Even when they win it still ends in defeat - Spurs' season summed up

Tottenham Hotspur's season has been traumatic: even when they win, defeat follows, as they fight to avoid relegation in the Premier League after last season's Europa League success.

“Tottenham Hotspur's traumatic season can be summed up to perfection by the fact that even when they actually win, it still ends in defeat”

BBC

After a deserved draw at Liverpool, they beat Atletico Madrid in the last-16 second-leg tie, but the calamitous 5-2 loss in the Spanish capital left their Champions League hopes extinguished.

BBC

With that outcome, Spurs can now put the Champions League aside and concentrate on what truly matters this season.

Igor Tudor deserves credit for dragging improvement from players who looked lost after four losses in his first four games.

'The sensations are mixed,' he said.

BBC

'You don't like to not get through, but it was a very good performance. It was a beautiful sensation on the pitch with the fans who were really there together with the squad and the team from the first moment.'

He added, 'Congratulations to the players. It is positive, commitment, lot of running, lots of good things.'

Tudor's demeanor at the final whistle was brusque as he walked down the tunnel.

Spurs have not won in 12 Premier League games, six defeats and six draws, since the win at Crystal Palace on 28 December.

“Tottenham Hotspur's traumatic season can be summed up to perfection by the fact that even when they actually win, it still ends in defeat”

BBC

Nottingham Forest visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, fellow strugglers one point behind in the table and the same tally as third-bottom West Ham.

Attendance was 49,568, with 12,000 empty seats inside the ground, but the atmosphere felt among the best this season as Spurs delivered a performance that offered hope.

The match saw Spurs lead twice before Julian Alvarez restored Atleti's three-goal advantage, and Xavi Simons' 90th-minute penalty sealed the tie for Atletico Madrid.

Looking ahead, the bigger picture around Spurs is brighter if they can sustain this level of performance, potentially easing fears of relegation and allowing a fresh start in the summer as a top-flight club.

Tudor and the players have shown they possess ability and fight, even if the result did not deliver the prize.

BBC

It will be decided over the last three games.