Igor Tudor’s Future at Tottenham in Doubt After Palace Defeat
Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles continued on Thursday night with a damaging 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, intensifying the pressure on interim manager Igor Tudor. The loss leaves Spurs just one point above the relegation zone, raising serious questions about their Premier League status.
Match Recap: Spurs Collapse After Van de Ven Red Card
Dominic Solanke opened the scoring for Tottenham in the 35th minute, capitalizing on fine work from Archie Gray. However, the game dramatically shifted when Tottenham captain Micky van de Ven was sent off in the 38th minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity by pulling back Ismaila Sarr. Sarr converted the resulting penalty to equalize for Palace.
Palace quickly took control, adding two more goals before halftime through Jorgen Strand Larsen and a second from Sarr, effectively sealing Tottenham’s fate. The score remained 3-1 after the break, with a noticeable exodus of Tottenham fans from the stadium.
Tudor Remains Defiant Despite Fan Discontent
Despite the defeat and growing fan frustration, Igor Tudor expressed continued belief in his team’s ability to avoid relegation. “I understand the fans, they wanted more,” Tudor said after the match. “We also wanted more. The red card changed everything.”
Remarkably, Tudor stated he felt more confident in the team’s chances after the loss. “It might sound strange, I believe more after this game than I believed before. I saw something. I demand to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction that I need to go, and who is in the boat can stay, otherwise [they] can leave the boat.”
Questions Over Tudor’s Long-Term Role
The defeat has sparked debate over Tudor’s future at the club. Sky Sports News reported that a question is already being asked in the boardroom: can Spurs sack him already? With just three weeks having passed since his appointment, the possibility of a swift change in management is being seriously considered.
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones noted the urgency of the situation, stating, “Each week the cushion shrinks. The odds are dropping. Each week the conversation shifts from ‘this will turn’ to ‘this needs fixing quickly’ to ‘Lincoln is quite nice at this time of year.’”
Tudor declined to comment on whether he would be in charge for the upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool at Anfield.
Spurs’ Fixtures: A Challenging Run Ahead
Tottenham face a difficult run of fixtures, including:
- Tuesday, March 10: Atletico Madrid (A) – Champions League
- Sunday, March 15: Liverpool (A) – Premier League
- Wednesday, March 18: Atletico Madrid (H) – Champions League
- Sunday, March 22: Nottingham Forest (H) – Premier League
- Sunday, April 12: Sunderland (A) – Premier League
- Saturday, April 18: Brighton (H) – Premier League
Relegation Odds Continue to Fall
As of March 6, 2026, bookmakers place Tottenham’s odds of relegation at 19/10, representing an implied probability of 35 percent.