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Tottenham Hotspur supporters may be ready to boil over after several controversial refereeing decisions in recent weeks.

The 1-0 loss to Sunderland was particularly controversial, with two penalty calls denied before the hosts went on to win.

Rob Jones initially gave a penalty as Randal Kolo Muani was brought down by Omar Alderete and Luke O’Nien before VAR overturned it, and then the latter brought down Destiny Ugogie by stepping on his calf.

Stuart Attwell then failed to award a penalty in the Brighton draw for Yakuba Minteh’s challenge on Udogie, and VAR backed the call not to give a penalty.

Tottenham have certainly not had things go their way, and they are even more furious after Arsenal’s Gabriel avoided a red for an attempted headbutt on Manchester City star Erling Haaland.

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Why are Tottenham fans frustrated over referees

John Wenham believes Tottenham fans are getting increasingly annoyed by the inconsistency of referees this season after he witnessed it first-hand.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, he said: “There was some frustration, I noticed it in the South stand about the referee and his performance, I think it is a follow-on really.

“Tottenham fans feel like they have been hard done by. If you look at the referee against Sunderland and Brighton, then we see Gabriel getting away with a clear headbutt.

“It has to be a three-game ban, and it is just ignored, so there is frustration among Tottenham fans about some recent refereeing decisions.”

Why it is no surprise that Tottenham fans are annoyed

It is not a surprise that Spurs fans are angry; the officials are far too inconsistent, and that could affect their chance to stay in the division.

How can Gabriel not be sent off for a blatant act of violent conduct? If it were a Lilywhites player, he would almost certainly be punished.

The standards need to be the same across the league; the context of the game should not matter. If it is a red card offence, then the player should be sent off; it is as simple as that.

Spurs need to ensure that they do not leave their survival in the hands of the referees; they need to get it done on their own, otherwise it could come back to haunt them.

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Xavi Simons’ behaviour shows the root cause of potential relegation for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

The Netherlands international was supposed to be the signing that took the Lilywhites to the next level under Thomas Frank.

He became the record signing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the usual penny pinching antics were forgotten with a view to building on the Europa League win.

Things just haven’t worked out, and the attacking midfielder has been a disappointment alongside the rest of his Spurs teammates.

Simons did score as Tottenham drew 2-2 versus Brighton, but unfortunately summed up everything wrong in N17 with his on-field behaviour.

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Xavi Simons emotion on show vs Brighton

There were high hopes for the summer signing after proving just how good he can be over the years at RB Leipzig.

His talents haven’t fully translated from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, as he has struggled to secure a starting XI spot in North London.

Roberto De Zerbi handed him a chance against Brighton and looked to have been vindicated when the Dutchman curled home a stunner.

That was just one of four shots on the day, as he also created two chances for his teammates in the hope of securing victory in N17.

He celebrated by taking his shirt off, jumping into the stands and generally letting joy and relief take over his entire body.

That was dashed in the 95th minute when Georginio Rutter smashed home an equaliser for Brighton, leaving the Dutchman on the verge of tears before pulling his shirt over his head.

Simons had some highs against Brighton, but that is just evidence of an emotion problem at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that is dragging them down.

Roberto De Zerbi and Simons guilty of letting emotion hamper them at Tottenham

It feels as if the highs are really high and the lows are really low for Tottenham right now, and that just isn’t healthy.

Jumping into the crowd in joy can’t be followed by true sadness within 20 minutes, regardless of what goes on.

Simons was dead on his feet by the time Rutter scored after his 51 touches, four defensive actions, and six duel wins in North London.

That can’t be blamed for his emotion, as his manager was actually booked for getting far too invested in proceedings as he charged down the touchline.

De Zerbi was up and down and constantly showcasing his passion, but was left frustrated by the late equaliser.

He and Simons sum up the problems at Tottenham right now as they continue to let emotion dictate their performances on the pitch.

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Tottenham: Thomas Frank wanted as Birmingham eye potential new manager

Tottenham Hotspur fans could be in for a big shock, with former boss Thomas Frank reportedly being eyed by Birmingham City.

Frank was sacked by Spurs back in February, after his poor stint at the helm left the Lilywhites sliding down the Premier League.

The Dane made the switch to North London last summer, taking over after Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League win.

In what was tipped to be a season of progress, with the trophy drought finally over, things continued to go from bad to worse at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Coinciding with Tottenham’s battle for survival, their former boss is being lined up for a potential move to the Championship ahead of next term.

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Thomas Frank eyed by Birmingham City

After a successful period with Brentford, Frank made the step up to a club carrying much heavier expectations last summer.

Though, as well documented, his move to North London did not pan out as anticipated.

Now, a big surprise has arisen regarding his managerial career, with Football League World reporting that Championship side Birmingham City want Frank ahead of the summer.

The Blues were promoted from League One last term, backed by their ambitious Knighthead ownership group.

Though with the Midlanders sitting 14th in the second tier, the future of manager Chris Davies is up in the air ahead of the summer, with former Spurs boss Frank of interest to Birmingham, should they choose to part ways at the end of the season.

Tottenham will want to avoid Thomas Frank next term

Birmingham themselves carry sky-high ambitions, and their recruitment matched this, with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Tommy Doyle, Demarai Grey, and Marvin Ducksch joining last summer.

With this ambition in mind, appointing Frank would be the exact type of statement that Blues’ ownership group would want to make, with the former Premier League boss matching the branding brought by minority owner Tom Brady.

At the same time, Tottenham themselves are fighting to avoid the drop to the Championship, with the Lilywhites currently sitting 18th in the standings.

If the worst were to happen, Spurs could be in line to come up against their former boss in the league next term.

Though this would be an embarrassing situation they desperately need to avoid, Tottenham fans would most definitely give the Dane an unwelcome reception, with many blaming him for the ongoing disaster.

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Rodrigo Bentancur was excellent for Tottenham Hotspur against Brighton, and the midfielder could be the catalyst for survival.

It’s felt like an eternity for Tottenham fans waiting and hoping for Bentancur’s return before the end of the season, and thankfully, it’s arrived.

The 28-year-old central midfielder hadn’t kicked a ball in anger since the 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on 7 January ahead of Spurs’ clash with Brighton on Saturday.

However, with Roberto De Zerbi having no time to play things safe in N17, he decided to throw the Uruguayan straight back into the deep end following his return from injury.

But he swam alright, and now with just five games to play, the experienced midfielder’s return against the Seagulls might just be a watershed moment in Tottenham’s fight for survival.

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How well did Rodrigo Bentancur play for Tottenham vs Brighton?

Bentancur was spotted in Tottenham training in the days leading up to the Brighton match, sparking speculation that he’d be involved on Saturday.

Some were sceptical of him being handed any major minutes though given his lengthy absence, rather, a return to the matchday squad with a brief 10-15-minute substitute cameo was perhaps the more likely outcome.

However, De Zerbi instead opted to bring him immediately back into the starting lineup, clearly understanding just how big of a player he is and can be in the remaining weeks of the campaign.

This was risky given the potential for him to re-aggravate his injury if not fully ready, but it was a gamble De Zerbi was prepared to take, and it worked.

As per Sofascore, Bentancur played 86 per cent of his passes successfully with a 96 per cent success rate inside his own half, as well as making 15 carries and eight defensive contributions.

He also won all four of his tackle attempts, five of his six ground duels, made two interceptions and two clearances, as well as making four recoveries.

So, after touching the ball 51 times, Bentancur was eventually replaced after 67 minutes by Joao Palhinha, in what was a highly encouraging performance from a player that Lilywhites fans know has the quality to have a big say on their season yet.

De Zerbi has got a recipe for Spurs success with 4-3-3 formation

In De Zerbi’s opening game against Sunderland, he set Tottenham up in a 4-1-2-3 formation, with Archie Gray as the holding midfielder behind Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall as more advanced attacking midfielders.

That didn’t really work though, and so against Brighton, he switched to a 4-3-3 with a flat midfield three of Gallagher, Yves Bissouma and Bentancur respectively, and found much more success.

Bissouma didn’t have a great game, but Gallagher and Bentancur both played really well, and with Bergvall coming off the bench to get the assist for Xavi Simons’ goal, he may have earned a start against Wolves.

So, De Zerbi should stick with the 4-3-3 against Wanderers, but bring Bergvall in place of Bissouma to provide that attacking impetus in the engine room, allowing Bentancur and Gallagher to play metronomic roles.

Bentancur was the mechanism that turned the Tottenham cogs in midfield against Brighton, linking defence and attack so well.

In truth, he’s far too good to be involved in a side battling relegation, but that’s precisely why Spurs have to keep him fit and in the team over the final games, as his quality can make all the difference. No question.

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Tottenham: Roberto De Zerbi slammed for antics vs Brighton, ‘It was totally unnecessary’

Tottenham Hotspur aren’t being helped by Roberto De Zerbi right now.

The Italian has taken over in North London, but has had far from the dream start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland was followed by a 2-2 draw with Brighton in N17, where Georginio Rutter scored a 95th-minute equaliser.

There were positives to take, although frustrations have been heightened with relegation looking even more likely with five games to go.

De Zerbi could only watch on as Tottenham drew with Brighton, with his actions in the dugout having come under fire already.

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Roberto De Zerbi only caused problems vs Brighton

The 46-year-old has a positive reputation in the Premier League for his work across two years with Brighton.

He then went on to do some good work with Marseille, but ultimately departed due to his fiery nature that clashed with the French outfit’s hierarchy.

The Italian is now at Spurs and hasn’t had a chance to stir the pot, but has certainly caught the eye with his sideline antics in North London.

De Zerbi was booked against Brighton for exiting his technical area, and former scout Bryan King believes he is causing more problems than good in N17.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, King said: “All that reaction from the bench, but he’s put himself at risk of being sent off.

“De Zerbi got told off by the fourth official because he ran 20 yards outside his technical area.

“What’s all that about? It was totally unnecessary.

“Surely you need a calm figure on the line to try and transmit that to the players on the pitch.

“The most important thing as a player is concentration, and now they’ve got him shouting at them from the side?

“They’ve already got enough on their plate without all that.”

Everyone in N17 got carried away when Xavi Simons scored against Brighton, but De Zerbi needs to be a calm head, something which he certainly wasn’t on the day.

De Zerbi must calm down for the sake of Tottenham

The mission ahead of the former Marseille boss can’t be understated, and he needs to get the best out of the Lilywhites in the final five games of the season.

Tottenham are firmly inside the bottom three and have barely any time to turn things around.

The issue is that he isn’t helping himself and is getting increasingly irate on the sidelines as his side goes in search of massive results.

Emotions were far too high in the draw against Brighton and that was proven by De Zerbi’s yellow card and Xavi Simons’ exuberant celebration.

That has been the problem in N17 all season, so the Italian needs to dial things down and help his side to secure some much-needed points.

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Tottenham Hotspur Women have been told they have made a “great decision” in extending Martin Ho’s contract despite a bad run of form.

The 35-year-old was appointed in July 2025 from Norwegian side SK Brann and is enjoying an impressive first campaign in the Tottenham dugout.

Tottenham sit fifth in the Women’s Super League after finishing second from bottom last season and are just four points away from beating their best points tally of 32, set in 2022.

However, four defeats in their last five matches in the league have dampened the mood around Spurs.

Despite that, WSL expert Feringa Megan exclusively told Tottenham News that Spurs have a bright future with Ho at the helm.

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Tottenham have a ‘vision’ under Martin Ho

The former Manchester United assistant coach has been an excellent acquisition for Tottenham following his three-year deal last summer.

After having an outside shot at qualifying for Europe earlier this year, he also won the February manager of the month award.

Tottenham do have a tough end to the season, with matches against fourth-placed Manchester United and mid-table sides London City and Brighton.

After three straight league defeats, Tottenham’s season is at risk of petering out. However, Feringa believes that Spurs are on an upward trajectory under Ho, who signed a long-term deal with the north London team in late March.

But they do need to make some quality additions in the summer to take them to that next level.

“It’s a great decision by Tottenham,” said Feringa of The Athletic.

“Martin is a good manager with a vision, and nailing him to another deal is a sign of intent from the club to keep pushing forward with their women’s team investment, which they need to do to close the gap to the top.”

Tottenham need to regroup

Since returning from the March international break, Tottenham suffered a disappointing loss to Everton at home, followed by heavy defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal.

Ho’s side put up more of a fight against Chelsea but still exited the Women’s FA Cup at the quarter-final stage on 6 April at Kingsmeadow.

Now, they have a chance to get their first win of the season against one of the WSL’s big four when they host Man United later this month.

Even if they don’t win that one, Tottenham have to target setting a club record WSL points total when the season draws to a close.

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Xavi Simons has perfectly illustrated exactly what is wrong at Tottenham Hotspur, despite his heroics in the 2-2 draw against Brighton on Saturday.

Roberto De Zerbi brought Simons back into the starting XI in North London, and he was rewarded when he curled in a perfect cross for Pedro Porro to head home.

It got even better late on, as the former RB Leipzig man smashed home a delighted, curled effort to send Spurs on their way to a huge three points.

However, it wasn’t meant to be as Georginio Rutter struck in added time to deliver a gut-wrenching blow in the Premier League relegation battle.

It leaves Tottenham stuck in the bottom three on 31 points, with Nottingham Forest and West Ham still to play this weekend.

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Xavi Simons shines, only to let himself down

Simons grabbing a goal and an assist was everything that is expected, and everyone will be hoping that his injury at the end was just cramp.

Completing 85 per cent of his passes with 11 carries on the ball, Simons proved exactly why he should be used in that central role and not shoehorned on the wing.

Taking four shots with two of those big chances and hitting the post, the Dutchman arguably should have put the game to bed before his only goal anyway.

Despite not picking up those all-important three points, Simons was quick to get on Instagram and post images of his celebration, trying to make it into some sort of Braveheart speech.

“We will not stop fighting,” he wrote. “Crowd was amazing today.”

Now, the message has been replicated by many in the squad, but that is exactly the issue right now at Hotspur Way.

The squad seem too bothered about these perfect images and footage they can plaster on social media, rather than actually getting the hard yards done on the pitch.

Simons is the perfect example of that, nearly crying after the full-time whistle when he was in the crowd without his top on despite there being more than 15 minutes left when he scored.

Tottenham fans want action, not fake attitude online

This has been an issue for years now, not just this season.

Tottenham players are far too bothered about what they look like from the outside, rather than knuckling down, forgetting the outside noise and delivering on the pitch.

That is what Leeds have done over the past couple of weeks, confirming an FA Cup semi-final before beating Manchester United and Wolves to go eight points clear.

Simons has all the talent in the world, and that is all he must focus on right now.

For starters, two goals in the Premier League for £51.8million is a complete joke – with his five assists somewhat acceptable given the players around him.

Only averaging 63 minutes in each of his 27 appearances, Simons has either not been trusted enough or not shown three managers that he deserves his spot.

De Zerbi now has no choice but to keep his trust in the playmaker, who, if he blocks out that embarrassing online activity, can fire Tottenham to safety.

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Tottenham Hotspur remained stuck in the Premier League relegation zone, as Roberto De Zerbi’s side played out a 2-2 draw with Brighton on Saturday.

Pedro Porro and Xavi Simons would both score on home soil, before a late dagger from Georginio Rutter earned the Seagulls a point at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

On the evening itself, nobody impressed as much as Simons, who thought he had won the game in the second half, as his long-range strike sent the South Stand into raptures.

The Dutchman has had a tough time since his summer move from RB Leipzig, but is beginning to grab Tottenham’s survival challenge by the scruff of the neck.

With the run-in approaching, and the Lilywhites still in the bottom three, Simons’ Spurs teammates need to begin following suit.

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Xavi Simons is ready to guide Tottenham survival push

From minute one against Brighton, the versatile attacker took control of the clash in the final third for Spurs, who have been without inspiration for months.

As a player, Simons is someone always looking to make something happen, with his willingness to drive and create never waning, even on days when his actions do not come off as planned.

With 11 carries and 51 touches, the 23-year-old was the man entrusted with providing the spark in the final third.

And that he certainly did, as his delightful ball found fullback Porro, who headed home to give De Zerbi’s side the lead.

Reacting to the moment on Match of the Day, former shotstopper Joe Hart said, “Simons picks up that little pocket, and only players like him see those passes.”

That is certainly the case at Spurs.

Throughout the second half, Tottenham continued to look for Simons in possession, who provided what was thought to be the moment of the game in the latter stages.

Picking the ball up on the edge of the box, the Dutchman let rip with an effort that flew into the back of the net via the post to Bart Verbruggen’s left – a goal matching the previous screamers that he has become known for throughout his career.

After a star man performance, Simons went down on the edge of the Spurs box in the final stages, causing a scare as he lay on the floor writhing in pain.

Though he would get up and drag himself back into action, he has every right to feel hard done by after more costly errors saw the Lilywhites lose points in additional time.

Xavi Simons now needs Tottenham teammates to follow suit

The 23-year-old was one of the statement signings made across the Premier League last summer, with the former wonderkid’s stocks at an incredible high after spells with PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig.

After a tough start to life in North London, Tottenham have needed Simons to step up, and he most certainly did against Brighton.

Throughout what has been a dismal campaign, Spurs have looked devoid of ideas, with no fluidity or inspiration in the final third.

And as the season has progressed, and the woes in North London have worsened, those on the pitch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have played within themselves, without any real risk in the final third.

No matter the end result of his actions, Simons simply will not stop driving and attempting to force an opening.

In this regard, his teammates need to begin following suit. De Zerbi’s side sits 18th in the standings as of now, and will simply have to take more risks as they look to climb the division.

Luckily, they have the inspiration of Simons right infront of them to learn from.

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Joao Palhinha has been selected on Tottenham Hotspur’s bench for the first two matches in Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure.

The on-loan Portuguese midfielder has often been called upon this campaign by both Igor Tudor and Thomas Frank.

Palhinha has started 19 of the 33 Premier League games Tottenham have played, showcasing the trust his previous head coaches have had in him. He was a favourite under Frank, who started him in 16 of 24 games in which he was available.

But De Zerbi has not shown the same level of trust in the early stages of his Spurs tenure, who is looking to head in a different tactical direction.

Now, it remains hard to see where his future lies after his performance in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Brighton.

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Joao Palhinha made little impact after coming on for Tottenham vs Brighton

After coming on for the final 23 minutes of the game against Brighton, De Zerbi would have been looking for Palhinha to become a midfield general.

Then, when Spurs went 2-1 up, he would have looked to the 30-year-old to mop up and react to any danger thrown the Lilywhites’ way.

However, he barely got involved in the match. Palhinha made just five passes, took only eight touches and made zero defensive contributions after coming on.

The Portugal international did not make a single tackle, make one interception or perform one clearance.

Palhinha did not have the legs required to make an impact for Tottenham, and it makes it hard to see where he fits into De Zerbi’s plans, if he fits at all.

The Italian is not blameless either, as the decision to bring Palhinha on should be questioned. As Brighton pushed on, it was clear Tottenham needed energy and not physicality in the middle of the pitch.

Lucas Bergvall return is timely for Tottenham

In the opposite vein of Palhinha, Bergvall proved to be the type of midfielder Tottenham needs at the moment as he won the ball back for Tottenham’s second goal.

The Swedish international pressed relentlessly against the Brighton defence, forcing Jan Paul van Hecke into a mistake.

His energy was the definitive aspect behind the creation of the goal, and Xavi Simons’ finish was sublime as well.

Overall, his 14-minute performance had much more affect than Palhinha has had over his last two appearances for Spurs.

It may signal the end of his short spell in N17, as he does not look like a player De Zerbi can rely on. Tottenham may already be looking for a Palhinha alternative.

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Tottenham can begin to rely on Dominic Solanke – His work in draw vs Brighton shows why

Tottenham Hotspur missed a big chance to climb back out of the bottom three on Saturday, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side playing out a 2-2 draw with Brighton.

The Italian arrived in North London over the recent international break and was handed the immediate task of guiding the Lilywhites to safety.

Thus far, he has yet to win at the helm, with defeat against Sunderland followed by the gut-wrenching draw against his former club.

There were positive signs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, though, particularly from striker Dominic Solanke, who led the line well despite not finding the back of the net.

With the relegation battle intensifying, former Spurs shotstopper Joe Hart was impressed with his showing, while De Zerbi will have seen the signs that he can rely on the forward in the coming weeks.

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Dominic Solanke led the line well vs Brighton

One of the biggest flaws for Tottenham this season has been their passivity in pressing from the front and their lack of impact in possession.

This was something a manager of De Zerbi’s ilk was brought in for, and there did seem to be an impact in his first home match.

The lack of creativity from players other than Xavi Simons remained concerning on Saturday, with Solanke having to feed off scraps in that regard.

But despite this, he worked tirelessly to continue initiating the press from the front, while he worked well with Simons throughout the evening.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Hart highlighted the shift in intensity from Tottenham, highlighting Solanke’s importance.

“Solanke is working hard; he is not a striker who just wants to score goals,” said the former England international. “He wants to work hard.

With six defensive contributions and 34 touches against Brighton, the forward was not exactly blessed with many opportunities to do what he does best inside the box, but he remained vital for the cause, with Hart outlining how important it is to up the atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“It is all well and good pressing, it is also about what you are going to do with it when you win it back. That’s when you want to get your creative players on the ball.

“Xavi Simons picks up that little pocket, and only players like him see those passes, and really brave from Pedro Porro. That was a really important goal, and the whole stadium was rocking,” he concluded.

Goalscoring will have to improve for Dominic Solanke

While Solanke is showing signs of getting back up to speed after returning from injury earlier this year, his numbers in front of goal will have to begin improving.

Saturday was not necessarily his fault in that regard, with the forward feeding off relative scraps, being able to let fly with just one effort.

Making 13 carries with the ball and attracting two fouls while in possession, Solanke will hope he is rewarded for that hard work at Wolves with chances to score.

But with Tottenham in a relegation battle, they are going to need goals.

It was a much-improved performance against Brighton, which should raise confidence despite the late equaliser.

And as De Zerbi continues to get his ideas across, the Lilywhites may find themselves more capable of creating chances for their striker; the only task then for Solanke is to prove he can finish them off.

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