Tottenham Hotspur have collapsed amid a white-hot atmosphere to lose 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest and increase fears of a seismic relegation from the Premier League.
The result came on the same day that Tottenham’s arch-rivals Arsenal fell short in the Carabao Cup final, losing 2-0 to their Premier League title rivals Manchester City.
After a rare positive week for Spurs with a spirited point at Anfield followed by a morale-boosting 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid to ease the pressure on Igor Tudor, the interim boss was firmly back under the microscope after a potentially pivotal defeat on Monday morning (AEDT).
After the team bus was greeted with extraordinary partisan backing by 10,000 fans outside the ground, Tottenham started on the front foot in the clash between two struggling outfits who have ditched Ange Postecoglou as manager in the past year.
But after Spurs hit the crossbar twice during a largely dominant first half, Igor Jesus’s 45th-minute header gave Vitor Pereira’s team a precious halftime lead.
It was a sucker-punch and further blows followed, with Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White able to finish off a slick move after 62 minutes before substitute Taiwo Awoniyi sent Spurs supporters heading for the exits when he tapped in with three minutes left.
Boos followed at full-time following another abject home loss, with Tottenham winless in 13 Premier League matches and down to 17th, only a point above West Ham.
🚨0️⃣ Tottenham have recorded zero Premier League wins since the start of 2026. pic.twitter.com/7UKCTcPipd — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 22, 2026
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy was adamant Tudor had to go to ensure the club’s EPL survival.
“I think it’s impossible for him to stay. I really do,” Murphy said.
“I think it’s really difficult for the players to play in an environment that’s so deflated and toxic.
“The only way you can change that is either winning games which they’re not doing, or change a manager – what the fans want.
“If they keep him in charge – it’s five league games without a win. A new guy comes in, gets one win, all of sudden, it can turn quickly. I think it’s a risk worth taking and I think they’ll take it.”
Forest backed up Thursday’s Europa League progression with a crucial victory in their fight for survival, leapfrogging Spurs by two points into 16th.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, after losing 2-1 at home to local rivals Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby, Newcastle vowed to track down those responsible for discriminatory abuse aimed at Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida.
Referee Anthony Taylor briefly paused the game and spoke to both managers and club officials during the second half at St James’ Park after an incident had been reported to him.
Newcastle later said in a statement: “We will work with the authorities to fully investigate and will ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable.”
Dutchman Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp winner fired Sunderland to a famous derby double.
Trailing to Anthony Gordon’s early opener, the Black Cats levelled through Chemsdine Talbi 12 minutes after the restart, then snatched victory at the death as Brobbey’s 90th-minute strike earned him his sixth goal of the season.
In the day’s other league match, Ollie Watkins ended a six-match goal drought as Aston Villa beat relegation-threatened West Ham 2-0, the England striker finishing the job in the 68th minute after captain John McGinn had opened the scoring with a left-footed shot after 15 minutes.
Meanwhile two goals in five minutes from Nico O’Reilly handed Manchester City their first silverware since winning the Premier League title two years ago, courtesy of a 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final. [embedded content]
The result was somewhat of an upset given City’s patchy form of late, but they pulled things together for this big game against the Gunners, whose quest for a historic quadruple this season is now over.
Arsenal still remain in the hunt for a treble, having cruised through the quarter-finals of the Champions League last week, and they’re set to resume their rivalry with City in the FA Cup quarter-finals next weekend.
But perhaps most importantly, Mikel Arteta’s side maintain a firm grip on the Premier League title, holding a nine-point lead over City – however the latest instalment in the battle between Arteta and his former boss Pep Guardiola means City will have renewed confidence heading into the final two months of the league season.
This article featured reporting from football360.com.au