The gap to the Premier League drop zone narrowed to just one point for crisis-hit Tottenham Hotspur, who were beaten 3–1 by mid-table Crystal Palace to extend their winless run in the Premier League to a club-record 11 matches.

Victory for 18th-placed West Ham United on Wednesday night made Spurs’ situation look even worse, and for perhaps the first time raised serious talk that their first relegation since 1977 could become a realistic possibility.

The hosts understandably looked nervous early on and had Guglielmo Vicario to thank for keeping out a volley from Adam Wharton inside the opening minute.

There were brief flashes of promise from Spurs, but they were fortunate not to fall behind when Ismaïla Sarr thought he had scored, only for the goal to be disallowed after his forehead was marginally offside during the build-up.

Tottenham responded strongly to that reprieve. Archie Gray wriggled away from a couple of challenges and reached the byline before pulling the ball back for Dominic Solanke, who diverted it home to give the hosts the lead.

However, Palace quickly struck back with a devastating double blow for Spurs. Defender Micky van de Ven was sent off for pulling down Sarr as the last man, and the Senegal international calmly rolled the resulting penalty into the left corner to level the score.

Chasing what would be consecutive league away wins at Spurs for the first time in their history, Palace piled on the pressure against the 10-man hosts and were rewarded during a ruthless end to the first half.

Wharton played a key role in both goals. His clever reverse pass allowed Jørgen Strand Larsen to squeeze a finish through Vicario’s legs from a tight angle, before another sweeping delivery released Sarr, who raced through and nudged the ball beyond the onrushing goalkeeper.

Those Spurs fans who stayed for the second half saw an improvement from their side, though the numerical disadvantage made the task extremely difficult.

Their best opportunity came when Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson managed to toe away an effort from Solanke, but Tottenham never truly looked like scoring the three goals they needed to salvage the game.

A disastrous start to Igor Tudor’s reign means Spurs have still failed to win a single Premier League match in 2026, and it will be fascinating to see how they approach their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid while their top-flight future hangs in the balance.

For all of Tottenham’s struggles, Palace were excellent throughout and look unlikely to be dragged into battles at either end of the table during the closing months of Oliver Glasner’s tenure.