Tottenham Messed Up: Spurs Win at Last, But Is It Too Late?

For the first time in 2025, Tottenham Hotspur have won a Premier League match. The 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was met with a mixture of relief and hollow celebration. The three points were desperately needed, but the mood around north London remains grim. As football writer Mark Ogden and former Premier League striker Chris Sutton discussed on the Monday Night Club, the question is no longer about top four finishes or Champions League football. It is about survival.

“Tottenham messed up,” Ogden declared on the show. “This isn’t just a bad run. This is a systemic failure that has left a squad with top-six talent staring at the Championship.” Sutton was even more blunt, warning that despite the win, Spurs are “heading towards relegation.” The victory over Wolves, while vital, does not erase the fact that Ange Postecoglou’s side have won just one of their last 11 league matches. The rot runs deep, and the clock is ticking.

The Anatomy of a Collapse: How Did We Get Here?

To understand why a club that finished fifth last season is now looking over its shoulder, we have to look beyond the scoreboard. The win against Wolves was a microcosm of the season: a bright start, a defensive lapse, and a desperate scramble to hold on. Tottenham took the lead through a well-worked set piece, but within minutes, they allowed Wolves back into the game with a soft equalizer. It took a moment of individual brilliance from a substitute to snatch the win.

This is not an isolated incident. The underlying data is terrifying for Spurs fans. According to the Premier League’s expected goals (xG) metrics, Tottenham have consistently underperformed since December. They are creating chances, but they are conceding high-quality opportunities at an alarming rate. The injury crisis, which Postecoglou has referenced repeatedly, is real. Key players like Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, and Guglielmo Vicario have been missing for extended periods. But injuries alone do not explain a winless streak that stretched into February.

Chris Sutton pointed to a deeper issue on the Monday Night Club: “The system is broken. Postecoglou refuses to adapt his high line. When you lose your fastest defenders, you cannot play that way. It is suicide.” The numbers back Sutton up. Tottenham have conceded more goals from opposition counter-attacks than any other team in the top half of the table. The tactical inflexibility, combined with a fragile mentality, has created a perfect storm.

Is the Wolves Win a Turning Point or a Mirage?

Let’s be clear: winning against Wolves was essential. Losing would have dropped Tottenham into the bottom three. But the performance was far from convincing. Wolves, who are themselves battling relegation, had 18 shots to Tottenham’s 11. They dominated possession in the second half. Spurs were rescued by a moment of quality from a player who had been frozen out of the squad earlier in the season.

The fixture list does not offer much respite. In their next five games, Tottenham face Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Arsenal. If Postecoglou’s side replicate the disjointed performance they showed against Wolves against those teams, they will be punished. The margin for error is zero.

Here are the key reasons why this win might be a false dawn:

• Defensive vulnerability remains critical: The back line still looks panicked when pressed. Cristian Romero, usually a rock, has made three individual errors leading to goals in his last six starts.
• Lack of a consistent goal scorer: Son Heung-min has gone five games without a goal from open play. Richarlison is injured again. The burden is falling on midfielders who are not natural finishers.
• Postecoglou’s stubbornness: The manager has shown no willingness to park the bus or sit deep. While this is admirable philosophically, it is suicidal when your squad is depleted. As Sutton said, “You have to be pragmatic. Right now, Spurs need ugly wins, not beautiful defeats.”

Expert Analysis: What Must Change Immediately?

Mark Ogden and Chris Sutton were united on one point: Tottenham’s current trajectory is not sustainable. Ogden argued that the board must share the blame. “They messed up the summer transfer window. They signed young projects when they needed experienced Premier League warriors. You cannot rebuild a squad with teenagers when you are trying to stay in the league.”

For Tottenham to avoid the drop, three things must happen immediately:

• Adapt the tactics: Postecoglou must lower the defensive line. Even if it means sacrificing some attacking flair, the team cannot continue to concede two goals per game. A 1-0 win is worth more than a 3-2 loss right now.
• Get the injured players back fit: The return of van de Ven and Vicario cannot come soon enough. Their pace and shot-stopping ability are the only things that can salvage this defense.
• Find a leader on the pitch: This team lacks a vocal leader. Romero is too emotional. Son is too quiet. Someone needs to grab the game by the scruff of the neck when things get tough.

Sutton offered a blunt prediction: “If they don’t get points from their next two games, they are in a relegation battle. Not a fight for Europe. A real, genuine relegation battle. And once you are in that vortex, it is very hard to get out.” The Monday Night Club panel did not hold back. The consensus was clear: Tottenham are sleepwalking into a disaster.

Prediction: The Road Ahead is Treacherous

So, is it too late? The honest answer is: not yet, but the window is closing fast. Tottenham have 16 games remaining. Based on recent form, they are on pace for around 38 points—which is often the relegation cut-off line. That means they need to win at least six or seven of those matches just to feel safe.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, I predict Tottenham will pick up points against bottom-half teams like Brentford, Bournemouth, and Everton. However, they will likely lose to the top six. That leaves them with roughly 40 points—dangerously close to the drop zone. The margin for error is so thin that one more injury crisis could be fatal.

Chris Sutton summed it up best: “Tottenham messed up their planning, their recruitment, and their tactics. They have the talent to survive, but they don’t have the grit. And in a relegation scrap, grit is everything.”

Conclusion: A Win, But No Relief

The victory over Wolves was necessary, but it was not a cure. Tottenham Hotspur are still a club in crisis. The Monday Night Club analysis painted a picture of a team that is tactically naive, mentally fragile, and dangerously close to the abyss. Ange Postecoglou is under more pressure than ever. The board is facing questions about their transfer strategy. The fans are divided between those who want patience and those who see the warning signs.

One win does not change the season. It only buys a little time. If Tottenham want to prove the experts wrong, they need to string together a run of results. They need to show they can defend a lead. They need to show they can fight. Otherwise, the narrative will not be about a famous escape. It will be about a historic collapse.

For now, the question remains: Is it too late? The answer lies in the next three matches. If Tottenham lose to Manchester City, the alarm bells will become sirens. And as Mark Ogden said, “If you don’t wake up now, you never will.”

Source: Based on news from BBC Sport.