dominic Solanke, Palhinha and Xavi Simons benched, McManaman was left questioning the Spurs head coach's decision-making process.

"It wasn't just the performance tonight, it was everything on the periphery," McManaman said. "The peripheral nonsense on the goalkeepers, how he chose his team, his set-up.

"At half-time he's gone back to bringing on [Dominic] Solanke, who you thought should have played, Conor Gallagher, Xavi Simons, [Joao] Palhinha, who would've been ideal for tonight.

"He's almost decided his own fate, really tonight. Every decision he's made he's gone against at half-time. It was a surreal performance."

While Pedro Porro reduced the deficit in the first half, Julian Alvarez restored Atletico's four-goal lead shortly after the break when he broke free on the counter-attack.

Substitute Solanke netted on 76 minutes to ensure his side would trail by three goals heading into next week's second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Defeat at the Metropolitano meant Tudor has lost all four of his matches in charge since replacing Thomas Frank on a deal until the end of the season.

Just a point above the Premier League relegation zone and their Champions League status now in major jeopardy, McManaman said the "unusual appointment" of Tudor is straying far from its intended results.

"He was brought in for an immediate bounce," McManaman said. "An immediate reaction, because that is what his career as a manager is all about.

"He goes into clubs, gets an immediate reaction, gets results, then six months later may leave the club.

"It was an unusual appointment. I don't think even the ardent Tottenham fan could see Igor Tudor being parachuted in to save them."

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder added: "They look lost, a lot of the players. They're trying their heart out, they don't want to be in a relegation battle, they know what Tottenham is all about, what the stadium is like, they know what financial impact it will have if they get relegated, because it will be in a lot of their contracts.

"They know what it's all about. But with the injury problems they have, and they've had more tonight, it just seems to be piling on one after the other after the other.

"Now they have to go to Anfield [in the league] at the weekend, and three central defenders were off and Palhinha went off today. Tonight, forget about the result, just the overall optics of the game, it's actually made things a lot, lot worse.

"The manager has behaved in a different light. They just need to keep on fighting and responding.

"It's very difficult when you're playing out of position, and you've got someone inside you out of position as well. No one seems to know where they should be, where they should defend.

"You wonder whether anybody's doing their homework. The back three just did not work today, they got caught time after time after time. It just makes you think even more, 'What on earth is going on?' This is not just team selection, that's the worrying thing about it."

Per Opta, Spurs have now lost six matches in a row in all competitions for the first time in their history.

Was that the craziest first 30 minutes in Champions League history?

'This is embarrassing!' - Spurs keeper Kinsky subbed after 16 minutes

McManaman said that looking from afar, the club is lacking structure and clear leadership. He feels that on the pitch "there's no plan" from Tudor.

The former Liverpool star added: "All we can see is what goes on on the pitch, and it looks very chaotic. His choice of players, he seems to change it around a lot. He doesn't stick to playing the best players in their positions and being strong. In times of trouble, we get back, condensed, defend. There's no plan.

"When I look at them now, it's like a rudderless ship. I don't know who is the chief exec, I don't know who's the sporting director, if they have one. I just know they catapulted Igor Tudor in to stop the rot and it's not happening at all."

McManaman was also unimpressed by Tudor saying in his post-match interview with TNT Sports that "not is not the moment for big explanations."

The TNT Sports expert argued it is Tudor's job to "front up" and "come out with some positivity."

He added: "You would have thought the Champions League is a bit of respite from the Premier League. You'd think it'd be a breath of fresh air and he hasn't helped himself today. He should be there fronting up, unfortunately he's the one who needs to front up.

"He was brought in because they were in a dire position, the fact he's made them more dire is on him."

McManaman also criticised the lack of acknowledgement for goalkeeper Kinsky upon his withdrawal on 16 minutes, saying "the optics look terrible" and that the Spurs boss did "not do anything to help" the 22-year-old.

"He's been at Tottenham for a year," McManaman said. "Yes, he's on Premier League, Champions League wages. He's a young boy learning his trade still. We all understand what happened in the game and the mistakes he made.

"But it wasn't about that. It was about being a figure, being somebody to say, 'You know what, don't worry about it.' It was just a small thing he needed to do, the manager. I have no problem with the substitution, Vicario should have played.

"I've got no problem with him bringing him off. But then go over, say to him, 'Don't worry, I'm sorry, I'm with you, we'll deal with it later.' It takes five seconds. The optics look terrible. You're not doing anything to help that kid at all."

Spurs return to action away to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday before the return leg against Atletico on Wednesday, March 18 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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