ESPN

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association for his comments after the 2-1 defeat at Fulham.

Tudor was incensed about the decision to award Harry Wilson's sixth-minute opener at Craven Cottage on March 1 after Raúl Jiménez appeared to push Spurs centre-back Radu Dragusin in the build-up to the goal from a Kenny Tete cross.

Jimenez was accused of "cheating" by an irate Tudor in his post-match press conference and the Croatian coach described match official Thomas Bramall as a "home team referee" to the BBC's Match of the Day. It has earned the Tottenham boss an FA charge.

"Tottenham Hotspur's Igor Tudor has been charged with misconduct following comments that he made after their game against Fulham on Sunday 1 March in the Premier League," an FA statement read.

"The manager allegedly acted in an improper manner during a post-match interview by making comments that imply bias and/or question integrity and/or are personally offensive in relation to a match official."

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Spurs and Tudor have until Monday to reply to the charge.

Tottenham Hotspur bowed out of the Champions League but only after a rip-roaring last-16 second leg with Atlético Madrid where Xavi Simons' brace helped them to a first home victory in two months.

Spurs had lurched from one crisis to another in 2026 and a shambolic 5-2 loss in Madrid last week left Igor Tudor on the brink, but a spirited 1-1 draw at Liverpool restored belief and the north London club clawed back more pride on Wednesday despite a 7-5 aggregate defeat.

Randal Kolo Muani's 30th-minute opener gave Tottenham a glimmer of hope before Julián Álvarez levelled early in the second half for Atlético.

Simons replied immediately to increase optimism, but David Hancko's 75th-minute equaliser virtually put the tie to bed.

There was still time for Simons to score a spot-kick in stoppage time to end Spurs' eight-match winless run with a 3-2 victory and extend an unbeaten home record in Europe to 25 matches, but all eyes now turn to Premier League survival and Sunday's crucial visit of Nottingham Forest.

The odds were heavily stacked against Tottenham after goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky's nightmare in Madrid, but any comeback would have officially been over had the offside flag not denied Ademola Lookman after six minutes.

Without 11 players, Tudor stuck with the successful 4-4-2 system used at Anfield and belief started to build thanks to two early shots by Mathys Tel.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero had to be alert to cut out a dangerous Marcos Llorente cross before another Tel strike tested Atletico back-up goalkeeper Juan Musso.

Tel had been a constant threat and with half-an-hour played he made his mark with a superb cross for Kolo Muani to head into the bottom corner.

Suddenly Spurs had hope and they may have gone 2-0 up when a slick move played in Tel, but his left-footed shot was blocked by Musso when Archie Gray was free at the back post.

Atlético had been second-best, but provided a reminder of their talent when Álvarez whistled a shot over before Guglielmo Vicario produced a wonderful reflex save to keep out Giuliano Simeone's deflected strike.

It was a warning sign Tottenham failed to heed as two minutes after the break Álvarez levelled.

Spurs felt Simons was fouled, but play continued and Lookman teed up Álvarez, who worked a yard of space and rifled into the top corner with a sumptuous strike.

It was a sucker-punch for Spurs and yet they responded with aplomb when Simons put them back in front after 52 minutes.

The excellent Gray was the architect after he nipped in to win back possession before finding Simons and the Dutch playmaker curled home from 25 yards.

It sparked a wave of optimism inside the stadium and Tottenham's big chance arrived on the hour when Simons flicked into the path of Pedro Porro, but his shot with the outside of his boot was tipped wide by Musso.

Radu Dragusin headed straight at Musso from the resulting corner before fatigue set in and Spurs switched off from a corner when Dávid Hancko headed in at the near post with 15 minutes left.

A crucial Romero blocked prevent a third for Atlético via Álvarez before Tottenham deservedly grabbed a winner when home debutant Callum Olusesi found Simons, who was hacked down by José María Giménez.

Simons tucked away the penalty and despite a blocked late Kolo Muani chance, Spurs were applauded off at full-time.

Jamie Carragher questioned the future of Liverpool head coach Arne Slot after relegation-threatened Tottenham rescued a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds missed the chance to move fourth in the Premier League as Richarlison cancelled out a Dominik Szobsoszlai free-kick with a last-minute equaliser.

It was Spurs' first point in six games and another frustrating result for Liverpool in what has been an underwhelming title defence.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher believes people will be asking if Slot is the right man to revive the team.

The 48-year-old said on Sky Sports: "Awful performance, considering the opposition.

"That's not trying to be disrespectful to Tottenham, but they have been the worst team in the Premier League for the last couple of months.

"Exactly who you want to be playing, playing at home as well, the incentive of the other results this weekend -- then to put in a performance like that.

"But it's been like that all season and the big question on everyone's lips is, 'Is that down to the manager or the make-up of the squad?'

"Could a new manager revitalise these players and bring that energy and intensity back into this team?

"I'm not sure. I think a lot of it goes back to what happened in the summer, the profile of the players coming in. There are just too many players wanting to play when the ball's at their feet. They don't want to dig in when the opposition have got the ball and make it difficult.

"That's why it's so easy to play against this Liverpool team."

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes Liverpool have lost their winning mentality.

He said: "There's definitely something missing at Liverpool, obviously. They are way off it.

"There's definitely tension in the stadium. There's something amiss, whether it be players, issues with the manager, recruitment hasn't panned out how they hoped.

"Liverpool have got to have a good look in the mirror."

He added: "They've been bad champions. They're now 21 points behind Arsenal. What a drop-off that is. That is so bad."

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Spurs boss Igor Tudor, meanwhile, may have earned a reprieve as a result of Richarlison's late heroics.

There had been speculation the recently-appointed Croatian could be sacked after their calamitous midweek loss at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp said: "I don't see there is a value in changing. It's not that easy. There aren't many candidates out there.

"I think if they'd have lost, that would have forced their hand. The fans would have demanded it."

Richarlison's 90th-minute equaliser earned Tottenham's under-fire interim head coach Igor Tudor a stay of execution with a 1-1 draw at Anfield as Liverpool conceded another late goal to dent their Champions League qualification hopes.

Substitute Randal Kolo Muani held off Virgil van Dijk to roll a pass for the Brazil international to slot past international team-mate Alisson Becker and have Tudor punching the air as he ran out of his technical area to celebrate his first point in his five matches.

The result hardly strengthened the Croatian's position as they remain in deep trouble but it did move Spurs a point above the relegation zone.

Boos which rang around Anfield at the final whistle after Richarlison's fifth goal at Anfield highlighted the level of discontent at another underwhelming performance from Arne Slot's side after taking a first-half lead.

Goalkeeping issues cost Tottenham again them with Guglielmo Vicario failing to adequately deal with Dominik Szoboszlai's 18th-minute free-kick.

Vicario had been restored to the starting line-up after Tudor's decision to start Antonín Kinsky against Atletico Madrid in the midweek Champions League contest ended with him being substituted after 17 minutes having been at fault for two of three goals.

If there was any defence for the Italian goalkeeper, and there was little, it was that Szoboszlai has now scored four direct free-kick goals in the Premier League this season.

It is the most by a Liverpool player in a single campaign with only David Beckham (2000-01) and Laurent Robert (2001-02) -- both scoring five -- having managed more and the Hungary captain is now responsible for a quarter of all free-kick goals in the league this season.

But frustrations rose at the lack of open-play chances and that turned into anger when former Everton forward Richarlison equalised in front of the Kop.

Slot has to answer more questions about another sub-par display. Although the point moved them fifth place they failed to capitalise on Chelsea's defeat on Saturday.

There was an air of tension inside Anfield and that seemed to extend to Tudor, who appeared to confuse Tottenham's bald-headed player liaison officer Allan Dixon for Slot on the touchline, greeting the club's member of staff with a friendly arm around his waist before walking over to the home dugout.

But the anxiety was also felt on the pitch, where Slot had opted for pace on both flanks, handing 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha his first Premier League start and preferring Jeremie Frimpong to the out-of-form Mohamed Salah.

Based on some of the individual performances in the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike could have no complaints about being left out.

Spurs' injury and suspension problems meant they were without 12 players, including their first-choice centre-back pairing, and could name only seven substitutes, of which only two were senior outfield players.

Szoboszlai eased the nerves with another 25-yard special which Vicario got a full hand to but could not keep out. He did better in tipping Ryan Gravenberch's strike onto the post.

But Richarlison, playing alongside Dominic Solanke up front, was proving a nuisance with three good chances either side of half-time.

Ngumoha, who took his time to get into the game, had a rare shot across the goal but in his television commentary former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said his old team were "sleepwalking" through the game.

Liverpool host Tottenham in a crucial Premier League match for both teams on Sunday.

Liverpool are in the race to finish the season in a Champions League spot while Spurs desperately want to avoid relegation.

The home team will want to respond positively after a 1-0 loss against Galatasaray in the Champions League. They are currently sixth with 48 points but just two behind fourth-place Aston Villa.

Spurs haven't won a league game since the first week of December. They lost their last five matches and are currently 16th in the league with 29 points, just one more than West Ham United who are 18th. Their manager Igor Tudor is under the pump, having lost all the matches since he came in and now he has to make his team bounce back after a demoralising 5-2 loss against Atlético Madrid a few days back.

Here's everything you need to know about the match:

How to watch

The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football in the UK, NBC in the U.S., JioHotstar in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.

Key Details

Kick-off time: Sunday, March 15 at 4:30 p.m. GMT (11:30 a.m. ET; 10 p.m. IST, and 3:30 a.m. AEDT, Monday)

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool

Referee: Chris Kavanagh

VAR: John Brooks

Team news

Tottenham

Dejan Kulusevski, M: OUT, knee, est. return early May

Micky van de Ven, D: OUT, suspension

Wilson Odobert, F: OUT, ACL, est. return early July

Destiny Udogie, D: OUT, muscle, est. return unknown

Ben Davies, D: OUT, ankle, est. return mid April

James Maddison, M: OUT, ACL, est. return early May

Lucas Bergvall: M: OUT, leg, est. return late April

Rodrigo Bentancur, M: OUT, hamstring, est. return mid April

Mohammed Kudus, F: OUT, muscle, est. return mid April

Liverpool

Alexander Isak, F: ankle, OUT

Conor Bradley, D: knee, OUT

Wataru Endo, M: ankle, OUT

Giovanni Leoni, D: knee, OUT

Stefan Bajcetic, M: hamstring, OUT

Talking Points

Should Salah be dropped?

This has been the most challenging season for Mohamed Salah. Since he joined the club in 2017, Salah, for eight years, was relentless with his brilliance on the field. Last season was one of the greatest individual performances in the league, but since then there has been a considerable drop off. After sorting out issues with the club and head coach, Salah came back from AFCON hoping for a big turnaround of his form, but he has been struggling to make an impact consistently.

No doubt Galatasaray away game in the Champions League was a tough fixture, still against a side with a feeble defence, Salah struggled. Once Jeremie Frimpong replaced him in the second half, there was considerable threat from the right side with Liverpool creating a few chances. Salah still has his good moments in games, but not with the same consistency that defined his previous seasons. His touch, his pace and his finishing have suffered this season.

When head coach Arne Slot dropped him for a few games last year, Salah went on the record about his disappointment. It's a tricky situation once again for a head coach who himself is under tremendous pressure. But maybe the best thing at the moment is to drop him and play Frimpong who looks fit enough to start games now.

Igor Tudor needs a win to save his job and save Spurs

Since his appointment a month back post the sacking of Thomas Frank, Tudor has lost all four matches with Tottenham. Forget his record, Tottenham's form has been so dismal that they are in a relegation battle in the league and almost out of the Champions League.

Apart from failing to get the wins, Tudor has been pretty vocal, and in a way that's borderline degrading about his players and team's situation. His decision to start Antonín Kinsky as the goalkeeper against Atletico and then removing him in just 17 minutes after he conceded three goals certainly showed him way out of his depth.

After the battering against Atletico, it's a surprise that Tudor has survived the sacking. He needs that win against Liverpool to keep his job and maybe also save his club's season.

Wirtz needs to be more clinical

While it was good to see Florian Wirtz recover to full fitness from a back injury and starting the match against Galatasaray, his performance was ordinary. The German did settle after a difficult few months in a new league, and he did score a few goals and provided assists before his injury, but it's also clear that he needs to show a little bit more in a crucial period of the season.

There's no doubt that Liverpool depend on him, both for creativity and goals, especially since their other attackers are not in great form. There were a few good chances in the match against Galatasaray, one coming early in the first half, where Wirtz had an empty goal in front of him but he fired it wide. Those early chances from a good start need to count for Liverpool if they want to make this season a success. Maybe it's unfair to put that kind of burden on Wirtz, who's playing his first season, but he came to the club with a costly price tag and this team need him to deliver in big moments.

Spurs' defensive struggles

Spurs' defence has conceded 14 goals in the last four matches. While their attacking strength has been diminished due to long-term knee injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, their defence also suffered due to injuries, suspensions and tactics.

Under Tudor, players have been struggling to perfect his man-to-man defensive approach. There are too many mistakes in marking, allowing their opponents to exploit the vacant spaces. Basic mistakes like failure to read the crosses have proved to be costly. It shows that the players haven't adjusted to his methods.

Not having a settled backline has also been a headache for Spurs. Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies have missed many games due to injuries and suspension.

Stats

Tottenham Hotspur have won just one of their last 16 Premier League games against Liverpool (D3 L12), losing the last four in a row since a 2-1 home win in September 2023.

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur is the highest scoring fixture in Premier League history, with 209 goals with Liverpool scoring 127.

Liverpool have lost just one of their last 31 home league games against Tottenham Hotspur (W21, D9) and are unbeaten in 14 (W10, D4) since a 2-0 loss in May 2011.

A victory for Liverpool on Sunday will see them reach the landmark of 1,500 league wins at Anfield in their history.

Antonín Kinsky's error-strewn performance in Tottenham Hotspur's 5-2 UEFA Champions League loss at Atlético Madrid, which ended with the goalkeeper being substituted after 17 minutes with his team already 3-0 down, makes you realize what a savage business football can be.

When the 22-year-old's name appeared on the team sheet for his European debut in Madrid, I'm sure many Spurs fans and others probably didn't think it was the worst idea given that No. 1 Guglielmo Vicario, among other senior players, hasn't necessarily been at his best in the past few months. How quickly things can change.

Kinsky's first mistake (if we want to call it that) came after six minutes when he slipped as he attempted to clear the ball, leading to Spurs immediately being punished with the opening goal. I put that caveat in because although it shouldn't have happened, it's something that could happen to any player. (Indeed, we soon saw Micky van de Ven slip, leading to Atlético's second goal, and several other players from both teams were losing their footing throughout the evening.)

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In that situation, you won't find many teammates who will look at you and say, Why did you do that? They're disappointed that it has affected the game, but there's not much you can say apart from, Come on, let's keep going.

But Kinsky's second mistake, when he tried and failed to play a first-time pass with his weaker left foot and allowed Julián Álvarez to walk the ball into an empty net? That's a technical error. It wasn't the pitch or the ball back to him; it's a failure of execution that led to his team being 3-0 down inside 15 minutes.

After his first mistake, Kinsky put his hands on his head. But after his second, he was face down on the pitch. I'm not even sure he was looking as the ball went into the net. That's when the human element kicks in and you think, Oh my goodness, this is a lot to be dealing with. Moments later, he was being replaced.

I can't think of a time when a goalkeeper has been substituted that early for a performance-related issue. But Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor, who made the call to put Kinsky into the team on such a big occasion, seemed to have decided that this guy's doing so poorly and is so low in confidence that he can't continue in this game. For any professional, that's a tough thing to accept.

When you make a mistake that puts the spotlight on you, you want to believe that those around you will support you by keeping playing and the manager will show faith by keeping you in there to offer something positive. One of the reasons you've made it as a professional is because at some stage, you have faced adversity and you have been able to get through it -- sometimes with flying colors. So, for your coach and maybe even some of your teammates to make the decision that you cannot deal with the adversity? I think that's one of the toughest moments you can have as a player. And as Kinsky walked down the tunnel, he must have been deeply questioning himself. It's a dark place for any professional to find themselves.

It certainly stood out that Tudor didn't even appear to acknowledge Kinsky as he passed by. But then, if I was Kinsky coming off the pitch, I don't know if I would even want the manager to take me aside and try explaining why he thinks I'm so bad that he has to replace me immediately with the player he didn't trust to start the game in the first place.

We don't see a ton of early subs in games, especially not a change between the posts. Even though it was going badly for Kinsky, this still feels unprecedented -- so much so that a manager shaking your hand is not going to make you feel any better.

The thing that makes the situation feel so different is the fact that it happened in the first half. So when the Spurs players came into the dressing room at halftime, 4-1 down by that point, there were all the emotions and anger over how poorly the team was playing and how the game was going, but then there was also a young goalkeeper sat in the corner, potentially as upset as any player you've ever seen before. But if you go and make a big deal about the goalkeeper, it's like the game doesn't matter; and if you make a big deal about the game, it's like the goalkeeper doesn't matter anymore.

Did Kinsky say anything at halftime? If so, what? It would have been the first time the manager had seen him since forcing him to take the walk of shame. Tudor might be able to talk for five minutes at halftime, at most. How much of it does he give to that one player? The players themselves are watching everything Tudor's doing, and for them, for as much as they're unsure about how to feel about that moment, they're still looking to the manager for answers about how to improve in the second half. And all the while, there's huge frustration and anger toward the nature of the performance.

I've been sent off before, and if it was definitely a red card and the team suffered as a result, you just start off by apologizing. But then it's awkward because if your teammates think it wasn't the right decision, they'll say you don't need to apologize, but the result of the game itself still needs to be addressed. Contrary to what some people think, everybody who has played professionally has shown this desire and energy to be a winner -- these people hate losing. In the aftermath of games, there are so many competing emotions that make it really difficult for players and coaches to decompress.

There is little respite for Tottenham, as they travel to Liverpool on Sunday still in desperate need of results to avoid relegation from the Premier League. If the manager picks Kinsky at Anfield, we're now looking at him and wondering (fairly or not) if he is good enough physically and strong enough mentally to recover from what happened in Madrid. However, the way football goes, especially at this stage of the season, people are ruthless. There is no sentiment allowed anywhere because when everybody is fighting for results, they'll do anything to win. And if that means pressuring Kinsky on the pitch or encouraging the crowd to get on his back every time he's got the ball at his feet, they will do it.

Does Tudor still trust him to handle possibly the most high-pressure situation Tottenham has faced in the club's recent history?

One of the best things about football is that it's great when the spotlight's on you for a positive reason. You feel invincible. However, when the spotlight is negative, there's nowhere to hide. You just have to try to step up and move forward, which is far easier said than done -- especially when you don't know if you'll get the chance to play again and make up for your mistakes.

Kinsky's teammates at Tottenham now have to decide whether to make a big show of offering their support or giving him time and space. There is no right answer because the fact is the mistake still was made. As I saw it happen, I thought that his error wasn't necessarily a representation of how good a goalkeeper he is, but it was a representation of this moment in time for both himself and Tottenham.

Nobody would want to be in his shoes in that moment, and even though the game has passed -- the second leg, in north London, is on Wednesday -- many eyes still remain on all those involved, from Kinsky to Tudor and the rest of the Tottenham team. After all, it was a moment that will live long in the memory.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to ESPN senior editor Tony Mabert

Tottenham's nosedive towards the relegation zone has forced their fans to think the unthinkable.

Relative to financial security, sporting expectations and basically any other metric you could care to mention, this Tottenham Hotspur season has more than a fair shout at being the worst by any team in English football history.

Spurs supporters have been ringing the alarm bells for months, but their distress signals had often fallen on deaf ears. With the business end of the season having arrived, rivals have now woken up to the club's plight, but, to continue to borrow Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor's analogy, many of them have only come to revel in watching the sinking ship.

Did the club's downward trend start with the lack of spending that accompanied the stadium move? Mauricio Pochettino's sacking five months after the Champions League final defeat in 2019? Or was it more recent? The series of ill-advised managerial appointments that started with José Mourinho and now leaves them with Igor Tudor? The behind-the-scenes upheaval highlighted by the Lewis family's ousting of Daniel Levy at the start of this season? The fact that most of their players are always injured? There's certainly plenty of blame to share around.

The most important thing now, however, is not to work out how all this misery started -- it's how it will end.

- Why Tottenham might be lucky to be 16th in the Premier League table

Why Tottenham will get relegated

What had once seemed like another lost season in the annals of Spurs' recent history, has turned into the worst in living memory.

It's reached the point where it's tough to envisage where Spurs might get the points that will save their season. More than a quarter of the campaign has passed since the north London club last won a league game. Relegation rivals West Ham have earned 13 points from their last eight and Nottingham Forest have 10 from their last nine.

The scale of Spurs' disarray is so large that it's almost hard to get your head around -- cold, hard facts are the easiest method by which to survey the damage:

Tottenham have taken just 33 points from their last 38 Premier League games, and 12 from their last 20

They have failed to win 11 successive league games for the first time since October 1975. Their last win was on Dec. 6 -- a 2-0 victory over Brentford

Spurs have lost five consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since November 2004, when they put together a six-game winless run

With just two home wins in the Premier League, only relegated Championship side Sheffield Wednesday have a worse home record than Spurs in the English football league this season

Combine those numbers with the overriding sense of a team being dragged towards the relegation zone by some kind of unwavering force and all the ingredients are there for this team to go down.

- Ossie Ardiles calls for unity as Tottenham battle relegation

When Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team started dropping like flies last season, it was largely put down to his famously intense training methods, but the trend has continued long after the Australian's summer exit from the club.

This year, it's not only been the frequency of the injuries that's been the problem, it's also their seriousness, their timing and the identity of the players who've suffered them.

Take Spurs' lack of attacking threat, for example -- their performances have been turgid for almost the whole campaign. Spurs amassed an xG of just 0.05 in a 1-0 home defeat by Chelsea in November which turned a sizeable portion of the Spurs fanbase against Frank. Their 4-1 away defeat to Arsenal two games later saw Frank's team produce a marginal improvement: 0.07xG.

The impact of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski's injuries on this figures is unquantifiable but the fact the creative duo haven't played a minute of football this season due to their respective knee injuries will not have helped matters at the attacking end of the pitch.

Of all Spurs' first-team players that have been at the club for the entirety of the campaign, only two have not missed a game through injury: Guglielmo Vicario and Mathys Tel.

How much of that is bad luck and how much of it is poor squad planning is open to debate, but injuries have arguably been the biggest limiting factor on Spurs' hopes this term.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, only Chelsea (7) have received more red cards in the Premier League this season than Spurs (4).

- Tottenham's Pedro Porro rues injuries amid 'disaster' season

Why Tottenham won't get relegated

Despite all the doom and gloom, there are plenty of factors that still suggest Spurs will be a Premier League team next season.

Chief among them is the objective difficulty of their remaining fixtures in comparison to their fellow relegation battlers. They may have fluffed their lines in a big way against Crystal Palace but with matches to come against Forest, Brighton, Wolves, Leeds and Everton there are opportunities for Spurs to pick up the points they need.

The match between Spurs and Forest in north London is likely to prove pivotal. Lose that and the rest will look much harder.

Forest, meanwhile, face matches against Aston Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United, while West Ham will play Manchester City, Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle.

It's also worth considering that only one of West Ham, Forest, Spurs and Leeds will join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season, so the odds are with Tudor's side. Forest are in a comparable situation to Spurs: one win in eight games, on their fourth manager of the season, 19th in the form table and lost to West Ham and Leeds recently.

Another positive sign is the ever-reliable Opta supercomputer which at this stage gives Spurs just an 18.09% chance of going down.

The figure may seem optimistic at first glance, but Opta's meticulously-maintained model reflects betting market odds and Opta's power rankings -- both of which are based on historical and recent team performances as well as the statistical likelihood of the outcomes of remaining fixtures.

Postecoglou's team finished 17th last year with 38 points. It was a campaign that saw a record-low points total (26) needed to avoid the drop.

This season, Spurs are likely to need between 36 and 38 points to survive -- two wins and a draw could be enough for Cristian Romero and Co.

While the 40-point mark has long been held up as the required total needed to stave off relegation, data shows that 36 points has been enough to survive in 18 of the 30 Premier League seasons to have been played to date.

Which fixtures are most likely to decide the relegation battle?

March 22: Spurs vs. Forest

April 18: Forest vs. Burnley

April 10: West Ham vs. Wolves

April 20: Palace vs. West Ham

April 25: Wolves vs. Spurs

May 9: Spurs vs. Leeds

May 24: Spurs vs. Everton, Forest vs. Bournemouth, West Ham vs. Leeds

(Exact match dates April 25 - May 24 still TBC)

Information from ESPN's Global Sports Research contributed to this story

Harry Redknapp has revealed a phone call with Daniel Levy, claiming the former Tottenham Hotspur chairman would bring him back as manager if he was still in charge.

Igor Tudor will still be in the Tottenham dugout for their next fixture against Liverpool, sources told ESPN, despite a dreadful 5-2 loss against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League which included the substitution of goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky after 17 minutes.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League, just a point above the relegation zone.

Tudor was appointed as manager until the end of the season after Thomas Frank was sacked but hasn't yet overseen an improvement in results.

Former manager Redknapp, now 79, has put his name back into the mix.

"I got a phone call last week from Daniel, funnily enough," Redknapp told talkSPORT.

"I think I spoke to him once since I left all that time ago, and I was in the car last week and suddenly the phone goes, it's Daniel Levy.

"I thought 'that's strange' and I was on the phone to him for about half hour, chatting to him and he was explaining what happened to him, and how he got marched out of there, which was really strange.

"And he did say to me: 'If I was there now, and I'm not just saying it, I would bring you back in until the end of the season, Harry' -- so it would have been interesting."

- Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois reveals message of support for Tottenham's under-fire goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky

- 'Killed his career': Schmeichel, Hart among goalkeepers to show support for Spurs' Antonín Kinsky

- Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois reveals message of support for Tottenham's under-fire goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky

Levy left his role at Tottenham last September.

Redknapp also said "I don't think I will get the phone call" from the current Spurs leadership about returning to management.

However, a big-name legend of the club has refused to rule out a blockbuster comeback.

Jürgen Klinsmann played at White Hart Lane most notably between 1994-95.

He said on ESPN FC about helping Tottenham again: "Who wouldn't want the job, it is Tottenham.

"Whoever you choose, you need a person who can connect to everyone emotionally, that knows the club, that feels the club, that feels the people."

Klinsmann has not been officially spoken to by Tottenham regarding his potential availability, with Sean Dyche the favourite to take over should Tudor be sacked.

Spurs haven't won in 11 league games and next face Liverpool before playing fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.

Sandwiched between those games is the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Atletico, as Spurs face a three-goal deficit.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jürgen Klinsmann refused to rule himself out of taking on the managerial role at his former club as pressure continues to mount on Igor Tudor.

The Croatian has only been at Spurs since Feb. 13 but after four consecutive defeats and the north London club just a point above the relegation zone, he seems destined to follow the fate of predecessor Thomas Frank and face the sack.

With only nine matches left of the season though, who Spurs bring in next could effectively decide whether they are in the Premier League or not next season, with a massive relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest on March 22.

Klinsmann has not been officially spoken to by Tottenham regarding his potential availability, with Sean Dyche the favourite to take over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should Tudor be sacked.

The German icon, who played 68 matches for Spurs, scoring 38 goals in his two spells at the club, said however that anybody would want the job when asked if he would take it, but insisted whoever was instilled as the next manager needed to connect "emotionally" with everyone.

He said on ESPN FC: "Who wouldn't want the job, it is Tottenham.

"Whoever you choose, you need a person who can connect to everyone emotionally, that knows the club, that feels the club, that feels the people.

"Because, to get out of this mess, they need to develop a fighting spirit, a really nasty, ugly, fighting spirit and that goes only over the emotions.

"So you don't need to have to bring in the mastermind of tactical stuff or whatever, you need to have somebody who gets everybody onboard and go and get these games done in a positive way and get everybody behind the fact that they are in danger of going down to the Championship.

"So no matter who you put in charge now, it goes only over the emotions, the willingness to suffer and fight and maybe take the ball away from some ballboys on the sidelines."

Klinsmann was referencing the action of Chelsea winger Pedro Neto, who pushed over a ballboy in their 5-2 defeat to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The big talking point of Spurs' own 5-2 Champions League defeat, which came at the helm of Atlético Madrid on Tuesday night, was goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky being replaced after just 17 minutes.

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Tudor has received significant backlash for both his decision to start Kinsky in such a massive game and then to replace him after his two major errors effectively knocked Spurs out of the Champions League.

Former Germany and USMNT manager Klinsmann sympathised with Kinsky, with his own son being a goalkeeper, and the German saying "it is the worst thing" a keeper can go through.

He added: "I think if you ask him [Tudor] today and he reflects about the decision making before the game to play him and then during the game, obviously to sub him out after 17 minutes, he would re-think their whole situation.

"Obviously, it is a killer for the kid, it is the worst thing a goalkeeper can go through, I feel for the kid because my own son is a goalkeeper and I hope he never gets a moment like that.

"He will obviously make mistakes and he will make similar mistakes like Kinsky did there but obviously to then get pulled off after 17 minutes in a game in front of a sold-out crowd in Madrid, because you have these two blackouts is simply brutal.

"So I think we all felt for the boy and obviously you are on the ground, you get back up and you get going but this is a massive shocker for a young player like him."

Aside from the sympathy for Kinsky, Klinsmann felt that throwing the Czech keeper in at the deep end, only to replace him after 17 minutes was "a huge punishment."

"He threw him in the cold water and in that moment, the water was too cold," the German said.

"He made those two huge mistakes and then the other story to discuss certainly is how do you react to it, just drag it out until half-time.

"Maybe then you can talk to him and then you explain to him that you will sub him off and bring back Vicario in that moment.

"He decided to do it after 17 minutes and that is a huge punishment for a young kid like him."

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has revealed he reached out to Antonín Kinsky on Instagram after the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper endured a nightmare Champions League debut.

Kinsky made two high-profile errors in his team's 5-2 loss at Atlético Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League round-of-16-clash that led to goals for Marcos Llorente and Julián Álvarez.

The Czech goalkeeper, who was only making his third appearance of the season on Tuesday, was replaced in the 17th minute with his team already trailing 3-0.

"I was on my way home so I wasn't able to watch it live," Courtois told reporters after Real Madrid's 3-0 triumph against Manchester City in Wednesday's Champions League.

"I sent him [Kinsky] a message on Instagram to cheer him up a bit because that's tough."

Courtois, who has kept 15 clean sheets in 39 games for Madrid this season, empathises with Kinsky.

The Belgium international recalled the criticism he received when Real Madrid were eliminated by Ajax in the Champions League last 16 after a 4-1 defeat at the Bernabéu stadium in March 2019.

"In the end, I haven't gone through what he has, but I do remember after the Ajax defeat at home I also took a lot of flak and it's tough," he said.

"It's mentally tough to keep going. You need the support of your team, to feel good again in training, and to play well."

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Courtois is one of many players that have spoken out in support of Kinsky. In a post on his Instagram story, the Tottenham goalkeeper, 22, expressed gratitude for the positive messages he has received.

"Thanks for the messages," he posted.

"From dream to nightmare to dream again. See you."