Tottenham 1-3 Crystal Palace: ‘Disbelief’ – thousands leave early as Spurs in freefall
in thousands Tottenham Fans left their stadium at half-time on Thursday, with no one in doubt about the threat of relegation.
After taking an early lead against Crystal Palace, the visitors’ three goals in 12 first-half minutes – sparked by a conceded penalty and Micky van de Ven’s red card – condemned Igor Tudor’s side to another miserable defeat.
Spurs remain the only team in the Premier League without a win in 2026. The 11-game winless league streak was the club’s longest since 1935, when they failed to win 15 matches.
They remain one point above the relegation zone with nine games to go and are in danger of losing their Premier League status for the first time.
Thousands of empty seats spoke of this. The fans who stayed until the end greeted the final whistle with loud applause and now they seem to be running out of faith in survival.
“There was anxiety everywhere in the stadium,” former Chelsea and England winger Joe Cole told TNT Sports. “The whole performance was lukewarm.
“There was no bite or anger and the fans were feeling it. It feels like they’ve given up.
“Apparently the fans are disappointed, disillusioned and in disbelief.”
When Tudor was appointed as interim manager last month, he said Tottenham would “100%” not be relegated. It takes a brave person to say this now.
“Of course I understand the fans [leaving]. This is normal, they wanted more,” said the Croatian player, who lost all three matches in charge.
“I need to pick the right guys: Who is in the boat and who will leave the boat.”
Tudor has refused to engage in talks about his future after full-time duty, despite questions already being raised about whether he can complete the season.
Spurs fan Chris Cowlin told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I have no words for what I saw tonight. You want fight, desire and most importantly points.
“This is too much for too many people and it is a fact that Spurs could be relegated.
“When we moved to this stadium in 2019 we meant it would be a game changer for us, a springboard to success and always competing for top honors. I have never seen a time like this.
“Since moving to this stadium we have met with many managers – six permanent managers and four temporary appointments. Spurs have come full circle.”
