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Has Cristian Romero played his last game for Tottenham Hotspur? There are many uncertainties engulfing Spurs at present, which won't even begin to find a resolution until they know which tier of English football they will play in next season.

The prospect of Tottenham's relegation from the Premier League is both unimaginable and becoming ever more real with each passing week. Conceding a 95th-minute equalizer to draw 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion was another devastating blow in a dismal season that, combined with results elsewhere, leaves them two points adrift of safety with five games left.

New coach Roberto De Zerbi, presumably both encouraged by what he had seen and recognizing the need to lift a palpably fragile group, defiantly declared afterward that Spurs could not only stay up but win all five remaining games to do so emphatically.

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The run-in will demand everything from a beleaguered squad, but their captain will play no part. Romero sustained a season-ending knee injury in their 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on April 12, leaving the field in tears. Those tears may have been more for Argentina than for Spurs, given the FIFA World Cup is less than two months away and his participation is in doubt.

Tottenham supporters have become accustomed to Romero not being in the team, given the number of suspensions he has picked up during his five years at the club. Whatever the outcome of Spurs' battle against the drop without him, some fans may see it as the right time for the club and captain to go their separate ways.

So how did it come to this, and what does the future hold for Romero?

Part of the group?

De Zerbi attempted to foster a real spirit of togetherness in the buildup to facing Brighton. He effectively canceled a planned fan gathering to greet the team bus outside the stadium by insisting the players arrived earlier than usual.

Sources have told ESPN that it would have been considered a significant risk had midfielder James Maddison played any minutes against Brighton, but he was nevertheless named in the squad for the first time in 362 days following his anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained last August.

Maddison's personality and leadership skills are valued by De Zerbi, and he was an animated presence throughout the game, while injured goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was also stationed just behind the substitutes. Rodrigo Bentancur played his first game since Jan. 7 and, when substituted on 67 minutes, he stayed in the dugout and regularly stood up shouting encouragement, just like others including Yves Bissouma.

Somewhere removed from all this was Romero. The 27-year-old was in the stadium but had taken up a seat high up in a box, TV cameras cutting to him when Xavi Simons scored to put Spurs 2-1 up with 13 minutes left and seemingly on course for victory.

It could be argued Romero was there showing support, but the optics of sitting away from the group at a time when De Zerbi was clearly trying to forge a closer bond are not positive.

A positive influence?

Thomas Frank, who began the season as Tottenham manager before being fired in February, made the decision to hand Romero the captaincy following Son Heung-Min's departure last summer. However, sources have told ESPN that it was not due to a ringing endorsement of the center back's leadership skills.

There has been an acknowledgment behind the scenes at Spurs that the current squad lacks strong characters able to set the right example -- it was partly for this reason they attempted to sign Andy Robertson from Liverpool in January and did acquire Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid.

Romero has publicly criticized the club on two occasions this season. In January, after losing at AFC Bournemouth, he said that more people at Spurs should speak out because "they only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies." A month later, he described Spurs having just 11 players available for a 2-2 draw against Manchester City as "disgraceful." There will be many supporters who agree with the general sentiment -- that Spurs' poor recruitment over recent seasons has put them in their desperate position.

But Romero's actions undermine his words. February's dismissal at Manchester United was the sixth time that Romero has been sent off (including four straight red cards) in all competitions since making his debut in August 2021. That figure is higher than any other Premier League player during this period. Frank admitted his surprise at that fact when it was put to him after the game, but still Romero remained captain. He has also been booked 36 times in the Premier League -- a high for any defender -- and so often the mode of sanction is a reckless tackle or a loss of control.

The bans incurred from all of those cards have mounted up, contributing to Romero missing a lot of football for his club. Since his arrival in north London in August, 2021, Romero has missed 95 of Tottenham's 251 matches in all competitions (including 62 Premier League games) through illness, injury or suspension, meaning he has played in only 62% of Spurs' fixtures.

Sources have confirmed to ESPN reporting from elsewhere that Romero has also been late to training on at least one occasion this season. However, Romero has provided decisive interventions -- he scored last equalizers at Newcastle United and Burnley this season, and last term his performance in the Europa League final victory over Manchester United earned him the Player of the Match award. His replacement against Brighton, Kevin Danso, inadvertently reminded Spurs of the quality they are missing when his error in the box enabled Brighton to score their second equalizer and break Tottenham hearts (again).

The season-ending injury was also not Romero's fault. In fact, he was unceremoniously shoved by Brian Brobbey and collided into goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky as a result. Romero broke down in tears as he left the field. Will that be Romero's final moment on the pitch for Tottenham, regardless of whether they avoid relegation or not?

What does the future hold?

Romero is contracted to Tottenham until 2029. His father, Victor Romero, publicly claimed earlier this month that the deal contained a release clause of between $50 million and $70 million, depending on the club signing him. However, sources at Tottenham have strongly denied this is the case, insisting there is no automatic mechanism which can be triggered to complete a deal against Spurs' wishes.

It remains to be seen whether Tottenham would consider offers for Romero. Much will depend on De Zerbi's view of the player as well as, obviously, which league they are playing in next season.

Relegation from the Premier League would be an existential crisis for Spurs, who have not recorded a profit since 2019 and, according to finance experts Deloitte, have the seventh-highest wage bill in the division. Spurs would have to juggle reshaping a squad to secure immediate promotion from the Championship with balancing the books through player transfers and reducing costs.

Atlético Madrid were closely tracking Romero last year and may retain an interest, while sources say clubs in Italy and England are keeping tabs on the situation. There is a sense that a move may suit all parties as Spurs look to redefine themselves moving forward.

The prospect of Romero appearing in a Tottenham shirt again is -- like so much with the club at present -- firmly in the balance.

Jamie Carragher has predicted Tottenham's slide towards the Championship could take another turn for the worse at Wolves on Saturday.

Spurs are without a Premier League win in 15 matches and conceded in stoppage time last weekend in a potentially costly 2-2 draw at home to Brighton to stay in 18th position.

It has meant Tottenham will spend this week in the bottom three again and although new boss Roberto De Zerbi was pleased with the display on Saturday, Sky Sports pundit Carragher said on Monday Night Football that a trip to already-relegated Wolves is not straightforward.

Carragher asked: "We're talking the last time they won? What month was it? December?

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"They haven't won a Premier League game since December. It's unbelievable.

"So, to think you will go to an away game and just win ... I can't see them losing the [Wolves] game and they could nick it, of course they could, but I've seen other teams go there and find it difficult at Wolves with the way they set up."

Tottenham's last Premier League victory occurred on Dec. 28 at Crystal Palace.

They have lost nine of their last 15 league matches with De Zerbi hired to prevent a first relegation in 49 years.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr is on the radar of both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, while Paris Saint-Germain are looking to land Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

- Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr is on the radar of both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, says Football Insider. The 23-year-old faces an uncertain future, with Spurs looking set for relegation at the end of the season, and top clubs are already positioning themselves to swoop if he becomes available. PSG have also been reported to be interested in the Senegal international in the past.

- Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos has held a meeting with the representatives of Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, ahead of a potential summer switch, according to L'Equipe. PSG reached another UEFA Champions League semifinal in midweek and are looking to sign another attacker for the summer. Martinelli, who has a contract until 2027 with Arsenal, is an option as the Gunners need to raise money from player exits to sign new players themselves. PSG have also held talks with representatives of RB Leipzig forward Yan Diomande, but his transfer could cost upward of €80 million.

- Barcelona have made Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez their priority transfer target this summer, reports Mundo Deportivo. Álvarez, 26, has impressed since joining Atlético Madrid from Manchester City for an initial €75 million in 2024, with 18 goals and nine assists to his name this season. With that in mind, Barcelona are believed to be willing to make a €100 million move for the Argentina international, though it's unclear if that will be enough to seal a switch. Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic and Atlético's Alexander Sorloth are listed as some other targets in case the Blaugrana can't land Álvarez.

- Aston Villa are prepared to step up their interest in Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, claims TEAMtalk. The versatile 26-year-old is about to enter the final year of his contract at Anfield, with an expectation that a transfer will be facilitated this summer to allow the club to sign other players. While Inter Milan and Tottenham have been linked with Jones, Villa have now positioned themselves among the front-runners to sign him.

- Barcelona are hoping to renegotiate the terms of signing Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford on a permanent deal, says Fabrizio Romano. The England forward has a €30 million clause in his loan contract which would allow him to join the Spanish club permanently, but while Man United are insistent on getting the full amount in the summer, Barcelona are looking to restructure the deal. And that has left the two parties at a standoff.

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OTHER RUMORS

- Dusan Vlahovic could leave Juventus at the end of his contract this summer, with AC Milan interested in the striker. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

- Robert Lewandowski's agent is in Italy to conduct talks over a free transfer in the summer, when his client's Barcelona contract expires, with a meeting expected with Juventus and AC Milan. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

- Juventus are interested in Franck Kessie, as the midfielder nears the end of his contract with Al Ahli. (Tuttosport)

- Barcelona youngster Roony Bardghji is attracting interest from Juventus, Monaco, Porto and Real Betis ahead of a potential loan. (Mundo Deportivo)

- Chelsea are eyeing a move for Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, who has a €60 million release clause. (Ekrem Konur)

- Bayern Munich, PSG and Arsenal have shown interest in Tottenham midfielder Xavi Simons. (Ekrem Konur)

- Chelsea are continuing talks over a move for Sunderland star Noah Sadiki, with hopes of tempting him to make a switch this summer. (Sacha Tavolieri)

- Personal terms are not an issue in Bayern Munich's pursuit of Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon this season, while Arsenal and Liverpool remain interested. (Florian Plettenberg)

- Newcastle are stepping up their interest in Hertha Berlin's midfield wonderkid Kennet Eichhorn. (TEAMTalk)

LONDON -- The hits just keep on coming for Tottenham Hotspur. They looked on course for a first Premier League win in 111 days before Georginio Rutter's 95th-minute equalizer earned Brighton & Hove Albion a 2-2 draw on Saturday to keep Spurs in the relegation zone.

Full-time felt like a funeral.

Kevin Danso, whose failure to clear the ball enabled Jan Paul van Hecke to steal in and set up Rutter, dropped to the turf. So did Pedro Porro. Xavi Simons, who had put Spurs in front with a sublime 77th-minute strike, looked on the verge of tears. Dominic Solanke trudged off with his head bowed. Television cameras picked up on one Spurs fan in tears, staring at the pitch disbelievingly.

This was another devastating blow in a season full of them. And time is running out to recover. They must now watch on nervously as Nottingham Forest and West Ham United attempt to put further distance between Spurs and safety in the next 48 hours.

Tottenham's winless run extends to 15 games. Only Derby County in 2007-08 (18) and Sunderland in 2002-03 (17) have had longer winless starts to a calendar year. Both were relegated.

This will feel especially cruel, conceding a lead in stoppage time of both halves to a Brighton team whose tireless endeavor probably deserved some sort of reward on the balance of play.

De Zerbi, inevitably, put a different spin on it with a week before they travel to rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"The players have to listen to me," he said. "I am proud for their performance. They have to be stronger, be focused just on the Wolverhampton game and come in the training ground on Monday afternoon with a smile because otherwise they go home immediately.

"I have no time to see the negative people, to see sad players or sad assistants. No. We are lucky because we are working in a big club, a big stadium. We are working in the Premier League.

"We have the right qualities to win the game [at Wolves] so we have to be positive. I don't like people who cry, who think in a negative way."

And when the dust settles, there was enough here to suggest Spurs should have hope. They did their best to rally the troops beforehand, large flags waved by the 61,167-strong crowd, buoyed by the return of Rodrigo Bentancur for the first time since Jan. 7.

De Zerbi, in his debut home game as Spurs boss, also included James Maddison in a matchday squad for the first time since 362 days following an ACL injury, and he adopted a cheerleading role alongside Guglielmo Vicario, who had not recovered in time to play. It was a further sign of the unity De Zerbi is trying to instill, having taken the players out for dinner in midweek and also insisted on the group arriving early at the stadium on Saturday.

Even when Yves Bissouma and Bentancur were substituted, both stood at the back of the Tottenham dugout with their muddied shirts still on, furiously directing play. Maddison kicked every ball as an unused substitute. Somewhere in the expensive seats, Cristian Romero applauded on helplessly, having been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

The combination of all this, for a while, appeared to be working. Spurs took the lead at a time when Brighton were clearly in the ascendancy, Simons clipping in a 37th-minute cross that Porro headed past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Spurs have not led at halftime in any of their previous 13 league games, and they couldn't hang on here either, Kaoru Mitoma volleying in a stunning effort from a Pascal Groß cross.

Just when Spurs needed someone to step up, Simons did. In many ways, the 22-year-old is a poster boy for a failed season, but it appeared he had arrived just in time to save it.

After Brighton were caught playing out from the back by Lucas Bergvall, on as a substitute moments earlier, Simons worked the ball onto his right foot and curled a stunning effort in off the post. It was a moment of pure catharsis for a player who has been well below his best for much of the season, a €65 million signing from RB Leipzig who Spurs pursued after failing with moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.

He celebrated by taking his shirt off and climbing the hoarding in front of the 17,500-seat, single-tier South Stand. It was a celebration befitting of a last-minute winner, but Spurs still had 13 minutes plus stoppage time to play.

And as the tension mounted, the noise increased and Brighton probed, Spurs caved.

Danso should have hacked Yankuba Minteh's cross into the stand, but instead he took a touch, allowing Van Hecke the chance to steal in and turn the ball back for Rutter to dispatch a fine first-time finish.

Despite the disastrous denouement, this was one of Tottenham's best performances of the season. There is encouragement in key players beginning to return and Simons' quality coming to the fore.

"I always believe in the qualities of the players," said De Zerbi. "They played a good game. I think we can play better than today, with more quality, more calm, especially when we are in ball possession. But in this moment we need this spirit, this attitude, this mentality, and it is not finished yet. We have another five games.

"It is tough. Every one of us knows it is a tough moment, a difficult situation, but we have another five games, 15 points and this team is able to win five games in a row.

"Now it is difficult to hear my words, but if you watch the players, if you analyze the level of the players, I think we can win five games in a row. Not be arrogant, because I am not arrogant, especially now, but we have the qualities enough to fight and to win games in a row."

But yet again, they end another weekend without that momentum-changing victory. There are only five games left. How many more hits can they take before relegation becomes real?

A late equalizer from Georginio Rutter gave Brighton a 2-2 draw on Saturday and prevented Spurs from escaping the relegation zone.

Xavi Simons thought he had won the game for Spurs with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box with less than 15 minutes remaining, but his team have now gone 15 Premier League games without a victory.

Rutter's goal was the second time the visitors had equalized, after Kaoru Mitoma's volley late in the first half cancelled out Pedro Porro's opener.

Tottenham remain in the Premier League relegation zone after they were stunned by a stoppage-time leveler from Brighton substitute Georginio Rutter during a pulsating 2-2 draw in Roberto De Zerbi's home debut.

Spurs looked set to end a 15-match winless in the top-flight when Xavi Simons produced a superb 77th-minute strike to spark wild celebrations.

Xavi's fine effort followed up his assist for Pedro Porro's opener after 39 minutes, which was cancelled out by Kaoru Mitoma in first-half stoppage-time.

However, scenes of jubilation turned to disbelief when Kevin Danso lost possession in the fifth minute of time added on and Rutter curled home to ensure the spoils were shared.

It denied De Zerbi's team a first victory in charge and means Tottenham will stay in the bottom three for another week with only five matches left to prevent a first relegation since 1977.

Spurs had spent a whole week in the relegation zone, but there was an air of positivity in N17 with James Maddison surprisingly named in the matchday squad for the first time this season and Xavi back in the starting lineup.

A sea of white flags welcomed the teams before De Zerbi's pleasantries with his old players were followed by multiple warnings by the fourth official Ben Toner for walking onto the pitch.

Clear-cut action was limited, but Tottenham had penalty appeals waved away in the 10th-minute after Destiny Udogie tangled with Brighton attacker Yankuba Minteh.

Diego Gómez limped off for the visitors soon after, before Xavi went close with a low effort deflected wide.

Brighton enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure afterward and Spurs stand-in captain Micky van de Ven smashed a clearance against the post to deny Danny Welbeck after a dangerous Jack Hinshelwood knockdown, before Antonín Kinsky saved Welbeck's header.

After Tottenham survived, De Zerbi watched the first goal of his era come from Porro. Xavi was central to it with a wonderful clipped cross and Porro stole in to head over Bart Verbruggen.

Two minutes later and it should have been 2-0 when Dominic Solanke passed into Xavi, who cut inside Ferdi Kadioglu but curled the ball against the post from eight yards and Porro's follow-up was tipped over by Verbruggen.

It would prove costly when Mitoma lashed home on the volley in supreme fashion from an equally impressive Pascal Gross cross.

Hinshelwood headed wide before half-time and Brighton picked up where they left off after the break with Danso forced to clear ahead of Welbeck and then block an effort by Mitoma.

De Zerbi received a caution soon after for going down the touchline again before a raft of substitutes sparked a grand finale.

João Palhinha went close after his introduction before Lucas Bergvall marked his entrance with a key role in Xavi's goal.

Bergvall won back possession from Jan Paul van Hecke and played in Xavi, who made space against Mats Wieffer and curled sumptuously beyond Verbruggen.

Wild scenes in front of the South Stand were followed by a bout of cramp for Xavi, before the late twist in the tale.

Danso wanted too long on the ball inside the area and Van Hecke stole in and teed up Rutter to break Tottenham hearts and prevent the hosts moving out of the bottom three.

We are back with some more Premier League action, and we have several games that could decide the futures for several clubs as we are roughly one month away from the end of the season.

In our first game, Tottenham Hotspur are fighting for their league survival with six games to go as Roberto De Zerbi's side host Brighton & Hove Albion.

Finally, in a match that could decide which team qualifies for the UEFA Champions League, Chelsea take on Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Enjoy all the updates from Saturday's matches.

Two points adrift and with six games remaining, Tottenham Hotspur have a huge chance to climb out of the relegation zone today, and you can follow it all live right here with ESPN.

Roberto De Zerbi is the man tasked with saving Spurs from ignominy and, in a classic twist of footballing fate, his first home match in charge comes against his former side, Brighton and Hove Albion.

A loss at Sunderland in his first game was far from the best start for the Italian, but a win this afternoon would lift Spurs up to 16th.