Tottenham close in on historic Derby County record as Ben Foster paints bleak relegation picture
Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on an historic Derby County record in the Premier League, as Ben Foster was left shocked by their performance against Sunderland.
Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge of Tottenham did not go to plan as they fell to an uninspiring 1-0 loss at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Tottenham had 47.9 per cent possession, 11 shots to Sunderland's 13, although seven of Spurs' efforts were on target compared to the hosts' two, and an Expected Goals tally of 0.91 versus 1.79.
The Italian clearly has a big job on his hands as Spurs stayed in the relegation zone, on a day where the visitors lost captain Cristian Romero to injury.
De Zerbi will have a reunion with his former side Brighton when the south coast side comes to Tottenham next Saturday, but at this rate, another loss beckons.
Tottenham's wretched 2026 continues
After West Ham's 4-0 win over basement side Wolves on Friday, Tottenham slipped into the relegation zone for the first time this season.
In fact, that was the first time the north London team had been in the bottom three since August 2015.
It was also a first for De Zerbi in the Premier League, with his Brighton side (2022-24) never tumbling into the relegation zone.
| Tottenham’s terrible run of form in 2026 | |
| Goals scored in last 14 league games | 13 |
| Goals conceded in last 14 league games | 28 |
| Points gained | Five |
Tottenham haven't won in the Premier League in 2026, with their last league win coming under Thomas Frank in a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace on 28 December.
Spurs' luck was out on Sunday when Randal Kolo Muani's penalty was overturned following a lengthy VAR review, Brian Brobbey escaped a red card for an apparent elbow to the face of Pedro Porro, and Nordi Mukiele's winner took a huge deflection off Micky van de Ven.
That defeat took them into the company of some of the worst Premier League teams ever, including Derby County (2007-08), Sunderland (2002-23), and Swindon Town (1992-93).
All three of those sides went on similar runs to Tottenham to start a calendar year, and all three teams were relegated.
Tottenham's 14-game winless run in the league is their second-longest stretch without a victory since Spurs went 16 matches without a win from December 1934 to April 1935, with Derby's record sitting at 18.
Ben Foster worries for Tottenham's survival
Former Manchester United and West Brom goalkeeper Foster admitted he was shocked by the downbeat demeanour of the Tottenham players in their loss at Sunderland.
Despite having a lot of quality at their disposal, Spurs look completely shot confidence-wise. And unless that changes soon, Foster fears for the north London team.
He said on Match of the Day 2: "Having watched the Tottenham game in detail, I was really taken aback by the lack of confidence and positivity.
"They've got some very good players in that team, but when your confidence has gone, like Spurs are at the moment, it's a really tough place.
"I've been in four or five relegation battles, and when you're down there and in that rut of losing games like Spurs are, it's such a tough place to get out of."
It's not looking good right now, but one result could change everything.