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Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Emmanuel Adebayor has explained why Spurs cannot afford to drop to the Championship, admitting he is still praying for their survival.

It is certainly crunch time in the Premier League this season, with a lot still to play for across the division.

The destination of the Premier League title remains unknown, with both Arsenal and Manchester City embroiled in a two-horse race with three games to go.

The European places are yet to be decided, with several teams fighting for Europa League and Conference League spots.

Unfortunately for Tottenham Hotspur, their battle is at the other end of the table, with relegation still very much a possibility after a disastrous 25/26 campaign.

Tottenham’s survival hopes discussed as Emmanuel Adebayor sends message

Tottenham gave themselves a boost in the last round of fixtures after beating Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park, a result that has seen them climb out of the bottom three and into 17th place.

However, that is not enough to guarantee safety, as West Ham United, in 18th place, are just a single point behind the Lilywhites, with everything still to play for.

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Although relegation remains a possibility, Spurs will be encouraged that their fate is in their own hands, and if they can match West Ham’s results from now until the end of the season, they will remain a Premier League side.

Former Spurs forward Emmanuel Adebayor has now opened up on the prospect of Tottenham being relegated and what it could mean for the club, speaking on talkSPORT, where he expressed his belief in the squad and his hope that they avoid the drop.

He said, “I am praying for them to survive. They will do everything possible, they have a good team with good players, but they just have to link up together, connect together as a team to be able to go through this obstacle, to be able to go through this dark moment in their career.

“I cannot see them playing in the second division with players like Kudus, with players like Richarlison, Bissouma – they have great players, so it is just not normal.

“And obviously, looking at their stadium also, it is one of the best stadiums right now in England, not to say in the world, so for them to be relegated into the second division, it does not make sense to football.”

Spurs hold survival advantage heading into key fixtures

Matchweek 36 is set to be pivotal in the race to avoid the drop, as Tottenham face Leeds United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Should Spurs beat Daniel Farke’s men and West Ham lose to Arsenal, their chances of survival will be significantly boosted, as they will move four points clear of the drop zone.

After this matchweek, Tottenham will again be hoping for another favour when West Ham face Newcastle United, who are beginning to find some form.

Richarlison scored for Tottenham against Aston Villa and reached 10 Premier League goals this season for the fifth time in his career. He now heads into the Leeds game with another record he could achieve for Spurs.

Richarlison has been one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most important players this season, especially with key attackers missing through injury including Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus. Even though he has not been fully consistent this season, he has stepped up when the team needed him most and has carried a lot of the scoring responsibility for Spurs in recent weeks.

The Brazilian is now the club’s top scorer and his goal against Aston Villa on Sunday night helped the team move out of the relegation zone. His 25th minute goal also took him to 10 Premier League goals this season and showed his importance in front of goal again. It came after he provided an assist against Wolves which means he has now made back to back goal contributions.

That kind of form has been very important for Tottenham as they try to stay steady in a difficult season and his impact on the team has been clear.

What record did Richarlison set for Tottenham against Aston Villa

Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa with goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison helped the team pick up an important result. Gallagher was praised for his performance but Richarlison also made history with his goal.

Richarlison’s Premier League season goals

Richarlison has now scored 10 or more Premier League goals in five different seasons, becoming only the second Brazilian to do so after Roberto Firmino. Two of those seasons have come at Tottenham, including this current campaign.

Despite the ups and downs around Spurs, the Brazilian has continued to step up and deliver important goals. He has played against 31 different Premier League teams in his career, and he has scored against 25 of them, including Aston Villa, showing how often he delivers against different opponents.

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Richarlison yet to score against Leeds for Spurs

Richarlison has six Premier League teams he has not scored against, and with Tottenham going through a tough time in attack, they will look to him again against Leeds. Those six teams are Swansea City, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Tottenham during his time at Everton, Sunderland and Leeds United.

The Lilywhites are on a two game winning run and next is against Leeds, and Spurs will be hoping Richarlison can keep that run going and finally score his first goal against them.

His form in front of goal this season has been important for the team, and he will again be expected to lead the attack in the next match on Monday.

Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Jonathan David may be about to get complicated after a Premier League rival re-ignited their interest in the Juventus striker.

David has not set the world alight since swapping Lille for Turin last summer, having scored just eight goals in 44 appearances for Juve.

Several outlets have reported that Tottenham are admirers of David and could be tempted to make a move for the striker if he is on the market this summer.

In fact, it has been claimed that Spurs launched multiple enquiries for the Juve striker in the January window, but the Lilywhites may face competition for the striker in the summer if they reignite their pursuit.

Aston Villa ready to challenge Tottenham for Jonathan David

According to TuttoJuve, the 26-year-old’s future remains up in the air after an unconvincing debut season for the Serie A giants.

With Juve expected to sign a new striker and tie down Dusan Vlahovic to a new contract, the feeling at the club is that David may be asked to pack his bags.

However, the worrying news for Tottenham Hotspur is that Aston Villa are now keeping their eye on the Canadian international ahead of the summer window.

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The report claims that Unai Emery’s side were ‘hot on the trail’ of David last summer, and having failed to get the deal over the line, are set to try again for David 12 months on.

David could be tempted to move to the Premier League

TuttoSport say that the former Lille man also ranks at the top of Fenerbahce’s summer wishlist. The Turkish giants want to break Galatasaray’s dominance and believe David is the man to help them do that.

The outlet makes it clear that despite attracting interest from Ligue 1 clubs, a return to France ‘does not appeal’ to the striker, but a move to the Premier League could be ‘a decidedly tempting option’ for the player.

The Premier League survival race is no longer about math; it is about nerve. The final three games for Tottenham and West Ham will determine who stays up and who falls into the abyss.

Following recent results, Tottenham have managed to claw their way back to 17th place. Roberto De Zerbi’s men have found a second wind, while West Ham have slipped into the bottom three after a demoralising defeat at Brentford.

Looking at the BeSoccer Pro metrics, there is a clear divide in how both teams are approaching this crisis. One side is leaning on individual brilliance, while the other is drowning in defensive instability.

Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham Premier League predictions

Tottenham’s season has been anything but stable, but the numbers from BeSoccer Pro reveal a team that thrives in the eye of the storm. They aren’t surviving by being disciplined; they are surviving by being dangerous. Ranking 2nd in the Premier League for successful dribbles (11.97 per game) and 5th for offensive duels won, Spurs are a side that relies on individual brilliance to break tactical deadlocks.

While they suffer from high turnover rates (113 ball losses per match), this high-risk, high-reward approach under Roberto De Zerbi is exactly what makes them so difficult to kill off in a relegation scrap.

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May 11 – Tottenham vs Leeds

Leeds’ defensive organization is statistically among the poorest in the league. For a Spurs side that ranks near the top in 1v1 situations, this is the perfect matchup. Richarlison, who sits in the high percentiles for successful attacking duels according to his player radar, should find plenty of joy against a backline that struggles with isolation.

May 19 – Chelsea vs Tottenham

In a chaotic London derby, Spurs’ “chaos factor” usually pays off. Chelsea’s recent instability matches Tottenham’s unpredictability. Given that Spurs boast a high volume of successful dribbles, they have the tools to bypass Chelsea’s inconsistent midfield press. It will be a battle of attrition, but Tottenham’s knack for winning individual duels away from home should see them edge it.

May 24 – Tottenham vs Everton

The season finale might be where the high-risk approach finally bites back. Everton are the 6th best away side in the league because they punish teams that lose the ball in key areas, and Spurs lose it a lot. While the individual quality is there, Everton’s rigid defensive structure is the natural kryptonite to a side that relies on dribbling over collective passing patterns.

Final Predicted Tally: 43 Points

West Ham United: a defence built on sand

If Tottenham are surviving through flashes of brilliance, West Ham are sinking through collective errors. The “Team Chart” from BeSoccer Pro is painful to look at: conceding 1.7 goals per game is relegation form, plain and simple. You cannot expect to survive in this league with a 17.1% clean sheet rate.

May 10 – West Ham vs Arsenal

Arsenal are chasing the title, and they smell blood. A West Ham defence that consistently fails to track runners and loses focus in the final third will likely be picked apart. It’s hard to see anything other than a long afternoon for the Hammers.

May 17 – Newcastle vs West Ham

St James’ Park isn’t the fortress it used to be; Newcastle actually concedes more goals at home (1.61) than away. This should be an opportunity, but West Ham’s own metrics suggest they won’t take it. With 107 ball losses per match, they are prone to gifting chances in dangerous areas. Newcastle’s ability to punish these errors will likely lead to another scoreless afternoon for Nuno’s side.

May 24 – West Ham vs Leeds

This ‘grand finale’ will be painful no matter what. West Ham look set to exit the Premier League in a manner as dramatic and painful as their 2010-11 campaign. It won’t be pretty, and it certainly won’t be tactical. But at the London Stadium, Jarrod Bowen and his 11 goals have to show up. Against a Leeds defence that is arguably just as shaky, West Ham should find enough fire to grab a win.

Final Predicted Tally: 39 Points

The verdict: Spurs pass the survival tightrope

The BeSoccer Pro stats suggest that Tottenham have a higher ceiling in individual battles, which should see them safe with 43 points. Even a final-day slip-up against a strong travelling Everton wouldn’t be enough to undo the vital work done in the previous two games.

Fabrizio Romano has provided a big update on the future of a Premier League midfielder, who is on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar.

Several of Tottenham’s experienced midfielders have impressed since Roberto De Zerbi arrived through the door a few weeks ago.

Conor Gallagher delivered his best performance in a Spurs shirt against Aston Villa, with the 26-year-old thriving in the number eight/ten role.

De Zerbi has admitted that he loves Joao Palhinha’s passion, while Rodrigo Bentancur has also been excellent since his return, but the Spurs midfield is expected to see some changes this summer.

Tottenham target Manuel Ugarte is highly likely to leave Man United

Over recent weeks, it has been reported that Tottenham are plotting a move for Manuel Ugarte, who is expected to depart Old Trafford this summer.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the Uruguayan, revealing that he is 95 per cent likely to be on his way out of United this summer.

Romano said on the Here We Go podcast: “Some players will leave, especially in midfield. The name of Manuel Ugarte is the name I keep hearing as one of the players expected to leave.

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“I would say there is a 95% chance of seeing Ugarte leaving Manchester United in the summer transfer window. His agent is already working on solutions. There is interest from several clubs, so I think Manuel Ugarte is definitely leaving.”

Spurs will face plenty of competition for Ugarte

Some reports have claimed over the last month that Tottenham can land the Uruguay international for £35m this summer after United decided to listen to offers for the midfielder.

However, according to journalist Ben Jacobs, Ajax, Galatasaray and Monaco have also expressed interest in the Spurs midfield target ahead of the summer window.

If someone had told you in March that Antonin Kinsky would be one of the reasons Tottenham escape relegation, you would have laughed them out of the room. We have now identified why this is the most Spurs story of a very, very Spurs season.

Eight weeks ago he was in tears walking down the tunnel at the Wanda Metropolitano, hauled off after just 17 minutes with Spurs 3-0 down, having made two errors that effectively ended our Champions League campaign before the half-hour mark. Tonight at Villa Park, that same goalkeeper stood firm for 90 minutes as Spurs protected a crucial 2-1 lead, composed and assured as the pressure grew.

The narrative arc is almost absurd in how perfectly constructed it is. Igor Tudor dropped Guglielmo Vicario, who had started every European game of the campaign, to hand Kinsky his Champions League debut in the round of 16 first leg against Atletico Madrid. The decision backfired catastrophically.

Kinsky slipped and played the ball straight to an Atletico player, leading to Marcos Llorente scoring the first goal. He was then at fault again for the third, gifting possession straight to Julián Álvarez, who finished calmly to make it 3-0.

Tudor, without so much as a consolatory glance at his goalkeeper, had him off after 17 minutes. Spurs lost 5-2. Palhinha, Gallagher and Solanke famously followed Kinsky down the tunnel to console a 23-year-old who had just lived through the worst 17 minutes of his professional life.

What followed said more about Kinsky’s character than anything he did on the pitch. He posted on Instagram: “From dream to nightmare to dream again.” David De Gea reached out publicly, telling him that only a goalkeeper can understand how hard the position is. Most would have needed weeks to recover psychologically. Kinsky was back in training the next day.

The Wolves save that changed everything for Antonin Kinsky and Tottenham

There is a case to be made that the moment the season turned, not just for Antonin Kinsky but for Tottenham as a whole, was the 98th minute at Molineux on April 25.

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Palhinha had given Spurs a 1-0 lead with eight minutes to play, their first league win of 2026 finally within reach, when Joao Gomes stepped up for a free-kick in stoppage time that felt destined to go in. Kinsky flung himself full-stretch to his left and clawed it away one-handed, his momentum carrying him into the post. His teammates swarmed him. The moment was everything.

That save has since been nominated for the Premier League’s Coca-Cola Save of the Month for April, shortlisted alongside Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Bernd Leno. For a goalkeeper who barely anyone expected to feature again this season after his Atletico nightmare, that is a remarkable turnaround in the space of six weeks.

Then came Villa Park. Spurs dominated the first half with over 60 per cent possession, Gallagher and Richarlison having the game won by the 25th minute, and for long stretches Kinsky had almost nothing to do.

That changes, of course, when you concede a late goal and suddenly find yourself defending a lead in the 85th minute with a roared-on home crowd pressing for an equaliser.

Kinsky handled every cross, dealt with every set piece, and kept his composure on the ball in a way that Roberto De Zerbi clearly demands from his goalkeeper. SpursWeb rated him 7.5 on the night, and given how little he was tested, that is probably fair. The performance was defined by its calmness rather than its drama.

What Kinsky himself said about the Atletico nightmare

In the days before the Villa game, Kinsky spoke for the first time about what the experience at the Metropolitano had done to him, and his answer was genuinely striking. He told Sky Sports: “I’m stronger by that one experience. It’s not like before, I would feel weak. Now I feel stronger because I made that experience. You make it because you are strong already, and it makes you just stronger.”

He also gave an interview to Tottenham’s official channels about what the fans have meant to him during this period, describing the atmosphere at Spurs games as “a big army going for the one goal that we have.” That is not the language of a player who has been broken by a bad night. That is a player who has used it as fuel.

There is a psychological maturity in that response that you do not always get from a 23-year-old thrown into a Champions League last-16 tie having not started a game in five months. Kinsky had been unsettled at Tottenham for much of the season.

Seven clubs had expressed loan interest in January, including West Ham, Besiktas and Freiburg. Spurs refused to let him go. At the time, that felt like a club keeping a backup warm in case Vicario got injured. In hindsight, it may have been one of the better decisions of the season.

The Vicario situation leaves Tottenham’s number one spot wide open

Of course, none of this would matter quite as much if Vicario were staying. He is not. Inter Milan have agreed personal terms with the Italian international, stepping in ahead of Juventus to replace Yann Sommer at the San Siro. Spurs sanctioned the departure as far back as January, and while a fee has not been agreed, the direction of travel is clear. Vicario is leaving. The question of who becomes Tottenham’s number one next season is a real one.

There is a gap between the fee Inter are reportedly offering and what Spurs are asking, which means the deal is not completely done. But in footballing terms, Vicario has made his preference clear, and Tottenham have moved on from him.

Reports suggest that Spurs are monitoring James Trafford at Manchester City and Bart Verbruggen at Brighton as potential replacements. Both are quality options, and we do believe Tottenham need to sign a goalkeeper regardless of what division they are in next season.

But here is the thing: Kinsky has just played four consecutive games under De Zerbi, including arguably the biggest Premier League fixture of Spurs’ season, and he has been nothing short of excellent. The Premier League Save of the Month nomination is not a technicality.

His composure on the ball is exactly what De Zerbi needs from a goalkeeper operating in a high possession system. He talks to his defenders. He organises. He does not panic. These are not minor qualities for a player who was described as a squad goalkeeper six months ago.

Is Antonin Kinsky good enough to be our number one at Tottenham?

We should be honest about what we do not yet know. Four competitive league starts in a relegation run-in is not the same as a full season as number one at a Premier League club. Kinsky will be 24 in May, and his entire career between the posts for Spurs has amounted to a few cup starts, a Champions League nightmare, and a run of games that came about only because Vicario had hernia surgery. The sample size is genuinely small.

There are also questions about whether his performances under pressure will hold when the stakes are different: when it is not a fight-for-survival game against a title-chasing Villa side, but a routine Tuesday night when concentration has to be sustained rather than adrenaline-fuelled. That is a different test entirely.

What we do believe, though, is that the argument against Antonin Kinsky has shifted. Six weeks ago, the question was whether he would feature again for Tottenham at all. Tonight, it is whether he deserves to be given a genuine opportunity as first choice next season, whether as the starter or as genuine competition for whoever comes in. After what we have watched, it feels wrong to simply ship him out on loan in the summer without at least asking whether this kid has earned a shot.

From tears at the Metropolitano to a conversation worth having in August

The Atletico game did not ruin Antonin Kinsky. It may, in the strangest way, have been the making of him. Players who survive moments like that, who do not hide, who come back and perform when the club needs them, tend to be the ones worth building around. We are not saying Kinsky is a finished article. We are saying that what he has shown in the last six weeks, capped by a controlled, assured performance tonight as Spurs held out a 2-1 lead at Villa Park, demands a proper conversation.

It remains to be seen exactly what Tottenham’s goalkeeper situation looks like in August. But Kinsky will head into that conversation with a nomination for Save of the Month, three consecutive clean sheets in a relegation run-in, and the memory of Palhinha, Gallagher and Solanke following him down the tunnel at the Metropolitano. That is a story worth telling. And after a season that has offered precious little to feel good about, we will take it.

Roberto De Zerbi has just shown that Tottenham can win without a traditional playmaker, and now, with three games left and James Maddison finally edging towards a return, we have to ask an uncomfortable but genuinely exciting question: what does Maddison actually come back to?

Villa Park was supposed to expose us. Xavi Simons‘ ACL had stripped away our last natural central creator, and the assumption, reasonable given Tottenham’s season, was that without a true playmaker threading the game together, we’d be toothless in attack and ragged in possession. Instead, De Zerbi found an answer we hadn’t quite expected.

Spurs produced arguably their finest performance of the season to beat Aston Villa 2-1 and move out of the relegation zone on Sunday, with goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison giving De Zerbi back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since the opening two games of the campaign. The performance mattered as much as the result.

Tottenham dominated possession with over 60 per cent of the ball, scored twice from their only two shots on target in the first half, and executed De Zerbi’s press with a discipline and intensity that had been absent for large stretches of this season.

The creative responsibility was not centralised: Randal Kolo Muani drove forward from the left, Mathys Tel provided constant movement and the assist for Richarlison’s goal, while Gallagher dictated from central midfield with the composure that earned him a 9/10 rating. De Zerbi spread the load. Which makes the Maddison question harder to answer, not because he isn’t wanted, but because the system has just shown it doesn’t need him to function.

De Zerbi has hinted that James Maddison won’t start for Tottenham any time soon

Before Sunday’s trip to Villa Park, De Zerbi was asked directly about Maddison’s involvement in the final run-in. His answer was revealing in ways that perhaps didn’t receive enough attention.

“I don’t know, I would like to play with him, because he’s a special player, he’s a different player,” he said, before adding that he “can be important in the next three games.” Important. Not essential. Not the first name on the teamsheet. Important.

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Of course, reading too much into a single press conference quote is a trap we should avoid. De Zerbi is a manager who chooses his words carefully and rarely commits to selection specifics publicly.

But there is a meaningful distinction between telling the world a player is important and telling the world he’s going to start. The language of “experience, personality, calm” describes a player who shapes a dressing room and influences a game from the bench – and that framing matters more now that Sunday has shown the system can win without a number ten in it.

Maddison is not coming back as the player who left last August

There is no denying that the James Maddison who suffered his ACL injury in South Korea last August was one of the most important players at this football club.

He was the heartbeat of the team under Ange Postecoglou in his first season, a player who could unlock defences with a single through ball, who dropped into pockets, who set the tempo. We have highlighted this season just how much his absence has cost us in creative output and leadership.

But nine months on the sidelines is not nothing. Injury expert Ben Dinnery has told Football London that the realistic scenario for Maddison is careful reintegration: ten to twenty minutes off the bench, gradual minutes, building towards the 2026-27 season rather than arriving as a season-saving figure in the final three games of this one.

Dinnery’s timeline suggests Maddison’s best football may not return until the 2027-28 campaign, which is not an easy thing to read. It’s also a risk De Zerbi himself has flagged repeatedly since the Mohammed Kudus setback showed what happens when a returning player is pushed too hard, too early.

Starting Maddison now would cost Tottenham more than it gives

The eleven who won at Aston Villa earned the right to start at Leeds on Monday night, and the case for disrupting them is weaker than it looks.

Gallagher was extraordinary at Villa Park, a nine-rated performance that included the opening goal and a midfield display that completely controlled the first half. Dropping him to accommodate Maddison in the number ten role would be a significant gamble. Dropping Tel, who provides the relentless pressing and physical threat that suits De Zerbi’s system, would feel similarly wrong.

The honest reality is that Maddison has not yet played a competitive minute this season. Forcing him into the starting eleven risks disrupting a system that has just delivered its finest performance of the campaign. Coming off the bench when legs tire, when the opposition press drops, when defensive structures open up, that is the version of Maddison that makes sense right now, and it is precisely when a player of his technical quality becomes most dangerous.

A fresh Maddison in the 70th minute against opponents who have been chasing Kolo Muani and Tel for an hour is a very different proposition to a rusty Maddison starting cold. It’s not the role he had before his injury, but it may be the right one for where he is.

Is Maddison the starter he was before his injury, or is this a new era for Tottenham’s attack?

This is the real question at the heart of it. And the honest answer is that we don’t yet know, which is not a criticism of Maddison – it is simply the truth of where the rehabilitation process is.

What Maddison offers De Zerbi is something the current eleven does not always have: the ability to drop into tight spaces and pick the pass behind the last line. Tel and Kolo Muani are direct and physical. Gallagher is box-to-box. That specific skill becomes more valuable as opponents sit deeper, and as the games become more desperate, more sides will do exactly that.

Maddison walking back into this setup is not a simple case of slotting into his old role, because that role no longer exists in quite the same way, but there is a version of it that fits, and De Zerbi seems to know what it looks like.

If Spurs stay up, the conversation about Maddison’s place in 2026-27 becomes the most important tactical discussion of the summer. Can he return to his pre-injury levels and reclaim the creative centre of De Zerbi’s system? These are good problems to have, the kind you solve when survival is secured.

For now, Sunday didn’t diminish what Maddison brings to Tottenham. It reframed it – and if he can deliver impact minutes over the next three games, it may be the contribution that keeps Spurs in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been left divided following fresh developments surrounding Micky van de Ven and his potential long-term future.

Tottenham Hotspur are well aware of the enormous benefit they will gain should they retain their Premier League status this season.

Not only will Spurs benefit financially by avoiding relegation to the Championship, but they will also be able to attract some of Europe’s brightest stars and retain key players.

Spurs Web has reported that at least ten players could depart from Tottenham should the worst happen at the end of the season.

However, fresh reports now claim that one star, Micky van de Ven, who has been subject to heavy transfer speculation, could stay put if Tottenham remain a Premier League club.

Speaking on the defender’s future, journalist Ben Jacobs explained that Van de Ven is open to extending his stay, stating: “If Tottenham stay up, my information is that Micky van de Ven is extremely open to signing a new deal.

“Now he is very happy with Roberto De Zerbi as manager, and De Zerbi coming in has enhanced the chances of Tottenham staying up, and therefore that Van de Ven signs a new deal.

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This will be a significant boost for Tottenham, who, according to rumours, will have to fend off interest from Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid, all of whom are keen on signing van de Ven this summer.

Spurs fans have since reacted to the journalist’s comments, with opinion clearly split. Some supporters are open to seeing him depart, while others welcome the possibility of him committing his future to the club.

One fan said, “It would be nice to have him stay. He said will stay if Spurs don’t get relegated.” Another supporter added: “Surprise surprise a player enjoys playing more with a half competent coach. Who could’ve guessed.”

A third urged the club to take a similar approach with Cristian Romero, commenting: “Maybe he can sort out Romero to? There is a top player inside, but the board are to blame for lack of investment and interest in the club which is putting players down! With proper coaching and De Zebri VDV & Romero can be a solid pairing.”

Not everyone was convinced, however, as one supporter suggested it may be the right time to move on: “VdV head has turned. Can see it from the interview he did w Neville. Right time to cash in on him and focus on Vuksovic. His pace and recovery musk his defensive fragilities.”

Another fan drew comparisons to previous setups, stating: “Could potentially be like Joel Veltman was for De Zerbi at Brighton, a CB who can play fullback when Senesi arrives.” One even said: “No thanks. I think we can upgrade tbh.”

Meanwhile, one more supporter was already envisioning next season’s defensive options: “Vuskovic and VDV as our pairing next season with Senesi and Danso as the back ups will do just nicely, think all spurs will agree it feels time to cash in on Romero.”

Finally, one Tottenham fan argued: “Great if he stays but he doesn’t deserve the captaincy as of yet. This season proved to be a complete mistake to make him captain.”

Spurs face key decision over Micky van de Ven future

It is claimed that Tottenham could demand £100 million for van de Ven should they decide to sell him this summer. The club must now weigh up whether to cash in or rebuild their backline with him at the centre of it.

With Cristian Romero’s future also uncertain, losing Van de Ven would leave Spurs needing at least two new centre-backs ahead of the new campaign.

Luka Vuskovic has impressed on loan and could be a viable option, while Spurs Web has also reported that Marcos Senesi has reached a verbal agreement with Tottenham as he approaches free agency.

Much of Tottenham’s decision-making will hinge on their league status, with the potential Senesi move dependent on the club remaining in the Premier League.

Earlier reports were suggesting Spurs wanted to extend Van de Ven’s contract, and with the defender now open to it, they may well move forward with negotiations, although nothing is confirmed at this stage.

Tottenham beat Aston Villa 2–1 at Villa Park on Sunday night, and we have now refuted every argument being used to diminish that result, and why each one of them is wrong.

They beat a side sitting fifth in the Premier League, a side managed by one of the sharpest tacticians in European football, and they beat them with eight players unavailable through injury, including Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons both ruled out for the season. And now, predictably, some people want to take it away from us. With respect, no.

Within minutes of the final whistle, Villa fans were venting on social media about their players not trying, some even suggesting the result was “arranged” to keep Spurs in the Premier League. One account posted that there was “no way he’d throw a game away like this.”

Another switched off after 30 minutes and called it “an utter disgrace of 11 players not trying.” Loud boos rang out at Villa Park at half-time as Unai Emery’s side trudged off 2–0 down.

We understand that Villa fans are frustrated. A third consecutive defeat, a Europa League semi-final return leg looming on Thursday, their Champions League spot not yet confirmed: it has been a bruising week. Their anger at their own players is understandable. What is not understandable is the suggestion that Tottenham Hotspur did not deserve every last inch of that victory.

What Alan Shearer and Opta’s data said about Tottenham’s win at Villa Park

Alan Shearer, not a man known for handing out compliments to Spurs, was unequivocal on Match of the Day. He said that Spurs “were brave, they were aggressive, and they were absolutely outstanding and deserved to win that game.” He also pointed out that Spurs won every single tackle and every second ball, and that Roberto De Zerbi deserves full credit for giving his players the confidence to show up in a hostile environment.

Opta, who have no emotional stake in where anyone finishes in the table, called it an excellent and richly deserved 2–1 win. Their analysis noted that Spurs dominated physically, were aggressive in the press, and showed clear signs of being a genuine De Zerbi side.

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They also noted that across 138 first halves of Premier League football at Villa Park under Emery, the first half on Sunday was the fewest touches Villa had registered in the opposition box. One touch. That is not Spurs getting a favour. That is Spurs suffocating a football club in their own stadium.

De Zerbi himself put it plainly after the final whistle: “We played against Aston Villa and Aston Villa is a very good team. But we played very well for 60 minutes, with the ball, without the ball. We could have scored more goals, especially in the first half.” That is a manager proud of his team, not a man who got lucky.

Why Aston Villa’s seven changes do not diminish Tottenham’s Premier League win at Villa Park

Yes, Emery made seven changes from the side that lost 1–0 to Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday. Yes, the team Spurs faced included Ross Barkley, Lamare Bogarde and Tammy Abraham in positions where better-rested starters would usually play. That is a legitimate tactical decision by a manager who has a Europa League final in his sights.

The rules of the Premier League are clear (The Sun): any club that fails to field a strong side risks investigation under the Premier League’s rules on “best efforts.” There is no suggestion from any official body, or any credible journalist, that Villa did anything other than manage their squad sensibly with a critical European game in mind. Seven changes is aggressive rotation. It is not a fix.

More to the point, the players Villa did put out were still good enough, on paper, to beat a Spurs side at the bottom of the table. Bogarde, Youri Tielemans, Barkley and Abraham are Premier League footballers. Morgan Rogers, who has had an excellent season, started and stayed on until the final minutes. Emiliano Martínez was in goal. If those players were simply going through the motions, that is a Villa problem, not a Spurs conspiracy.

Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha and the stats that prove Tottenham earned every point of their 2–1 win

Conor Gallagher covered every blade of grass. De Zerbi said having Gallagher in that form was like having 12 players on the pitch. Rodrigo Bentancur, not long back from injury and reportedly doubtful for the World Cup, completed 98 per cent of his passes and won four of six ground duels before being substituted in the second half. Richarlison put himself in the path of Mathys Tel’s inswinging cross and powered a header into the net. Joao Palhinha was monstrous without the ball.

Gallagher’s numbers alone tell the story: 59 touches, six possessions won, four duels won, three tackles, two accurate long balls, one goal. That is not a performance built on the opposition going through the motions. That is a player imposing himself on a match.

Spurs had five shots on target to Villa’s zero before Emi Buéndía’s late consolation. Expected goals: Tottenham 1.03, Villa 0.25. Possession: Tottenham 55 per cent. Spurs were the better team by every metric that exists. This was not a fluke.

Can Tottenham’s Premier League survival bid hold up over the next three games?

This win moves us one point clear of West Ham in 17th with three games to play. It gives us back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since the opening two games of the season. It is momentum, real momentum, built in a place where we had lost four consecutive times in 2026, in a week when Simons and Solanke both went down.

We have watched Tottenham be genuinely poor for long stretches of this season. We know what a lucky result looks like. Sunday was not that. Sunday was aggressive, organised, disciplined Spurs football, delivered at a moment when the stakes could not have been higher. Alan Shearer saw it. Opta saw it. Anyone who watched the game saw it.

If Villa fans need to process this result by suggesting it was handed to us, that is their business. But we are not sitting here quietly nodding along while people try to diminish something this group of players genuinely earned.

When Xavi Simons ruptured his ACL at Molineux and Dominic Solanke limped off in the same game, the prevailing mood around Tottenham was close to despair – and we have now identified exactly why the judgement that followed was premature.

The two players everyone had agreed were our most important attackers were both gone for the season, and the three left standing, Randal Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel and Richarlison, were three players the fanbase had spent weeks questioning.

Roberto De Zerbi walked into a pre-Villa press conference and said, calmly and with conviction, that Spurs could play with those three and that “they are not worse players. They are different with characteristics but very good players.” Most of us weren’t convinced.

Of course, one strong performance does not undo a difficult season. But what Sunday produced was specific enough, and sustained enough, to demand a reassessment. These are not bit-part players finding their feet. These are footballers with serious pedigrees, and under De Zerbi’s system, all three contributed directly to a result that moved Spurs out of the relegation zone.

What Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Kolo Muani did to earn their Tottenham XI spots

Start with Tel, because Sunday was his most complete performance in a Tottenham shirt since he signed permanently last summer for a reported £30m. Playing on the right side of the attacking three, he was direct, physical and intelligent throughout. His inswinging cross for Richarlison’s header in the 25th minute was technically excellent, cut perfectly across the box. He won duels, he pressed, and he caused problems for a Villa backline that had no answer for his movement.

Richarlison’s contribution was the goal but also the lead-up work. He was the body in the box when Tel’s cross came in, and he had the movement and the contact to finish it. This was his 10th Premier League goal of the season, making him only the second Brazilian ever to score 10 or more league goals in five different Premier League seasons, equalling Roberto Firmino.

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There is a version of Richarlison the fanbase has fixed in their memory: the player who missed sitters, picked up stupid bookings and spent more than a third of his Tottenham career in the treatment room. That version is real and the concerns are valid. But it is not the only version.

Kolo Muani, in many ways, was the one who answered the loudest. He arrived at Spurs on loan from PSG last September, a player who had cost the French champions a deal confirmed at €90m in total – including add-ons – from Eintracht Frankfurt, and who had endured a difficult spell in Paris before a strong loan in the second half of last season at Juventus. The criticism here all season has been fair: one Premier League goal from more than 1,400 minutes is not what you expect from a player of his calibre.

But the Villa performance showed something different. Playing on the left of the attacking three, he completed four of his six dribbles, took five touches in the opposition box, and contributed two tackles and four recoveries. The pressing, the direct running and the defensive work are exactly what De Zerbi values, and Kolo Muani delivered all three.

De Zerbi said after the final whistle: “Today also, Randal Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel, they played a fantastic game. Joao Palhinha and Bentancur were incredible.” That is a manager who got exactly what he asked for from players the fanbase had largely written off.

Why Tottenham’s attacking depth gives Roberto De Zerbi a real platform to build on beyond Premier League survival

Here is the optimistic version of what Sunday showed us, and we think it deserves to be said clearly. If Tottenham stay up, they go into 2026–27 with this front three still available, potentially alongside a fit Solanke, a returning Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. That is a lot of attacking talent, more than most squads in this division, and under a manager who has now shown he can get serious performances from all three, it becomes genuinely exciting.

Tel is 20 years old, signed permanently until 2031 and already a Europa League winner with this club. Sunday added a new dimension: the willing runner, the wide threat, the assist merchant. He is going to be central to whatever De Zerbi builds here.

Kolo Muani’s future is less certain: he is on loan from PSG and a permanent deal will depend heavily on whether Spurs stay up and what fee can be agreed. But what Sunday showed is that in the right system, with direct partners and a manager who asks him to press and move, he has real value.

Richarlison, for his part, has wanted to stay and fight for his place throughout this season. He is at his best in exactly this kind of moment: physical, focused, aware that each game carries genuine consequence. With Solanke expected back fit next season, his role will be defined by his ability to compete for that starting position rather than occupy it by default. He thrives with that pressure. Sunday was evidence of that.

Can Spurs trust Kolo Muani, Tel and Richarlison next season?

The broader point is about how quickly we, as a fanbase, can write players off. Kolo Muani had a difficult start to his Spurs career and we had largely made up our minds. Richarlison had his booking issues, his injury record and his difficult spells, and the narrative around him had calcified. Tel was loved but often seen as a livewire off the bench rather than a genuine starter.

De Zerbi looked at those three players and said, in a press conference when the mood could not have been lower, that they were good enough. He was right. Not in a polite way, but in the specific, tactical sense that they could together win a match against a top-five opponent. And on Sunday night, in front of a hostile crowd, against a side chasing the Champions League, they made it true.

It remains to be seen what the squad looks like after the summer, and how many of these three are still here when De Zerbi’s first full season begins. But whatever decisions are made, they should be made with Sunday night in mind. These players are not passengers. They are footballers who stepped up when it mattered most, and that is worth something.