'Liverpool legend' Jamie Carragher delivered a cold-headed assessment of Tottenham Hotspur, who have been driven to the edge.
Sky Sports of the United Kingdom reported on the 28th (Korean time), "Tottenham recorded their first win of 2026 by beating Wolverhampton 1-0 away, but again suffered attacking injuries. In particular, with Xavi Simons confirmed out for the season and to miss the World Cup, it dealt a major blow to the survival battle," and relayed Carragher's diagnosis of Tottenham's current situation.
Tottenham defeated Wolverhampton 1-0 in the 34th round away match of the 2025-2026 Premier League at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on the 25th. João Palhinha's winning goal in the 37th minute of the second half decided the match. Thanks to that, Tottenham finally broke a 15-game winless run (6 draws, 9 losses) by claiming their first league win of 2026.
But Simons was dashed by a serious injury. In the second half, while contesting the ball with an opposing defender he planted his leg, and his knee buckled. His leg got caught in the turf, causing a heavy impact, and he collapsed and was carried off. Diagnosis showed Simons ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is expected to return only in 2027.
Now Tottenham must escape the relegation zone without Simons. Moreover, Tottenham (34 points) remained in 18th place despite adding three points after four months. That is because 17th-place West Ham United (36 points) and 16th-place Nottingham Forest (39 points) both won, keeping the survival race intact.
Four matches remain. Tottenham will face Leeds and Everton at home and travel to Aston Villa and Chelsea. Since a single win could overturn a two-point gap, there is enough opportunity.
But Carragher pointed out Tottenham's scoring problems and named them the most likely relegation candidate. Appearing on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, he said, "Tottenham are in a very difficult situation. Fans will now think they have secured a win. But it's hard to understand that they haven't won all year. And the competing teams also won."
Carragher added, "If you add the injuries that occurred over the weekend to this, the situation could be worse than last week despite the win. That's because they already played what was the easiest match, Wolverhampton."
Above all, it is hard to imagine Tottenham scoring and winning. Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski are out with injuries, and Dominic Solanke and Simons have also gone down. Expectations rest on Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani and Matías Vell, but the weight they carry is clearly lacking.
Carragher also said, "Looking at West Ham and Nottingham, their attacks are lively. They have players like Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Gibbs-White. But Tottenham's attack only has players who don't measure up to those. That's the most worrying part."
He also said, "Tottenham face a schedule as tough as West Ham's. Considering the Wolverhampton match and the recent attacking injuries, I don't know who will score or who will create chances. Away matches at Villa and Chelsea are tough for any team," and added, "I can't picture Tottenham scoring. Even if they score, it will be about one goal, and to win they would need a clean sheet. So it's hard to expect a good result."
In the end, Tottenham are paying the price for failing to reinforce the attack. Last summer, when Son Heung-min left, a big hole opened but they failed to bring in a suitable replacement. The hastily signed Simons also fell short of expectations, and Vell's presence is faint. They should have woken up during the winter transfer window, but they poured large sums into signing central midfielder Conor Gallagher, who does not help the attack.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Sky Sports, ESPN
[OSEN]