What a slump, eh? Freefalling in the PL, Tottenham lose captain 😨 | OneFootball

Tottenham’s situation is getting more and more complicated.

De Zerbi’s debut — the club’s third manager of the season — was not enough to keep them out of the Premier League relegation zone with six rounds remaining. 

And this Monday (13) brought more bad news.

“Cuti” Romero, Spurs captain, has been diagnosed with a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. 

He will be out for up to eight weeks.

He will miss the final stretch of the Premier League season and has become a real concern for the Argentina national team with the World Cup in mind. 

Still no PL win in 2026

Dropping into the bottom three was only a “matter of time” because of the run of poor results.

West Ham did their part by thrashing bottom club Wolverhampton on Saturday to reach 32 points.

Tottenham needed to beat Sunderland on Sunday, but Mukiele stole the show and Spurs stayed on 30.

Confirming themselves as the new “owners” of 18th place.

Nottingham Forest are 16th with 33 points. The same tally as Leeds, who are 15th and have a game in hand. 

Burnley (20) and Wolves (17) are virtually doomed. 

Tottenham have not won in the Premier League since December 28, when they beat Crystal Palace.

They have played FOURTEEN matches since then (all in 2026), with five draws and nine defeats.

In other words: they have taken only five of the 42 points available. A return of 11%.

Meanwhile, their rivals in the fight against relegation have posted better numbers over the same span.

Taking into account only matches played since the turn of the year, West Ham — who were well behind in the standings — have picked up 18 points, including five wins.

Forest — still alive in the Europa League — have collected 15 (winning three times), while FA Cup semifinalists Leeds have 11 points with two wins. 

Only six rounds remain. And Tottenham still have a direct showdown ahead. The only “accessible” opponent is Wolves.

They still have to face: Brighton (H), Wolves (A), Aston Villa (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A) and Everton (H).

Roberto De Zerbi has the task of saving Tottenham from humiliation after Igor Tudor’s brief spell in charge of the London club.

European title, club legend’s exit and injuries

The final stretch of last season had already been full of emotion for the fans.

Tottenham kept surpassing themselves and ended up winning the UEFA Europa League by beating Manchester United.

A final between two teams that had hugely underwhelming Premier League campaigns. 

United finished 15th with 42 points. Tottenham were 17th with 38.

They were “fortunate” that the three relegated sides (Leicester, Ipswich Town and Southampton) had even worse campaigns. 

Ange Postecoglou left Spurs even after the European trophy, and Thomas Frank arrived backed by strong seasons in charge of Brentford.

But things just “didn’t happen.”

Tottenham saw club icon Son leave for MLS. 

It was the departure of a leader on and off the pitch. And one who had contributed 11 goals and 11 assists in 2024/2025.

📸 ANTHONY WALLACE - AFP or licensors

The season began with significant blows in the transfer market (Eze chose Arsenal, for example) and with the serious injuries to Maddison and Kulusevski — two key figures — who still have not played in 2025/2026. 

There is hope that both could be available for the final stretch of the season.

And there were more injuries too. Solanke has not been able to put together a long run, and Richarlison — the team’s top scorer in the PL — also spent a significant period out.

📸 Stu Forster - 2026 Getty Images

So West Ham and Leipzig players Kudus and Xavi Simons were the big bets. But they have not delivered what was expected.

The Ghanaian has also been affected by injuries and could even miss the World Cup. And the Dutchman has not shown the expected spark. 

Richarlison could suffer a 'double' blow

The Brazilian No. 9 is, by a wide margin, Tottenham’s top scorer in the Premier League.

He has nine goals and three assists.

Defenders Romero and Van de Ven come next with four each. 

The other forwards who have scored the most are Solanke and Tel (three). Kolo Muani has just one goal. 

Despite still standing out, the Pigeon has seen the battle for a World Cup spot become very fierce.

📸 CARLOS JASSO - AFP or licensors

Igor Thiago is now battling Haaland for the competition’s top-scorer crown, João Pedro is shining at Chelsea, Matheus Cunha is playing a role in United’s strong form, and Endrick has “been reborn” since moving to Lyon. 

All of them were present during the last international break.

Richarlison, meanwhile, was left out. He had been a strong candidate for a World Cup place thanks to his history with Ancelotti at Everton, but now his situation has become more complicated. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 ANDY BUCHANAN - AFP or licensors