'Really painful' - Tottenham react to damaging Nottingham Forest defeat as Igor Tudor misses post-match interview

Tottenham's disastrous form continued on Sunday with a crushing 3-0 home defeat by Forest, marking their sixth loss in seven Premier League matches. With three teams facing the drop, this damaging outcome leaves the club facing a desperate fight to survive. Sitting in 17th position with just 30 points from 31 games, they have matched their lowest points tally at this stage since the 1914-1915 season during World War I. Meanwhile, their conquerors climbed to 16th place on 32 points, establishing a vital cushion above West Ham, who languish in 18th on 29 points. Burnley and Wolves trail at the bottom with 20 and 17 points respectively.

Although head coach Tudor was present on the touchline for the crushing defeat, he notably skipped his post-match media duties. Stepping in to face the press, assistant coach Saltor clarified the manager's absence. "Personal matters, family matters and I am stepping in as it is not right time for him to speak," he confirmed. Reflecting on the bleak outcome, Saltor lamented the way small margins are currently punishing his side. He stated: "Every mistake right now is going against us, every detail is going against us and it affects the players as well. You can see how much they are fighting. We are in a difficult situation, everyone knows. In the first half we were the better team and need to be consistent with that."

The coach continued his assessment, revealing that tactical shifts failed to pay off after falling behind. "We were 1-0 down and wanted to be a little more aggressive with players coming back from injuries," he noted. "It didn't work as planned but it was our intention." Addressing the emotional toll of the result, he delivered the full truth regarding the mood in the camp: "It hurts us, it is painful, really painful, but the fans were outstanding today - from before the game until the end of the game. We need to carry on because we care, we care for Spurs, we are family and want to get out of this situation. I am 100% sure we can get through this situation."

Following the international break, Spurs enter a defining run of seven fixtures to preserve their top-flight status. Their immediate schedule includes an away trip to Sunderland and a home clash with Brighton, before visiting basement club Wolves. Elsewhere in the survival race, West Ham host Wolves and travel to Crystal Palace, urgently needing points to exit the bottom three ahead of daunting encounters with Arsenal and Newcastle. Meanwhile, Forest, who sit narrowly above the drop zone, prepare to welcome high-flying Aston Villa and then Burnley.