SOCCER: Tottenham relegation fears deepen with home loss to Crystal Palace

LONDON – Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League survival fears intensified on Thursday after a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace left the club just above the relegation zone.

Striker Dominic Solanke had given 16th-placed Tottenham an early lead in the 34th minute, raising hopes of the team’s first league win in 2026. However, Tottenham’s hopes quickly unravelled before halftime following a red card for defender Micky van de Ven.

Van de Ven brought down Ismaila Sarr in the penalty area, allowing Palace to equalize as Sarr converted the spot-kick, sending goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way. Palace then surged ahead with Adam Wharton assisting Jorgen Strand Larsen in stoppage time of the first half, followed by a second goal for Sarr to make it 3-1.

Sarr had an earlier goal ruled out for a marginal offside, while ten-man Tottenham battled in the second half under a subdued atmosphere but could not prevent a fifth consecutive league defeat. The loss extended Tottenham’s winless league run to 11 matches—their worst in 50 years.

Tottenham now have 29 points from 29 games, just one point above Nottingham Forest and West Ham United. Palace’s win lifted them to 13th place with 38 points.

Interim manager Igor Tudor, appointed after Thomas Frank’s dismissal last month, acknowledged the team’s struggles but remained cautiously optimistic. “It was two games, after the red card it was a different game. The second half we tried and I saw interesting things,” Tudor told TNT Sports. “After this game, I believe more than before… I saw some good energy, passion, and fight in the team.”

Tottenham have been a Premier League mainstay, last relegated in 1977, but Tudor faces an urgent task to ensure top-flight survival. Despite a strong Champions League performance, Tottenham have not won a league game since beating Crystal Palace on Dec. 28, and their home record is now among the worst in the division alongside Burnley.

Tudor’s current record stands at three defeats from three games. Tottenham’s next fixtures include an away trip to Liverpool in the league, following a Champions League clash at Atletico Madrid.

With relegation potentially costing the club an estimated £260 million ($347 million), Tottenham’s focus must now shift firmly to league survival. Tudor dismissed talk of pressure influencing errors like Van de Ven’s red card, saying, “We need to stop with speaking about pressure.”

While Tottenham face anxious weeks ahead, Palace appear secure, now 10 points above the drop zone. “What I loved most is the reaction after we conceded the goal,” Palace manager Oliver Glasner said. “But we also have to be critical that we could have done better in the second half.” -Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters