
Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation worries continued on Saturday afternoon as they squandered a golden opportunity to ease their survival fears. The 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage extended their winless Premier League run to 10 matches, leaving them precariously placed in 16th position with just 10 games remaining.
What makes this loss even more damaging is the context. Both West Ham and Nottingham Forest lost their fixtures over the weekend, handing Spurs the perfect chance to create breathing space between themselves and the drop zone. Instead, Igor Tudor’s side collapsed once again, with Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi putting Fulham 2-0 up before half-time. Richarlison’s second-half header offered brief hope, but Tottenham couldn’t find an equaliser despite dominating possession after the break.
The defeat means Spurs remain just four points clear of 18th-placed West Ham, with Nottingham Forest sitting 17th, two points above the Hammers. Brighton’s 2-1 win over Forest and Liverpool’s 5-2 demolition of West Ham should have been the perfect backdrop for Tottenham to pull clear. Instead, they froze under pressure yet again.
Following their loss against Fulham, Opta Supercomputer has given Tottenham a 95.5% (4.5% chance of relegation) chance of survival – this, keeping in mind that both the relegation rivals lost, as mentioned above.
West Ham and NFO, meanwhile, have been 29.52% and 76.06% chances of survival, respectively. The upcoming midweek fixture sees Forest having the toughest outing as they take on Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. West Ham are set to take on Fulham, whereas Spurs host Crystal Palace.
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