LONDON (AP) — Tottenham’s Premier League survival hopes took another blow with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Spurs — one of the richest teams in Europe and a founding member of the Premier League — is just one point above the relegation zone and without a domestic win in 2026.
“We know that the position we are in is not where we want to be. We need to figure out how to get out of it as soon as possible,” said Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke. “There have been difficulties, but we aren’t in the position to make excuses. We need to do the job on the pitch.”
Spurs’ latest defeat was the fifth in a row and the third under new coach Igor Tudor, who was tasked with the responsibility of turning the season around.
He watched as his team capitulated in front of a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — conceding three goals in the first half, having taken the lead and then gone down to 10 men when Micky van de Ven was sent off.
Palace took full advantage by scoring three times in seven minutes before the break.
Ismaila Sarr struck twice — one from the penalty spot — with Jorgen Strand Larsen getting the other for the visitors.
That was after Solanke had given Spurs the lead in the 34th minute. Van de Ven was red-carded four minutes later for bringing down Sarr in the box and Palace took control.
“I am very disappointed, like the fans,” Tudor said. “We know what the moment is and we need to keep working and believe.
“But after this game I believe more than before because I saw something in the team and in the dressing room after the game. When we will be complete it will be good, I believe.”
The deepening crisis at Tottenham comes after winning the Europa League last season and advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League this term, where it faces Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 next week.
But its desperate league form has carried on from last year when it finished one place above the relegation zone — its lowest final position in the Premier League era.
Its plight also comes amid a tumultuous period when it has had seven managers in less than seven years.
Tottenham has spent only one season out of England’s top flight since 1950 and has been an established member of the Premier League since the competition’s inception in 1992.
It is a two-time English league champion and was a Champions League finalist in 2019.
It’s near-63,000 capacity stadium is one of the most impressive in Europe and regularly hosts NFL games, as well as top music concerts.
Deloitte ranked Spurs ninth on its most recent rich list in January with revenues of $781 million. That placed Tottenham above giants like Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.
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