The Tottenham Hotspur disaster

TPO - Tottenham's defeat to Atletico Madrid is not surprising at this point. However, the way the "Spurs" collapsed in Madrid makes people ask: "What's happening to them?"

At Atletico's Metropolitano stadium, Igor Tudor's team endured a nightmare 90 minutes. After just 22 minutes, Tottenham were 4 goals down, with three of those goals resulting from terrible individual errors by goalkeeper Kinsky and center-back Van de Ven. Tottenham fought back, scoring two goals against Atletico to finish the match 2-5. But with a 3-goal deficit, the "death sentence" for the Spurs in the 2025/26 Champions League is imminent.

Tottenham were already losing before the match even started.

During the press conference, manager Tudor was asked: "Do you prioritize the Champions League or the Premier League relegation battle?" The new Tottenham manager stated frankly: "Tottenham are very close to relegation in the Premier League. Our priority is staying in the league, to be frank. As for the Champions League, we see it as a learning opportunity."

Coach Tudor faced immense pressure to create some kind of turning point in the Tottenham lineup. The Croatian strategist tried to change Tottenham by rotating the formation in defense, midfield, and attack, but the results remained the same. Against Tottenham, Coach Tudor made a bold move by dropping goalkeeper Vicario from the starting lineup and giving Antonín Kinsky a chance.

Vicario was relegated to the bench after a series of recent mistakes, a decision that wasn't wrong by manager Tudor. But did the Tottenham boss dare to put his faith in a goalkeeper born in 2003, making his Champions League debut? The English media were stunned when Tottenham's starting lineup against Atletico was announced, raising many questions about Kinsky's position. Ultimately, Tudor paid the price for his gamble.

Kinsky made a disaster with two misplaced passes in the penalty area. Atletico capitalized on both to score. By the 17th minute, coach Tudor had run out of patience with Kinsky. He substituted the Czech goalkeeper, giving Vicario a chance to return to the starting lineup.

Kinsky made a disastrous mistake, but that wasn't the only reason for Tottenham's defeat. All of Tottenham's starting players played listlessly at the Metropolitano Stadium and were completely stifled by the pressure of nearly 70,000 fans. And from that tremendous pressure, Tottenham's "rock" Van de Ven slipped carelessly when receiving the ball in his own half, leading to the 0-2 goal.

According to Transfermarkt , Tottenham's starting lineup is valued at €369 million, while their reserves are worth €260 million. The total value of the players Tottenham brought to the Metropolitano (€630 million) is even more expensive than the home team's (€560 million).

The difference between Atletico and Tottenham lies in their willpower. A spirited Atletico at home completely dominated Tottenham with nearly 60% possession and twice as many shots on goal. Meanwhile, the Tottenham players were listless after intense Premier League matches that resulted in consecutive defeats.

Coach Tudor was determined to rotate the squad by benching Vicario, Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Gallagher, and Solanke. From this, the "Spurs" again faced problems with the cohesion between the lines and in individual player combinations. Due to the loose structure, Tottenham's three lines were easily disrupted when Atletico took the initiative. And looking at the Tottenham squad that traveled to Madrid, there wasn't a single star player to provide a reliable anchor for their teammates.

Whether Palhinha started at center back or Romero, the situation was no different for Tottenham. The "Spurs" attack constantly changed their starting trio. This time, the trio of Richarlison, Kolo Muani, and Telford started, but were completely ineffective against Atletico. Solanke, coming on as a substitute, made his mark with a consolation goal that offered hope for Tottenham.

Tottenham have lost six consecutive matches in all competitions. The Spurs can now focus all their efforts on the Premier League as their chances of overturning the deficit against Atletico are slim. Ahead of Tottenham lies a tough relegation battle, with only a point separating them from the bottom three. It's a fight Tottenham must win at all costs, for the sake of pride and the risk of losing hundreds of millions of euros in revenue.

But how Tottenham can successfully avoid relegation is a difficult problem. The "Spurs" lack a solid foundation to weather the storm. English media reports reveal that Tottenham's owners have considered sacking manager Tudor. With Vicario, Van de Ven, and Romero no longer a reliable defensive wall, with Xavi Simons and Richarlison still playing poorly, and with Maddison and Kulusevski's return dates uncertain, who can Tottenham rely on in each match?

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tham-hoa-tottenham-hotspur-post1826466.tpo