Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Tue 14 April 2026 10:40, UK

Granit Xhaka put Tottenham Hotspur‘s midfield to shame in their defeat to Sunderland.

A 1-0 defeat away to Sunderland was hardly unexpected, with Spurs yet to win in the Premier League this year, despite us being halfway through April.

But once again, it wasn’t just the result that sparked major concern, with the entire performance still miles below the standard required if the North Londoners are to remain in the top flight.

With West Ham and Leeds United both securing victories in their encounters, relegation fears have grown stronger at Tottenham.

And while Roberto De Zerbi will maintain hope of keeping Spurs in the Premier League, there is one major issue that is looking increasingly likely to impact their ability to do so.

Tottenham’s midfield is a total embarrassment

You can look at the lack of attacking threat in the forward areas, or even the growing number of defensive calamities.

But the main issue is in regard to the midfield options that Spurs have at their disposal, and there is very little that De Zerbi can do about it.

Lucas Bergvall had a shocker against Sunderland, but he wasn’t the only one, with Xhaka having outperformed Spurs’ entire midfield combined for a number of key metrics.

His five tackles outweighed the zero managed by Spurs’ entire midfield, and he won more than double the number of duels.

Xhaka completed 16 passes into the final third, while Bergvall, Archie Gray and Conor Gallagher managed just eight in total.

To top it off, the former Arsenal midfielder had 85 touches in the game, which was only five fewer than the above three combined.

Roberto De Zerbi does not have the answers for Tottenham

De Zerbi may well be a good coach, but he’s far from a miracle worker.

And quite frankly, at this stage in the season, that is exactly what Tottenham appear to need if they are to stay in the Premier League.

This squad is weak in ability and in mentality, and De Zerbi simply can’t be expected to change that without time in the dugout.

If Spurs find themselves relegated, it may be for the better, given the remarkable turnover of players that is so blatantly required in North London.