Tottenham Hotspur's fall shows no sign of stopping. A team that stood at the top of European competition just one season ago now finds itself in a crisis, only one point above the relegation zone. The British public broadcaster BBC also focused on Tottenham's current turmoil and identified fundamental causes.
In an article on Tottenham's poor form on the 6th (Korea time), the BBC analyzed who is to blame for the crisis the team faces. It diagnosed that several issues were intertwined, including recent match results, the loss of key players and a managerial change.
On the same day, Tottenham lost 3-1 in a comeback defeat to Crystal Palace in a 2025-2026 English Premier League match held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. They collapsed after failing to hold the opening goal at home. With this loss, Tottenham's season record stood at 7 wins, 8 draws and 14 losses, with 29 points. Their ranking was 16th out of 20 teams. The gap to West Ham, in the relegation zone in 18th, was only one point.
The current situation represents a dramatic change compared with just one year ago. Last season, Tottenham, led by captain Son Heung-min, won the UEFA Europa League. It was an official competition trophy lifted for the first time in 17 years. Although they struggled in the league and finished 17th, the gap to the relegation zone was 13 points, so it was not a real crisis.
But in just 10 months the team's situation was completely reversed. The team that was European champion is now fighting for survival just above the relegation zone.
This season Tottenham attempted a change under manager Thomas Frank, but the results fell short of expectations. Frank was eventually dismissed amid poor results, and the team is currently under the temporary charge of Igor Tudor, who had led Juventus. However, assessments say performance and morale have not changed significantly even after the managerial change.
The BBC analyzed that several adverse factors overlapped under Frank's management. The most serious problem was the string of injuries to key resources. Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, who were responsible for attack and creativity, were absent for extended periods. Kulusevski has not returned after knee surgery, and Maddison was also injured during a preseason friendly. On top of this, even leading striker Dominic Solanke was sidelined from the squad for months with an ankle injury.
But the BBC pointed to a more fundamental problem: the successive departures of the iconic players who led the team's attack.
Son Heung-min, who was a symbol of Tottenham, transferred last summer to Major League Soccer's LA FC. Son made a deep mark on the club's history, appearing in 454 matches for Tottenham and scoring 173 goals. He had long been responsible for the team's attack and enjoyed absolute support from fans.
Earlier, the club's top scorer Harry Kane also left Tottenham. Kane was the club's greatest goal scorer in history, with 280 goals in 435 appearances. He transferred to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. The transfer fee at the time was about 86.4 million pounds.
The void left by the two players who symbolized Tottenham's attack was larger than expected. With Brennan Johnson also out of the squad until recently, the attack has weakened sharply.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson also emphasized this point. He noted that Tottenham lost most of their top scorers from last season. With Kane, Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson all leaving the team or being sidelined, attacking productivity has dropped sharply, he said.
Robinson said Tottenham failed to properly prepare for this situation. There were not enough signings or reinforcements to fill the gaps left by key players, and ultimately the aftershocks have led to the current results, he explained.
A team that stood at the top of European competition now worries about relegation in less than a year. Observers say Tottenham's turmoil goes beyond simple poor results and has developed into structural problems.
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