Spurs finally end trophy drought but everything else broke: Making sense of Tottenham’s strange year

Despite being officially a part of the Premier League’s ‘top six’, Tottenham Hotspur have built a reputation of being the ‘nearly’ club. Finishing third in a two-horse title race, trophy drought stretching to nearly two decades, and plenty of near-misses.

It became ‘the history of the Tottenham‘ in Giorgio Chiellini’s famous words. But under Ange Postecoglou, the North London club turned a corner, winning the Europa League and ending their 17-year wait for a trophy.

However, their domestic form has been a cause for concern for two seasons running and they are currently very much in a relegation battle in the Premier League. So, naturally, the question is, what went wrong? Let’s take a closer look.

From Europa League glory to Premier League chaos

On a humid night in May 2025, Tottenham finally rewrote their narrative. As the final whistle blew on their Europa League triumph, years of ridicule disappeared in an instant. The trophy drought was over, Champions League football secured, and Ange’s vision had delivered.

But even in that moment of celebration, cracks remained beneath the surface.

The triumph masked deeper issues. Spurs’ domestic form during that same season had already shown signs of decline, particularly defensively. The trophy didn’t fix those problems, it simply covered them.

Fast forward less than a year, and the contrast couldn’t be sharper. Instead of building on success, Tottenham now find themselves dragged into a relegation battle. What looked like a turning point has instead become the start of a spiral.

Three managers, no identity: How Spurs lost their way

The collapse didn’t happen overnight, it unfolded through instability and confusion. Postecoglou’s high-intensity system demanded energy, precision and belief. But once results dipped, the club abandoned that identity quickly.

His departure triggered a chain reaction that only made things worse. Thomas Frank arrived with a more structured, controlled approach. However, the squad wasn’t built for that style. Players who had thrived in chaos suddenly looked restricted, and performances suffered.

Then came Igor Tudor, tasked with survival, not progression. His direct, physical approach marked yet another shift, leaving the squad caught between three completely different philosophies in a single season. As a result, Tottenham didn’t just lose form, they lost identity.

A real relegation battle on the horizon: Can Spurs survive the drop?

Frequent tactical resets drained confidence, disrupted cohesion and turned a talented squad into an unbalanced one. Even experienced players began to look uncertain, unsure of their roles from one system to the next.

Now, despite boasting one of the most expensive squads, Spurs face a very real threat of relegation. Up next, a relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest at home, but the new expensive stadium has not provided Tottenham with the home comforts they desire.

Every point matters, a lot more than ever before, too. It also does not help that Spurs have a tough round of fixtures still left. Whatever happens in their final eight matches, one thing is for sure, the Lilywhites are in desperate need of a rebuild and they can’t afford to get it wrong.

The trophy still shines in the cabinet. But on the pitch, it increasingly feels like a snapshot from a different era, one that came at a far greater cost than anyone expected.