Spurs’ nightmare gets worse as relegation rivals plummet Tottenham to 91-year low - Premier League Wrap

Tottenham slipped ever closer to relegation from the Premier League with a 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on Sunday as Sunderland stretched their hex over local rivals Newcastle.

Spurs have not tasted life outside the English top flight since 1978 but remain the only side without a Premier League win in 2026.

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Goals from Igor Jesus, Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi inflicted the latest in a series of damaging defeats on interim Tottenham boss Igor Tudor.

West Ham’s 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa ensured Spurs remain one point outside the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

Vitor Pereira’s first league win as Forest boss propels his side four points above the drop zone.

Tottenham fans gathered in north London en masse before kick-off to line the streets in a show of support under the banner “all together, always.”

But nerves quickly took over the state-of-the-art 63,000 capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Jesus rose highest to head in a corner just before half-time.

Gibbs-White could have been starting in white rather than red had Forest not stood their ground after Spurs reportedly met his buyout clause last summer.

The Forest captain instead signed a new deal at the City ground and has played a big role in leading his side away from trouble.

Gibbs-White was left completely unmarked to turn in Callum Hudson-Odoi’s cross on the hour mark for his third goal in four league games.

No side has taken fewer points at home in the Premier League this season than Tottenham and they failed to muster a response.

Awoniyi inflicted the final blow when he met Neco Williams’ cross three minutes from time.

- No excuses for Newcastle -

Villa took full advantage of defeats for Liverpool and Chelsea on Saturday to close in on a return to the Champions League next season.

Unai Emery’s men had taken just one point from a possible 12 in their previous four league games.

But the return of skipper John McGinn from injury has been a timely boost. The Scotland international curled in from outside the box to give Villa the perfect start.

Ollie Watkins then pounced after Mads Hermansen spilt Morgan Rogers’ shot to bounce back from his exclusion from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad on Friday.

Villa open up a six-point cushion on sixth-placed Chelsea with the top five set to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Newcastle’s European ambitions and local pride were dealt a major blow as Sunderland came from behind to win 2-1 in the first Tyne-Wear derby at St. James’ Park for 10 years.

Bryan Brobbey struck a 90th minute winner for the Black Cats, who have not lost to Newcastle in the league for 15 years.

Defeat compounded a miserable week for Newcastle, who were humbled 7-2 by Barcelona in exiting the Champions League in midweek.

“I’ve got very little to use as an excuse. Once you haven’t performed and you know how much the game means you have to accept the criticism,” said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.

Defeat sees the Magpies slip below Sunderland in the table to 12th. Newcastle also promised to identify and hold accountable anyone guilty after Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida reported an incident of racist abuse from the crowd in the second half.

- Spurs can ‘100 per cent’ avoid nightmare -

Tottenham assistant coach Bruno Saltor said he is “100 per cent” sure Spurs can survive their relegation dogfight after a disastrous 3-0 defeat against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Saltor took on media duties at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in place of interim boss Igor Tudor, who had been informed of a family bereavement.

Spurs fans flooded the streets in their thousands before the match in north London in a vocal show of support for their club, who are fighting for their Premier League lives.

There was a crackling atmosphere inside the stadium before kick-off and the Spurs players responded, dominating the first half.

But Forest went ahead against the run of play when Igor Jesus nodded home on the stroke of half-time.

Morgan Gibbs-White doubled the visitors’ lead and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi completed an emphatic win that deepens the crisis at Tottenham.

The precious three points lift Forest above Spurs into 16th spot, leaving Tottenham just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

The club, Europa League champions last season under Ange Postecoglou, have seven games left to save themselves from a first relegation since 1977.

Saltor told his post-match press conference that Tudor was dealing with a “personal family issue”.

“Obviously it’s a difficult moment for him,” he said. “We’re just trying to support the best way we can.” He told Sky Sports that Tottenham, who have not won in the Premier League since late December, were not getting the rub of the green.

“Every mistake right now is going against us, every detail is going against us and it affects the players as well,” he said.

“You can see how much they are fighting. We are in a difficult situation, everyone knows.” Saltor added: “It hurts us, it is painful, really painful, but the fans were outstanding today -- from before the game until the end of the game.

“We need to carry on because we care, we care for Spurs, we are family and want to get out of this situation.

“I am 100 per cent sure we can get through this situation.”

Saltor told reporters that last week’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool and a midweek win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, despite an aggregate loss, gave him belief.

“I thought they were great performances from the first minute to the last minute,” he said.

“On the first half today, I think we should have been 1-0 up. If you look at the stats, we created clear chances, but as I said, right now, every small detail is going against us.

“It’s about turning that around and that’s what gives me confidence.”

- Forest ‘personality’ -

Forest have suffered a major slump after finishing seventh last season and are on their fourth coach of the campaign.

Current boss Vitor Pereira praised his team for their performance against their relegation rivals.

“They showed personality, they showed character, they show confidence,” he said. “The players, they showed everything.” The Portuguese coach said: “The question that I asked them before the game is ‘How deep do you want to be in the Premier League next season? How much can you sacrifice from yourselves to be in the Premier League next season?’ “And this is what we have to answer for ourselves. If we want a lot, we need to do a lot. This is the spirit.”

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