Tottenham's decline cannot be explained as a simple defeat. The flow of the match, being a player down, and even the weight of the captain's armband — all the problems were condensed into a single game.
Tottenham lost 1-2 at home to Liverpool on the 21st (KST) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in the 2025-2026 Premier League round 17 match. With this defeat, Tottenham managed only two wins in their last nine official matches and fell to 13th in the league.
On the surface the result looked close to a complete defeat, but the early flow of the game was different. In the early stages Tottenham not only matched Liverpool but took the initiative with even more aggressive pressing and quick transitions. The atmosphere among the home fans revived, and the match seemed to tilt in Tottenham's favor.
But the flow was completely reversed by a single moment. In the 31st minute of the first half, Pape Sarr attempted a tackle with studs raised on Virgil van Dijk, and after a video assistant referee (VAR) review a red card was shown. Tottenham found themselves a player down and the balance of the match quickly collapsed. After that Tottenham conceded goals in succession and trailed 0-2.
In the 37th minute of the second half, Richarlison scored a goal in a scramble in front of the goal, seeming to revive the momentum. With the deficit reduced to one goal, Tottenham gathered their last strength and tried to counterattack.
But hope did not last long. In stoppage time of the second half, captain Cristian Romero received a yellow card for an unnecessary action after a physical confrontation with Ibrahima Konaté. Romero, who had already been booked once, was sent off for accumulation of cautions, and Tottenham lost their last source of momentum.
Ironically, even after Romero's dismissal Tottenham created several decisive chances. That shows they maintained focus despite being a player down, but criticism was hard to avoid because the captain himself failed to control his emotions and pushed the team into a more difficult situation.
According to British outlet TalkSport, Sky Sports analyst Gary Neville strongly criticized Romero's play during the broadcast. He pointed out Romero's hasty forward pass and said that a single decision completely exposed the team's entire defensive structure.
The criticism of Romero is not new. In November TalkSport analyst Stuart Pearce also delivered a sharp assessment of Romero's attitude and leadership. He pointed to scenes where Romero advanced into midfield, lost the ball, and did not return, emphasizing that the basics for a defender had collapsed. He added that it was even harder to understand given that Romero is the captain.
Romero was appointed Tottenham's new captain following Son Heung-min's transfer to MLS side Los Angeles FC in August. He showed relatively stable form early in the season, but recently performance fluctuations and repeated leadership controversies have emerged.
When Son Heung-min served as captain, Tottenham once fell as low as 17th in the league due to poor results, but it was rare for the team to be emotionally shaken or self-destruct through consecutive dismissals because of the captain. Tottenham now is different. Rather than stabilizing the team, Romero, wearing the captain's armband, is acting as a variable through his dismissal.
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