Credit: Imago

Josh Edwards

Thu 26 March 2026 14:10, UK

Tottenham Hotspur‘s issues are far more deeply rooted than just who is the man in the dugout.

Defensively, offensively and tactically, Tottenham have had yet another woeful campaign, only this time there is a serious risk of it ending in relegation.

Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor have shouldered most of the blame, though plenty of it should be reserved for the players who are massively underperforming each week.

Tudor looks increasingly likely to be sacked, but if so, that will do very little to address their concerns in the final third.

Richarlison leads way in miserable xG table

You’d have been labelled delusional if you had said at the start of the season that Richarlison was going to be Tottenham’s only hopes of staying in the Premier League, but that is the case.

The Brazilian leads the way for goals with 10 across all competitions, as well as having had the most xG in the Premier League this season.

He has 6.26 xG in the top flight, while Micky van de Ven is next with just 2.5, which should be a major concern given that he is a centre-back.

But the biggest concern is just how much those numbers have dropped from last season, where they had eight different players with an xG of three or more, compared to the one they have this season.

Dominic Solanke had 11 xG, while Brennan Johnson was the only other Spurs player to have recorded double figures for that metric.

Vitally, those numbers are from the entire campaign, but with seven games left this season, it’s hard to see that many players improving that drastically.

What can we take from Tottenham’s xG woes?

It’s not a finishing issue; it’s a creativity issue.

Tottenham simply aren’t creating anywhere enar enough in games to ensure that they come out on top, and that will be the main reason if they are to be relegated.

Whether it be Tudor or any other manager, it’s unlikely to change, as the concerns are fixated on the level of quality in the forward areas as opposed to the tactical setup.

Spurs need their forward players back from injury, or this theme will live on until the end of May.