Premier League relegation fears loomed ever larger for Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, after a 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace left them just above the drop zone, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.
When striker Dominic Solanke gave 16th-placed Tottenham the lead in the 34th minute, a first league win in 2026 looked on the cards for the hosts. But they collapsed in shambolic fashion before the interval.
Crystal Palace replied three times to stun the hosts after Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven was sent off. The defender pulled Ismaila Sarr in the box and received a red card, before Sarr scored the penalty.
Midfielder Adam Wharton then played in Jorgen Strand Larsen to slot a low shot past goalkeeper Vicario in the first minute of stoppage time. 2-1!
Wharton then provided another classy assist as Senegalese International Sarr slotted home to make the scores 3-1 in stoppage time.
Ten-man Tottenham battled after the break in a subdued atmosphere and emptying stadium. However, they could not prevent a fifth successive league defeat which extended their winless league run to 11, their worst for 50 years.
Tottenham Hotspur have 29 points from 29 games, one more than Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. Palace’s victory lifted them into 13th place with 38 points.
Interim manager, Igor Tudor, must turn things around quickly if they are to stay above the trap door. Despite another blow, he remained relatively upbeat.
“It was two games, after the red card it was a different game. The second half we tried and I saw interesting things,” Tottenham Hotspur Interim Manager Tudor said.
“After this game I believe more than before, maybe that sounds strange but I saw something in the team, I saw some good energy and passion and fight.”
Tottenham qualified for the last-16 of the Champions League in impressive fashion but have not won in the Premier League since beating Crystal Palace on December 28th.
While Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley may look set to drop, the scrap to avoid finishing 18th will be intense, with West Ham beating Fulham on Wednesday and Forest drawing away at Manchester City.
Croatian Tudor was hired after the sacking of Thomas Frank last month. His record now stands at three defeats from three games. Tottenham’s next Premier League match is away at Liverpool, after a UEFA Champions League clash away to Atletico Madrid.