With two games left to play in the 2024/25 Premier League season, Tottenham find themselves sitting in 17th place in the table, one spot above the relegation zone. Not only is this miles below pre-season expectations, but the London club look set for their worst-ever Premier League finish.
Yet to breach the 40-point mark, the only reason Spurs have managed to avoid any real threat of relegation is that the bottom three clubs have been so bad. For a team that usually has aspirations of a top-six finish each year, it is hard to describe just how poor a domestic season this has been for Ange Postecoglou and his players.
In this article, we will look at why things have gone so badly wrong for Tottenham in the Premier League this season and whether there is still a sliver of hope for them yet.
Current Situation
Here is the state of the Premier League table with two matches remaining.
| Position | Club | Points | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13th | Everton | 42 | -5 |
| 14th | Wolves | 41 | -13 |
| 15th | West Ham | 40 | -17 |
| 16th | Man Utd | 39 | -11 |
| 17th | Tottenham | 38 | +4 |
On the plus side, Tottenham cannot sink any lower than their current position in the table, while the best possible finish would be 13th. None of the four teams above Spurs play one another though, nor do they face Spurs, so moving up the table will be dependent on other results.
The north Londoners have the minor positive that their goal difference is vastly superior to that of the clubs around them. Additionally, it is hard to imagine that the four teams above them will not drop any more points in the final two games, given they have done this a lot all season. Manchester United have two tough games in Chelsea away and Aston Villa at Old Trafford, sandwiched either side of the Europa League final (against Spurs, of course).
Less encouraging is that West Ham face relegated Ipswich, and Everton are at home to rock-bottom Southampton. Wolves also get to face Crystal Palace just three days after the Eagles’ FA Cup final with Man City. You also have to consider, above all else, that given Tottenham’s domestic form, it is very feasible they do not collect any more points, making all other results irrelevant.
Postecoglou’s side have picked up just one point from the last 15 available. Excluding a decent second-half showing against Nottingham Forest, they have looked dreadful in this time too. Postecoglou will continue to prioritise the Europa League so we fully expect another rotated side, unlikely to perform, against Champions League-chasing Aston Villa. The Australian boss could select a full-strength team against Brighton, on the season’s final day, but players may be tired from the midweek action.
Worst Ever Season Looks a Near Certainty
Ange on today’s defeat 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/9UBFsMcKgP
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 11, 2025
Tottenham’s lowest ever finish in the Premier League came all the way back in the 1993/94 campaign when they finished 15th with 45 points. They can still finish 15th (or better) this season, but as explained above, this seems very unlikely given their position and upcoming fixtures. Our best guess is that they would need at least four points from their last two games to have a decent chance of moving up two or more places, but it is very hard to see them pulling this off.
Other records they look set to break, in addition to the lowest ever finish, is the lowest points tally. The current low is the 44, which they scraped in the 1997/98 season. They only mustered 45 points in 1993/94, a season with 42 rather than 38 matches, but ‘lowest points per game’ is not quite as catchy as ‘lowest points’, even if it is arguably worse.
Avoiding having the season with the fewest points will require winning both remaining games, and even then, it only manages to tie with the current record rather than safely surpass it. What about most defeats in a Premier League season? That one is already safely in the bag following the recent 0-2 loss to Crystal Palace, which marked their 20th defeat of this bitter campaign.
Spurs fans won’t really care about this at all should their side win the Europa League final, but defeat in Bilbao will mean there is no distraction from a truly awful domestic campaign.
Why Has This Season Been So Bad?
Here are three main reasons why Tottenham find themselves so low down in the table.
Injuries
Tottenham are not the only team to have had a huge absentee list this season but it has hurt them far more than most. The main reason for this is the stark drop-off in quality between many of their first-choice XI and those in reserve. Going from World Cup-winning Cristian Romero at centre back to a 19-year-old Archie Gray, who had never previously played there, for example. Here is a list of first team regulars who have missed a significant chunk of the campaign.
| Player | League Games Missed |
|---|---|
| Guglielmo Vicario | 13 |
| Destiny Udogie | 12 |
| Cristian Romero | 18 |
| Micky van de Ven | 24 |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | 12 |
| Dominic Solanke | 11 |
| Son Heung Min | 7 |
On top of this, rotation options such as Wilson Odobert, Radu Dragusin, and Richarlison have also faced very lengthy spells on the sidelines. This has left Ange Postecoglou with almost no ability to rest tired legs during the campaign, one in which they have already faced 57 games.
As the injuries have mainly been to players at the back (goalkeeper, defenders, defensive midfielders), this has severely impacted Tottenham’s defensive strength. Under Postecoglou’s attacking brand of football, defensive solidity is not a priority, but even so, they have been particularly shaky since the start of the injury crisis. In the 22 league games since early December, the north Londoners have conceded 44 goals, a figure only “beaten” by the relegated three clubs.
No Longer a Priority
A run of three victories in February avoided any chance of Spurs being dragged down into the relegation zone and enabled them to focus more on their last remaining hope of silverware, the Europa League. Postecoglou has been regularly resting players since the Europa League knockout stages began in early March.
This has seen them field many weakened starting XIs, including during more recent fixtures against Wolves, Liverpool, West Ham and Crystal Palace. Had the Australian taken these matches more seriously, his side would have likely collected a few more points than the five (from a possible 27) they have managed in this time.
Good Old Bad Luck
Tottenham can consider themselves unlucky to be quite this far down the table based on their performances across the campaign. If you ordered the table by ‘expected points’, they would be in 12th place with 49 points, 11 points more than they currently have. In several matches, they simply have not had the rub of the green, whether a key decision has gone against them or sloppy finishing has let them down.
Most defeats (15 of 20) have been by a one-goal margin, and in another year, several of these would have been draws, or even wins. Ultimately, however bad the Premier League campaign ends up, if Spurs win the Europa League final and qualify for the Champions League, a good proportion of Tottenham fans will be happy. If they lose, it could well be curtains for Ange.