From the Brink to the Fight
Three weeks ago, Tottenham Hotspur were the most wretched team in English football history. They had not won a single Premier League game in 2026. They had changed manager twice. They were bottom of the table with a goal difference of minus 21. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong — and the club's 1,600-acre training ground felt about as far away from relevance as you could get.
Today, as absurd as it sounds, Tottenham's survival is back in their own hands. Back-to-back wins — 1-0 at Wolves, 2-1 at Aston Villa — have moved them above West Ham and out of the relegation zone for the first time in almost a month. Roberto De Zerbi has found a way in, and Spurs are breathing again.
What Changed Under De Zerbi
The Italian arrived from Brighton to essentially manage the last rites of a struggling team. What he found instead was a dressing room that still believed — just — and a squad that had technically capable players being deployed in completely the wrong system. His first act was to simplify. Get compact. Win the ball back quickly. Do not try to play through everything. Give Son Heung-min the freedom to express himself.
The results, while modest in scope, have been dramatic in their timing. The win at Villa Park on Sunday was particular evidence of a team that has rediscovered how to compete. Spurs went behind, found a way back, and then found a winner. That is not nothing. For a group that had lost 15 of their previous league games, it is actually quite a lot.
What Spurs Still Need
Three games remain. Tottenham sit one point above the relegation zone. They host Everton on Saturday before trips to Brentford and Newcastle. Win all three and survival is guaranteed. Win two and they will likely survive. Anything less and they are watching Championship football next season.
De Zerbi was blunt in his post-match assessment at Villa Park: "We are not safe. We are not celebrating. We have three more finals and we need to treat them exactly that way." That honesty, at least, is a good sign. Spurs have not had a manager who speaks plainly for a while.
Relegation table (approx, 35 games played): West Ham 35pts | Tottenham 34pts | Leeds 33pts | Nottingham Forest 32pts | Wolves — relegated | Remaining Spurs fixtures: vs Everton (H), at Brentford (A), at Newcastle (A)
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