The Independent

Tottenham remain in the Premier League relegation zone after they were stunned by a stoppage-time leveller 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 line-up.

A sea of white flags welcomed the teams before De Zerbi’s pleasantries with his old players was 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 Gomez limped off for the visitors soon after, before Xavi went close with a low effort deflected wide.

Brighton enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure afterwards 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 Antonin 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.

Joao 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.

Tottenham host Brighton this afternoon knowing that they need to win if they stand any chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

It has been a nightmare season for Spurs and could end in horrifying fashion if they cannot find a way to end their win drought and move up the table. They are currently sat 18th, inside the relegation zone, but have not won a league match since a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at the end of December.

Roberto de Zerbi has been brought in to be bring stability to the club after both Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor were sacked from the head coach role but his tenure started with a loss to Sunderland after Nordi Mukiele’s second half strike.

Spurs are also up against a strong team in Brighton who entered the weekend in ninth just two points behind sixth placed Chelsea. Sixth is likely to secure European football next year so the Seagulls still have it all to play for and will want to build on their run of victories when they head to London today.

Is Tottenham v Brighton on TV? Channel, kick-off time and how to watch Premier League fixture  The Independent

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury, a significant blow for manager Roberto De Zerbi as his side battles to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Romero sustained the injury during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland, De Zerbi’s first match in charge, meaning the defender will miss the final six fixtures of what has been a challenging campaign for the north London club. Tottenham currently sit in the relegation zone, in 18th place.

In an effort to foster team cohesion and boost morale ahead of a critical final stretch, De Zerbi took his squad for a meal in Mayfair this week, prior to Saturday’s home clash against his former club, Brighton.

"Yes, I don’t know if we win the game for dinner. I know we eat very well. The food was amazing and if we win, I am ready to pay every week for one dinner," De Zerbi remarked with a smile.

He stressed the importance of unity, adding: "We have to build and find in these last weeks the best relationship we can find, and I want to see on the pitch players helping their team-mates and pushing everybody for one target and to achieve our big, big target for us. If we don’t achieve our target, everybody will lose something in their career."

Despite the club’s precarious position, De Zerbi remains optimistic about their chances of survival.

"I am positive, I am ready to fight and I believe to keep Premier League (status). I believe in my words that I said last week. The focus is to win one game," he stated.

"Yes, I think it is crucial to win a game not just for the table. Of course one part of the table for sure, but we have to feel again what is nice to win a game and what it can do. I have no doubts about the quality of the players."

While De Zerbi did not confirm who would inherit the captain’s armband, he did provide an update on other key players.

Rodrigo Bentancur is available for Saturday’s crucial fixture after a three-month absence due to a hamstring injury, and Yves Bissouma is "100 per cent fit" after being an unused substitute against Sunderland. However, first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains sidelined following minor hernia surgery last month.

"Bentancur is available to play. I don’t know if to start or not. Bissouma is available 100 per cent. Vicario, no," De Zerbi explained.

Expressing sympathy for his injured captain, he added: "Romero, I am really sorry for him and his injury. Romero first of all loves Tottenham and the people have to know he is suffering for this injury and because he cant play any more for us this season, but he’s a great captain for us.

“We have to be any way positive. We have Radu Dragusin and Kevin, they are able to play and able to play well. We can win any way and we want to win any way."

James Maddison, who suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in pre-season, participated in first-team training this week, but De Zerbi remained cautious about his immediate return.

"Maddison is a top player on the pitch with the ball, but also as a personality, as a character, as a mentality on the pitch," the Italian said. "I don’t know yet. I don’t want to push too much because we lost (Mohammed) Kudus in this way."

Tottenham Hotspur are facing an uphill battle for Premier League survival, with pundit Gary Neville branding their squad a "concoction of misfits" with "a set of ingredients that don’t go together".

Spurs languish in 18th place, two points adrift of safety after failing to win a single league game in 2026.

Tottenham’s precarious position was underscored by results elsewhere: Leeds United’s 2-1 win over 10-man Manchester United on Monday night moved them six points clear. West Ham thumped Wolves 4-0 on Friday, hauling themselves out of the bottom three, while Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 with Aston Villa on Sunday.

These outcomes contrasted sharply with Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi’s first game on Sunday.

Former United and England defender Neville believes Leeds’ performance at Old Trafford showed how far Spurs are from a team capable of securing top-flight survival.

"In the first half, they (Leeds) were absolutely wonderful. That is a performance I don’t think Tottenham are capable of – and that is the scary thing for Tottenham," Neville said on his podcast for Sky Sports.

He continued: "Not the six points by the way that Leeds have gone clear of them, but the actual performance levels they put in. They (Tottenham) are nowhere near that."

Neville added: "You watch Spurs against Sunderland and it is a set of ingredients that don’t go together, a concoction of misfits, yet you watch Leeds and there is a balance and a flow."

Adding to Tottenham’s mounting problems is the likely absence of captain Cristian Romero. The Argentina defender fought back tears as he hobbled off at the Stadium of Light, injured in a collision with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Reports suggest Romero – who was pictured on social media on Sunday with a bandaged right knee – is set to miss the rest of the season.

Manager De Zerbi acknowledged he is a "crucial player for us" and said the injury needed proper assessment. Tottenham have yet to comment on the timescale for his recovery.

Tottenham – two points below West Ham – must now regroup for Saturday’s visit of Brighton, when they are expected to be without their influential captain.

The Premier League relegation battle looks set to go right down to the wire with four clubs seemingly battling to avoid the one remaining spot in the drop zone.

Perhaps Wolves or Burnley could still pull off the greatest of escapes but, in all likelihood, they will crash into the Championship and then be joined by one of Tottenham, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds.

Relegation for a Spurs side that won the Europa League last season, reached the Champions League knockout stage this term and has spent just one season outside the top flight since 1950 would go down as one of the biggest shocks in Premier League history. Roberto De Zerbi is now the man tasked with engineering an escape and avoiding disasters, but things have not started well as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.

Friday night saw the north Londoners drop into the relegation zone for the first time after West Ham thumped Wolves 4-0 to leapfrog their bitter rivals into 17th. Forest and Leeds are just above the Hammers but with six or seven games remaining for each, there will be plenty of twists and turns still to come.

Here’s how the crucial relegation run-in is shaping up.

Position: 15th | Played: 31 | Points: 33 | GD: -11

Remaining fixtures:

Where to pick up points? The fixtures have fallen fairly kindly for Leeds and the chances are there for them to secure Premier League football next season. Three wins would definitely be enough to survive and two may well do it, so they’ll be eyeing up home fixtures against the current bottom two – Wolves and Burnley – to get over the line. Away games against relegation rivals Tottenham and West Ham also look like prime opportunities to get results on the board.

Tricky contests? Their first game after the international break, away to high-flying Manchester United, is their toughest remaining fixture on paper and leaving Old Trafford with anything would be hugely impressive. That is their only game against a team currently above 10th in the standings but a trip to Bournemouth in April and hosting European football-chasing Brighton in their penultimate fixture won’t be easy. Will an FA Cup quarter-final against West Ham straight after the international break prove to be a welcome distraction or a hindrance?

Final straight? Leeds will be desperate to have secured safety by the time they travel to West Ham on the final day but if not, that could be a high-octane shootout for survival. Games against Brighton and Spurs immediately preceding that are too unfriendly as finales go.

Position: 16th | Played: 32 | Points: 33 | GD: -12

Remaining fixtures:

Where to pick up points? The three points they picked up by securing their first Premier League win since late January by hammering Tottenham 3-0 in the final match before the international break could prove vital with a tricky-looking remaining schedule. A home fixture against seemingly doomed Burnley is a golden opportunity for Forest to collect three more points and one further win in addition to that could be enough to get over the line. A home game against a mid-table Bournemouth side who may have nothing to play for on the final day could be their best chance.

Tricky contests? Games against two of the current top six still await Forest with trips to Man United and Chelsea on the docket but they’ll be buoyed by taking a point off fourth-placed Aston Villa ahead of next week’s Europa League quarter-final return leg against Porto. A trip to Wearside to face this season’s surprise package Sunderland at the end of April is also a tough ask.

Final straight? It’s not the best with a journey to Old Trafford on the penultimate day of the season far from ideal although, as mentioned above, hosting Bournemouth on the final day could offer a chance to snatch the points required if things aren’t wrapped up by then. A home match against a floundering Newcastle as their antepenultimate fixture could also be worse. Things could be complicated if they are still going in the Europa League by that point, however.

Position: 17th | Played: 32 | Points: 32 | GD: -17

Remaining fixtures:

Where to pick up points? Their impressive form since hugely damaging back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Nottingham Forest at the start of the year have seen West Ham go from doomed to having a genuine chance of survival – even climbing out of the bottom three by thumping Wolves 4-0 straight after the international break. They may well be questioning exactly where the form that has seen them claim five wins and three draws from their last 11 league games was earlier in the season but a trip to struggling Crystal Palace next suddenly looks like a golden chance to keep the momentum going. Welcoming Leeds to the London Stadium on the final day also looms incredibly large.

Tricky contests? The Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H) run from late April to early May does not look very friendly. The games before and after that run appear to be much better chances to pick up the points the Hammers need to pull off an impressive escape.

Final straight? If West Ham can get through that three-game stretch with a realistic shot at survival then an away game against Newcastle and a home clash with Leeds to finish the season might just be the ticket to get them clear of the drop zone. The final-day showdown against Daniel Farke’s side could be an all-time classic but won’t be a pretty watch if both sides are still fighting for their lives. However, the fact that the Whites are coming to the London Stadium at least plays into Nuno and co’s hands.

Position: 18th | Played: 32 | Points: 30 | GD: -11

Remaining fixtures:

Where to pick up points? At the moment, Spurs can’t pick up points from anywhere... They haven’t won for 15 league matches, with their last Premier League triumph coming against Crystal Palace back in December and their most recent attempt seeing De Zerbi lose 1-0 on his managerial bow at Sunderland. On paper, a game away to Wolves at the end of April is a good opportunity for three points, as is a potentially pivotal clash with Leeds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium three matches from the end of the campaign, but every fixture is tough currently.

Tricky contests? Sidestepping the obvious quip of ‘every single one’, given their recent form, away games at Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and Chelsea in May don’t look too fruitful. Even home fixtures against top-half sides Brighton and Everton suddenly look that much more dangerous as well.

Final straight? Leeds at home as the third-last game is absolutely huge. Should that game go awry and Spurs head into the final two matches in the relegation zone, then a trip to Stamford Bridge and clash with Everton to finish up appear unlikely to provide succour.

This could genuinely go in any direction and you’d have to be a brave person to predict the outcome with any confidence.

It will surely all come down to the final day when West Ham host Leeds in a showdown for the ages, Spurs play Everton and Nottingham Forest host Bournemouth. Leeds generally have the kindest fixtures and although the goals have dried up for them recently, they should have enough to survive given the current cushion.

Forest could be adversely affected by their Europa League run and will probably need to have survival wrapped up going into the final couple of games, while West Ham’s boosted their chances with that Wolves win.

Meanwhile, Spurs could be in real trouble if De Zerbi doesn’t flip the club’s fortunes and fast. He isn’t known as the fastest starter at new clubs - and with injuries piling up, we are beginning to really fear that the worst is probable rather than just possible for Spurs. But things can change within the week.

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Roberto De Zerbi will take charge of his first of seven cup finals as Tottenham Hotspur manager today, beginning his reign at Sunderland as he tries to guide the club to safety in the Premier League.

De Zerbi took the reins following Igor Tudor’s winless 44-day reign of error, with Tottenham in the thick of a relegation battle. West Ham’s win over Wolves on Friday night means their London rivals start the day in the bottom three.

The Italian will need to flip the club’s fortunes and fast but it is not yet clear whether he has the complete backing of the fanbase due to his historic comments surrounding Mason Greenwood, controversy he did address in his first interview as Tottenham boss.

He will hope to justify the board’s decision to hand him a lucrative five-year contract swiftly but face tough opposition in Sunderland, who come into the clash off the high of a Tyne-Wear derby win at St James’s Park.

Tyson Fury made his fifth return to boxing on Saturday, in a comfortable points win against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was Fury’s first fight in 16 months, with the Briton having retired (yet again) in the wake of his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk, a points defeat in December 2024.

Fury, 37, believes he can become a world heavyweight champion again, while this win over Makhmudov also moved the Briton closer to a clash with Anthony Joshua – a domestic fight that is still on the cards after almost a decade of links. In fact, Joshua watched on from ringside on Saturday, with Fury calling out his compatriot after beating Makhmudov on all three judges’ scorecards.

On an action-packed undercard Conor Benn outpointed Regis Prograis in a gruelling 10-round contest, while Richard Riakporhe battered Jeamie TKV to win the British heavyweight title.

Re-live updates and see all results from the Fury vs Makhmudov undercard:

Tyson Fury shook off the ring rust to make a successful comeback by registering an emphatic points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Anthony Joshua watched from ringside ahead of a potential all-British showdown later this year as Fury secured his first win since defeating Francis Ngannou in October 2023.

A dominant display after coming out of retirement for the fifth time was rewarded with scores of 120-108 120-108 119-109 from the judges.

Makhmudov was outclassed by Fury’s footwork, hand speed and ringcraft and the Canada-based Makhmudov’s plodding, upright style was tailor made for the former two-time world champion.

The rugged Makhmudov was tiring as early as the fourth round and his limitations made him an ideal opponent for Fury after 16 months of inactivity, providing tough rounds without ever threatening an upset.

There was no pomp and ceremony from the bear-wrestling Makhmudov as he marched straight into the ring to the sound of an air raid siren.

In contrast, Fury’s entrance for his Netflix debut began with ‘Blue Moon’ being played as a tribute to his late friend Ricky Hatton before he put on a show by dancing on stage while fireworks and flames went off around him.

The pyrotechnics ended there as once the action got under way Makhmudov advanced with crude, one dimensional attacks that were easily evaded.

Makhmudov is at his most dangerous in the early stages and while he continued to stalk Fury around the ring, shots were piercing his defence by the end of the second round.

His pace had already slowed and Fury was beginning to find his rhythm, showing far better footwork and hand speed.

There were warning signs in the fourth as Makhmudov landed, although Fury showed a flash of class when he punished one lunging attack and he finished the round strongly.

There was a gulf in class in their skill levels with the one-paced Makhmudov showing strength in the clinches while proving an easy target, although he was absorbing the blows without being hurt.

There was plenty of respect between the rivals as they touched gloves at the end of each round and even during the rounds, but as the halfway stage came it was becoming increasingly one-sided.

The eighth was Fury’s strongest round yet as he landed telling blows that troubled Makhmudov, including sharp right uppercuts.

Makhmudov had completely run out of ideas beyond wrestling the taller man and in the 10th he was beginning to wobble as crisp shots found their mark when he was pinned against the ropes.

There could be no disputing Makhmudov’s bravery as he plodded back to his corner in exhaustion at the end of the 11th and a round later it was all over with the 12th ending with a wild exchange of blows.

Fury and Joshua exchanged words after the fight with ‘The Gypsy King’ calling out his rival from the ring upon grabbing the microphone, with Joshua replying “I’ll tell you when I’m ready”.