Premier League hits and misses: Are Tottenham bein...

Daunting February heightens Spurs’ relegation scrap fears

Tottenham simply can’t win Premier League video games proper now.

Saturday’s last-gasp 2-2 draw at Burnley prolonged their winless league begin to 2026 to 5 matches.

It is usually only one win from their final eight league video games, in a run which has seen them lose towards two of the underside 4 – West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

In addition they wanted a Ninetieth-minute equaliser to rescue a 1-1 house draw towards bottom-side Wolves in late September, which was Wolves’ first level of the season.

And Spurs required one other Ninetieth-minute leveller to keep away from defeat at second-bottom Burnley, who got here so near ending their 13-game winless league run.

Spurs’ failure to beat the perimeters under them, mixed with their abysmal kind, has not solely piled the strain on boss Thomas Frank however raised issues they might nicely get dragged right into a relegation battle.

Final season, Spurs completed seventeenth however had been by no means really prone to dropping into the underside three as they targeted on Europa League glory. However this season, the relegation scrap feels completely different.

Spurs began Saturday 10 factors above the drop zone, however after the draw at Turf Moor and a second consecutive win for rejuvenated West Ham, Frank’s facet sit eight factors away from the underside three.

In a Sky Sports activities ballot, 65 per cent of customers imagine Spurs are in a relegation battle, whereas the bookmakers’ odds of relegation proceed to drop, with the value now at 20/1.

Perhaps what’s heightening these fears is Tottenham’s daunting February fixtures – the toughest any group has within the subsequent 4 Premier League gameweeks.

Spurs face 4 top-half sides subsequent month – Manchester Metropolis (H), Manchester United (A), Newcastle (H) and Arsenal (H). Taking a look at these video games, it’s exhausting to see the place their subsequent win is coming from.

And with the followers as soon as once more exhibiting their displeasure with Frank at Turf Moor, the winter of discontent may turn out to be a complete lot worse.

Liverpool are all possession no purpose

Liverpool had the ball, the territory, the acquainted patterns however completely no menace.

A 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth will sting on the scoreline, however the efficiency reduce deeper. This was an evening that laid naked a rising drawback underneath Arne Slot of sterile management mistaken for authority.

Slot has spent a lot of 2026 pointing in the direction of low blocks as the good inhibitor of Liverpool’s attacking rhythm. Groups sit deep, he says. House is denied. His gamers should not constructed for that sort of puzzle.

Besides Bournemouth didn’t play that recreation.

They stepped out. They pressed. They left area in behind. And Liverpool nonetheless seemed in need of concepts and, most damningly, in need of perception that their soccer may damage anybody.

Liverpool completed with 14 photographs. These efforts amounted to simply 0.83 anticipated targets, a determine that tells the story of their struggles. This was a group settling for the snug possibility. Photographs from distance. Crosses with out conviction. Assaults that slowed simply as they wanted acceleration.

For all of the ball Liverpool had, Bournemouth all the time seemed the extra prone to land the punch that mattered. And punch they did. Bournemouth had been every part Liverpool weren’t. Direct, decisive and daring.

This was a foul one for Slot.
Lewis Jones

Haaland rested but others step up for Man City

Erling Haaland had scored solely as soon as – a penalty – in his earlier eight appearances and was exhibiting indicators of exhaustion given his workload so it was no nice shock to see him rotated for Manchester Metropolis’s 2-0 win at house to Wolves. However Pep Guardiola shall be inspired.

Omar Marmoush, ostensibly his substitute up entrance, netted the opening aim early within the recreation. The truth is, the Egyptian was taking part in as extra of a large ahead mirroring the positioning of Antoine Semenyo – however he discovered the web too. Others stepping up for Metropolis.

It was Marmoush’s first Premier League aim of the season. It was Semenyo’s first within the competitors in a Metropolis shirt on the event of his house Premier League debut. That added firepower goes to be crucial throughout the again finish of this season.

However simply as essential is the truth that it permits Guardiola to offer Haaland a break. Jarrod Bowen is the one ahead within the Premier League to have began extra video games within the competitors this season than the Norwegian – and his group should not in Europe as nicely.

Haaland’s kind is such an enormous think about what Manchester Metropolis are able to reaching. If he may be recent for the run-in then what has been an unconvincing season for Metropolis may nonetheless have an thrilling ending with them difficult in three completely different competitions.
Adam Bate

Where would West Ham be without ‘Captain Fantastic’?

You actually must marvel simply the place West Ham could be proper now with out their skipper Jarrod Bowen, who as soon as once more led from the entrance with a captain’s show as they recorded a large 3-1 win over Sunderland to breathe new life into their bid to beat the drop.

Bowen, 29, revealed lately how he’s “hating” the state of affairs he and his Hammers team-mates discover themselves as they appear to maneuver out of the relegation zone, however the ahead will now be in higher spirits.

After the sport Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo rightly eulogised in regards to the England worldwide, saying: “We’re very fortunate to have him, he’s a captain who leads by instance, takes us ahead, fights for each ball and is all the time harmful.”

Which just about sums up Bowen’s all-action show on the right-hand facet of West Ham’s now dangerous-looking entrance three as he first created the important thing opener on a plate for Crysencio Summerville to nod house, earlier than conserving his cool from the spot to quickly double the hosts’ lead.

And simply to stress Bowen’s rising stature on the London Stadium, not solely has he now scored and assisted in 11 completely different Premier League video games for West Ham – probably the most of any participant for the membership, overtaking Paolo Di Canio (10) – however he additionally turned the Hammer with the outright most aim involvements in Premier League historical past (103 – 63 targets, 40 assists), shifting away from Michail Antonio (101 – 68 targets, 33 assists).
Wealthy Morgan

Could Chukwueze replace Wilson at Fulham?

Samuel Chukwueze’s fantastically well-taken equaliser went underneath the radar as Fulham earned a late 2-1 victory over Brighton.

Harry Wilson’s 92nd-minute free-kick stole the headlines, nevertheless it was Chukwueze’s calm end that set Marco Silva’s facet on their method to an enormous three factors that has moved them as much as seventh.

Chukwueze’s introduction as a 59th-minute substitute was greeted by an enormous cheer from the Fulham supporters and Sky Sports activities’ Paul Merson was quickly describing the 26-year-old’s equaliser as “Thierry Henry-style” after he slotted previous Bart Verbruggen for his sixth aim contribution in his final six video games.

Fulham had made affords this time final yr for the winger earlier than lastly touchdown him on mortgage from AC Milan with an possibility to purchase completely for between £21.6m and £26m.

If Wilson is to depart in the summertime, then Chukwueze could be a tremendous substitute.
David Richardson

‘Brutal’ Brighton run damaging European hopes

“Soccer is brutal,” mentioned Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler after their late defeat at Fulham.

Even Fulham’s Marco Silva admitted it was “harsh” for the guests to lose at Craven Cottage.

However it’s now only one win in 10 league video games for Brighton, who’ve slid from fifth to twelfth after their vivid begin to the season, and are in peril of their European hopes getting away from them.

Brighton have misplaced solely 3 times throughout that run, however are unable to show attracts into wins. It’s a worrying development. This time, they turned a degree into none when it seemed like Danny Welbeck had handed them the lead simply seconds after Fulham’s equaliser. Hurzeler is aware of the margins are tremendous.

Their subsequent two fixtures, winnable video games towards Everton and Crystal Palace, are essential to maintain their season alive.
David Richardson