GiveMeSport

It is another huge weekend in the Premier League relegation battle, with just six games of the season to play.

If you say Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley are down - they are 15 and 12 points adrift of safety respectively with only 18 points up for grabs now - then one more team faces a drop through the relegation trapdoor.

Tottenham Hotspur sit in the third and final position currently, dropping into the bottom three for the first time barring the first three games of the season since 2009.

They are now chasing West Ham United in 17th, two points above them, Nottingham Forest in 16th, three points above them and Leeds United in 15th, six points above them.

Tottenham Face Tough Test Against De Zerbi's Old Team

It is one team from four to go down with the Clarets and Wolves.

Leeds get the Premier League weekend started in terms of that quartet, playing Wolves at home at 3pm on Saturday. And Alan Shearer has backed the Whites to win and effectively move themselves away from danger.

Then Spurs are up, in Roberto De Zerbi's first home game in charge, against his former club Brighton & Hove Albion. But Shearer is not expecting Tottenham to turn their form around against the Seagulls.

Spurs have not won a game in 2026 and it will be 111 days by the time they face off against Fabian Hurzeler's side since they last tasted Premier League victory.

Speaking to Betfair, Shearer predicted: "Brighton have been in superb form, I think they're in ninth at the minute, and they've got a chance of getting into a European place.

"I don't have any belief in Spurs, either. I think what we saw last weekend at Sunderland, it wouldn't fill me with confidence that they can get something at home under huge pressure. I've got no belief in them so I'm going to say a Brighton away win."

Forest take on Burnley at the City Ground, with Shearer fully expecting the home side to pick up three points and then it's West Ham away at Crystal Palace on Monday night.

Shearer Expects West Ham To Beat Crystal Palace

Shearer said of that London derby: "I've got a sneaky feeling West Ham might go there and nick something. I don't think West Ham will be beaten. Depending on what team [Oliver] Glasner wants to put out, because obviously they have a European game, I'm going to say a West Ham away win which doesn't bode well for Tottenham.

"I've tipped all the other relegation battle teams to win other than Tottenham."

Those results would leave Tottenham five points adrift of safety with five games to play - staring down the barrel of a first ever relegation from the Premier League and a first demotion since 1977.

Tottenham Hotpsur are close to reaching an agreement in principle for Roberto De Zerbi's next signing, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Tottenham's recruitment team have been busy off the pitch in recent months, with a deal for Andy Robertson to join from Liverpool set to happen in the summer, should Spurs stave off relegation.

Relegation is still a big possibility ahead of De Zerbi's first home match in charge of the club against his former employers Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

The north Londoners go into the match against the Seagulls lying two points from safety, knowing that they will only move out of the drop zone with a win against Fabian Hurzeler's men.

It would require them to do something they have failed to do so far in 2026 - winning a Premier League game. De Zerbi failed to get a top performance from his players against Sunderland on his debut, and he knows he needs better, and quickly.

Tottenham have six matches to save themselves, and it could be crucial to the calibre of player they are able to bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, as they look to return to the elite as part of this new De Zerbi project.

Tottenham Agreement 'Almost Done' With Marcos Senesi

Athletic journalist David Ornstein confirmed on Friday morning that Tottenham were in 'advanced talks' to sign the Bournemouth centre-back on a free transfer, with the 28-year-old's contract with the Cherries due to expire at the end of the season.

Now, Jacobs has corroborated Ornstein's claim, and added that Spurs are close to an 'agreement in principle' with the player over a move.

The Argentina international is open to making the move to north London to link up with De Zerbi, but as with the Robertson deal, it does depend on Tottenham avoiding relegation to the Championship.

Tottenham Deserve Praise

While it has been a horrendous season for Tottenham with many poor decisions made throughout, you can't fault the impressive work off the pitch when it comes to almost agreeing deals in April for Robertson and Senesi to join, subject to securing survival.

Spurs have missed experienced leaders within the group this season, and the duo would bring so much Premier League know-how to the group.

Of course, the added bonus is that neither would cost a transfer fee such is their contract situation, and they still have a lot to offer at this level.

As Jacobs says, bringing in an Argentina international like Senesi for nothing when you are at risk of losing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven would be smart.

Fabrizio Romano told GMS' Market Madness podcast this week that there is an expectancy from all parties that Romero could be leaving the club in the summer transfer window, no matter how the season ends.

Now De Zerbi just needs to keep the club in the Premier League to make the hard work off the pitch worth it.

Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Rodrigo Bentancur is available to play against Brighton on Saturday.

De Zerbi has inherited a horrific injury list at Spurs since replacing Igor Tudor at the club and things got worse when Mohammed Kudus suffered a setback in his recovery from injury in the Italian's first few days at the club.

Then, Cristian Romero went off in tears having picked up a partial tear in his MCL.

But there was good news this week with Uruguayan Bentancur returning to first team training, having not played a match since the beginning of January, after picking up a hamstring injury in the game with Bournemouth.

Double Delight For Roberto De Zerbi

But Bentancur will be back against the Seagulls, as will former Brighton player Yves Bissouma.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi said: "Bentancur is available. I don’t know if he will start. Bissouma is available 100 per cent, more than Sunderland game."

De Zerbi did also confirm, however, that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was not yet ready to return to the first team. Antonin Kinsky played in De Zerbi's first game in charge, with Vicario having undergone hernia surgery, and the Czech keeper will once again be in between the sticks, after De Zerbi confirmed: "Vicario, no."

Bentancur was not the only long-term injured player to be spotted in training this week, with James Maddison, who has not played all season after suffering an ACL injury in pre-season, also joining in with the first team.

The Englishman is not yet ready to step out onto the pitch, but De Zerbi spoke about him during his press conference too.

"There are a lot of different types of leaders," De Zerbi said. "Real leader who talks inside the dressing room, Maddison is a top player on the pitch with the ball but also as a personality, mentality on the pitch.

"I will use the players when they are totally available to play and start the training, it's better to lose one game more than get another injury."

Tottenham go into this weekend's game with Brighton in the Premier League relegation zone, two points adrift of West Ham United, who leapfrogged them with victory over Wolves during the last round of matches.

While Bentancur and Bissouma's return is welcome relief for De Zerbi, SPurs will still be without seven players for the game against their new head coach's former team.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones ahead of the summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The north London side are keeping a close eye on the 25-year-old midfielder’s situation, as he could be allowed to leave amid his limited involvement under Arne Slot.

Jones has made just 12 Premier League starts this season, as well as another four in the Champions League, where Liverpool were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Paris Saint-Germain.

The Liverpool-born midfielder will enter the final year of his contract in June, meaning the upcoming window could be one of the Reds’ last opportunities to sell for a substantial fee.

Tottenham Eyeing Move for Curtis Jones

According to the Daily Mail, Jones’ desire for regular minutes leaves the door open for a potential Anfield exit this summer.

Serie A leaders Inter Milan looked at signing the 25-year-old in January and have not been ruled out of resuming their interest, provided their valuation matches Liverpool’s.

Tottenham also retain an interest in the ‘incredible’ midfielder, as they could look to bring him in alongside fellow Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson.

Provided they retain their Premier League status, Tottenham are seen as frontrunners to sign Robertson at the end of his contract in June.

The Scottish international has confirmed he will depart Anfield following a nine-year spell on Merseyside and is believed to have earmarked Tottenham as his preferred destination.

A deal hinges on whether Tottenham will be able to avoid relegation, with the club sitting 18th in the standings, two points off safety, with six games remaining.

Spurs suffered a 1-0 loss to Sunderland in manager Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge and next take on Brighton at home on Saturday.

Liverpool Could Target Archie Gray

If Spurs end up relegated, a drop to the Championship would likely spark a first-team exodus, with a host of stars expected to leave.

That could potentially include midfielder Archie Gray, whom Liverpool have placed on their radar ahead of the summer.

The 20-year-old is being closely watched by Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich as well, given his strong individual displays for Spurs this season.

Gray joined Spurs from Leeds United in the summer of 2024 and has made 79 appearances for the club to date, registering five goal involvements.

Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are locked in a fierce relegation battle right now, with Spurs in particular likely to be unhappy with the latest Crystal Palace decision.

Tottenham lie two and three points behind West Ham United and Nottingham Forest respectively heading into the weekend's fixtures, knowing they need to beat Brighton and Hove Albion in north London on Saturday evening to have any chance of moving out of the bottom three.

To do so, new boss Roberto De Zerbi will need to lead them to their first three points in the Premier League since they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park on December 28.

Unbeaten in four matches, Forest host 19th-placed Burnley at the City Ground, while Nuno Espirito Santo's West Ham side travel to Palace on Monday night.

The Eagles have 42 points and look set for a mid-to-lower table finish now, with full focus on winning the Europa Conference League after they reached the semi-finals by beating Fiorentina over two legs.

Tottenham Will be Furious After Palace Decision

Despite losing 2-1 on Thursday night against Fiorentina, Palace advanced to a Europa Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk 4-2 on aggregate, with manager Oliver Glasner confirming post-match that the players would be allowed to go out in Florence after the match to celebrate reaching the last four of the competition.

Footage has since emerged of them doing exactly that, which won't be looked on positively by those connected to Tottenham.

Spurs only have themselves to blame for where they find themselves in the Premier League table, but they will also want the opponents their relegation rivals face during the run-in to be in the best possible condition and have the right mindset.

With Palace celebrating late on Thursday and with a focus on winning in Europe, West Ham will surely sense a big opportunity to take all three points back to the London Stadium on Monday night, which could have big consequences for Tottenham in the relegation fight.

Who Has the Best Run-In?

None of them look particularly easy on paper, but you'd probably argue Tottenham's is the most favourable, if they had any sort of form behind them.

Spurs follow up this weekend's clash against Brighton with away games against rock-bottom Wolves and top-four chasing Aston Villa, before home games with Leeds and Everton are sandwiched by a trip to Chelsea.

While Wolves are bottom, they have been in decent form in recent weeks and may have the incentive of trying to take Spurs down into the Championship with them.

Forest also have the distraction of a two-legged Europa League semi-final tie with Aston Villa to deal with, alongside games against Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester United and Bournemouth.

Lastly, after their trip to Selhurst Park, West Ham host Arsenal, Everton and then Leeds on the final day, with trips to Brentford and Newcastle mixed in.

Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks to sign Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi, but he could still move elsewhere according to Athletic journalist David Ornstein.

Tottenham's full focus right now on the pitch is to retain their Premier League status, with the club lying two points from safety ahead of the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion to the capital on Saturday evening.

Spurs and manager Roberto De Zerbi know they need three points against Fabian Hurzeler's men to move out of the bottom three and above West Ham United, who face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday night.

If they can do it against De Zerbi's former team, it would be their first Premier League win since December 28, and it would give the squad some confidence and momentum in the final five matches as they look to beat the drop.

Off the pitch, work is underway to ensure that De Zerbi has a stronger squad to work with next season, whether they stay up or not, and it appears as though they could be closing in on another agreement should they avoid slipping into the Championship.

Ornstein: Tottenham Leading Contenders to Sign Senesi

According to Ornstein, Tottenham are leading the race to sign the Argentina international with talks advancing over a free transfer switch.

The 29-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season when his contract with the Cherries expires, but despite Spurs' current position in negotiations, it doesn't necessarily mean he will definitely be moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Any deal does also depend on Tottenham maintaining their Premier League status, which they are not currently set to do as they lie 18th in the standings.

With no deal finalised and the north London club's Premier League spot for 2026-27 yet to be confirmed, the 28-year-old's situation remains open with interest from other clubs.

GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs did confirm on Thursday that Senesi is very open to joining Tottenham should they stay up.

Spurs may need to strengthen in the centre-back position this summer with doubts over the futures of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, who will both want to be playing in the Champions League at this stage of their careers.

Are Tottenham Close to Any Other Deals?

It's clear that after a hugely disappointing and frustrating season, Tottenham's recruitment team aren't messing around.

As well as advancing on talks for a deal for Senesi, they have also agreed a deal to sign another soon-to-be free agent in Liverpool's Andy Robertson.

Like Senesi, that deal will also depend on them staying in the Premier League, but if they do it would be a big boost to add two highly-experienced top-flight defenders to their squad for next season.

The duo would likely play next to each other in a new-look Tottenham backline too, given Robertson is a left-back and Senesi is a left-footed centre-back.

Spurs will hope that De Zerbi can now lead them to safety so they can get two smart signings through the door early ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Liverpool are keen on signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Archie Gray this summer, according to the Daily Mail.

The Anfield side are believed to be among the 20-year-old’s admirers amid his strong individual season and could seriously look into a move if Spurs are relegated from the Premier League.

Gray has arguably been one of Tottenham’s best players in a disappointing campaign, with the north London club sitting 18th in the league with six games remaining.

Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday in manager Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge since replacing interim boss Igor Tudor.

Liverpool Eyeing Move for Archie Gray

According to the Daily Mail, both Liverpool and Bayern Munich ‘have eyes’ on Gray ahead of the summer, with the list of suitors only expected to increase if Tottenham are relegated.

Gray, praised as a ‘future £100m player’, joined Spurs from Leeds United in the summer of 2024 and has made 79 appearances for the club to date, registering five goal involvements.

The 20-year-old has started Tottenham’s last nine Premier League games, scoring his second goal of the campaign in the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in February.

Tottenham’s relegation from the Premier League would spark a first-team exodus, with a host of players expected to leave.

Among those is captain Cristian Romero, who may have already played his last game for the club. The Argentine international has been ruled out until the end of the season with a knee injury and appears set for an exit this summer.

Inter Milan, meanwhile, are confident of securing a deal for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, while the futures of Micky van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall and Luka Vuskovic could also take a turn if Spurs go down.

Kolo Muani and Palhinha Set for Exits

Regardless of relegation, Spurs are not expected to pursue permanent deals for either Randal Kolo Muani or Joao Palhinha after the season.

According to reports, the duo are expected to depart north London when their loans expire in June, despite Tottenham having a buy option in their deal for Palhinha with Bayern Munich, while Kolo Muani’s agreement contains no such clause.

The Frenchman played the full 90 minutes in Tottenham’s loss to Sunderland on Sunday, making his 35th appearance of the season, while Palhinha came off the bench in the second half.

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for a huge Premier League match at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening, with manager Roberto De Zerbi knowing he really needs all three points against his former employers.

Tottenham slipped into the relegation zone last week following West Ham's win against Wolves, with the north Londoners following it up with a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland which left them two points from safety with six games left to play.

To have any chance of moving out of the drop zone, Tottenham must record their first three points in the league since they defeated Crystal Palace on December 28.

Fans will be hoping that De Zerbi has made more of an impact on the players at Hotspur Way this week than he did last, with the performance at the Stadium of Light not bringing much confidence that they can get out of the mess they find themselves in.

The Italian will be hoping to have more and more of his injured players in the coming weeks, to boost his team selection.

GIVEMESPORT takes a look at the latest injury news ahead of the clash with the Seagulls.

Both James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur have returned to first-team training at Hotspur Way to potentially give De Zerbi a boost later on in the run-in, but neither are likely to be involved on Saturday, nor in the immediate future.

While De Zerbi has no new fresh injury worries after setbacks for both Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero in recent days, with the captain ruled out for the rest of the season, he also appears unlikely to welcome any injured players back to the squad against Fabian Hurzeler's men.

There was some hope that Guglielmo Vicario would return between the sticks for this game after undergoing surgery on his hernia during the international break, but he hasn't been present in training this week, which would suggest Antonin Kinsky will start again against Brighton.

Ben Davies is the other Spurs player who is expected to be closing in on a return, although the Seagulls fixture is also set to come early for him.

Spurs confirmed last week that De Zerbi favourite had suffered an injury setback, which appears set to rule him out of playing again in the final six matches.

A club statement read: 'He [Kudus] had returned to team training during the past week, however will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery. We will provide any relevant further updates in due course.'

All The Tottenham Players Unavailable

While there are positive signs with Maddison and Bentancur returning to training, the duo are likely to be two of eight players absent for Tottenham's next match.

Vicario is also conspicuous by his absence at Hotspur Way, while Davies is more likely to return at the end of the month.

Aside from those four, Kudus, Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert are all out for the rest of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are battling against relegation, and new manager Roberto De Zerbi is currently struggling to make too much of an impact.

The Italian joined the club earlier this month, signing a five-year contract after it was made clear he was the club's top target to be the next permanent manager, but Spurs fell to defeat against Sunderland in his first game in charge, leaving them two points adrift of safety with six games remaining.

The north London side have been dealing with a number of serious injury issues throughout the entire campaign, but despite that, the manager has reportedly already made up his mind about one star's future beyond this season.

Tottenham Ready to Sell Thomas Frank Signing

According to a report by Football Insider, Tottenham could be willing to allow midfielder Conor Gallagher to leave the club, despite him only having signed in the January transfer window.

Gallagher joined in a deal worth around £40m and was one of Thomas Frank's final signings at the club before he was sacked. But the England international, who has been described as 'unbelievable', has struggled to make any sort of impact, and now ex-scout Mick Brown has claimed that De Zerbi and Spurs would be ready to let him leave.

“It hasn’t worked out at all well for Gallagher at Tottenham,” Brown said.

“Sometimes that happens, he’s come into a difficult situation there and for one reason or another he’s struggled to make any real difference.

“Maybe questions should have been asked at Tottenham about why he wasn’t a regular at Atletico Madrid, and why they were willing to let him go. But Conor Gallagher is a player who will always have interest from clubs in the Premier League because of the attributes he has at his disposal.

“Tottenham could look to cash in on him at the end of the season, admit things haven’t worked out, and then look to get their money back.

“Even if they stay in the Premier League, his performances this season haven’t suggested he has a big role to play in the future, so it might be best to move on.

“As I say, there will be clubs willing to take him away, so it’s definitely a real possibility.”

Gallagher Signing Was Always Baffling

While Frank was keen to strengthen his midfield in the mid-season to move away from a relegation battle, Gallagher always seemed like an odd fit to the squad.

Now that De Zerbi has arrived, Gallagher's lack of technical quality is clear and obvious for all to see, and his fit into the squad looks even worse. It's no surprise that all parties could be looking at potential exit routes, despite it being so soon into his long-term contract.

Tottenham need results and fast. But we've been saying that for weeks...months even.

Spurs are still without a win in 2026, a period of time that will reach 111 days by the time they next graced the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.

It will be Roberto De Zerbi's first home game in charge, coincidentally against the team who last employed him in the Premier League, and he is sure to get a warm welcome from the supporters inside the N17 ground.

But that warm reception will not last too long, with the fans on tenterhooks at the perilous position the Lilywhites find themselves in at the bottom of the Premier League table.

More Injuries Set Tottenham Back

Spurs sank into the bottom three for the first time in 17 years - at a period of the season beyond the first three games of a campaign - at the weekend and defeat to Sunderland ensured they would stay there for another week.

Injuries have clearly taken their toll, with Mohammed Kudus and Cristian Romero adding to the club's woes in the past week or so, but given the calibre of player at the club there is no way this group should be anywhere near the relegation zone.

De Zerbi will be boosted by Rodrigo Bentancur's return to training, with the Uruguayan having missed most of the games since the last victory against Crystal Palace on December 28 with a hamstring injury.

And there was further good news in training videos and pictures with James Maddison also spotted working with the first team.

Spurs have been quick to point out that it is premature to expect Maddison in a matchday squad just yet, with the first team training all part of his rehabilitation from an ACL injury, but he could yet become De Zerbi's saviour...if it's not too late by then.

Maddison had become something of a forgotten man at Spurs, given his injury status, having not been seen all season.

He suffered the ACL injury way back at the beginning of August, during a pre-season match with Newcastle United in South Korea. He and Dejan Kulusevski has been missing for the entirety of the campaign, but Maddison is closing in on a return.

Tottenham have six games of the season left to play - six games to save their Premier League status - and their survival is no longer in their own hands.

James Maddison Injury Timeline Revealed

The Lilywhites could win all of their games and still get relegated, such is the peril of their situation.

But if they do still have something to fight for in the final month of the season, they could have Maddison available to help them.

ACL injuries can take anywhere between six months and a year to fully heal, although nine months is generally considered a mean time for footballers to get back on the pitch.

Maddison picked up the injury on August 3, 2025, meaning nine months exactly would take him to May 3. Spurs play Aston Villa away on May 2, their fourth-last game of the season.

They then take on Leeds at home on May 11, with a trip to Chelsea on May 17 and then the final game of the season at home to Everton on May 24.

Maddison has proved before he can lift his teammates and the team as a whole, being a creative spark and a leader on the pitch. His return cannot come soon enough.