Solanke says Tottenham have no excuses after Palace defeat deepens relegation fears

• Dominic Solanke says Tottenham must stop making excuses after loss to Crystal Palace
• Spurs remain one point above the Premier League relegation zone
• Igor Tudor suffers third defeat since taking charge as winless run reaches 11 matches

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke said the club can no longer look for excuses after a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace increased the pressure on the team in the Premier League.

Spurs are now just one point above the relegation zone after their latest setback at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The result also means the club are still without a domestic league victory in 2026.

Solanke admitted the situation has become serious for a team that is not accustomed to fighting near the bottom of the table.

“We have just had a big conversation,” Solanke told TNT Sports. “We know the position we are in is definitely not where we want to be so we need to figure out how we are going to get out of it as soon as possible.

“We know there have been difficulties but we are not in a position to make any excuses anymore. We need to do the job on the pitch. It is easy to say we want to be better but we want to show that on the pitch.

“We need to fight and realise the position we are in. The club is not used to being in this position so we need to understand it and fight every single game and every single minute.”

Tottenham initially made a strong start when Solanke scored in the 34th minute to give the home side the lead. The match quickly turned against them soon after.

Defender Micky van de Ven was sent off four minutes later after bringing down Ismaila Sarr inside the penalty area. Crystal Palace then took control before the interval.

Sarr converted the penalty and later added a second goal. Jorgen Strand Larsen also scored as Palace struck three times within seven minutes before half time.

Many supporters left the stadium early as the visitors established their advantage. Tottenham showed greater resistance in the second half despite being reduced to ten players, but they could not find a way back into the match.

The defeat was Tottenham’s fifth in a row and extended their winless run in the Premier League to 11 matches, which is the longest such run in the club’s history in the competition.

Head coach Igor Tudor, appointed to revive the season, has now overseen three consecutive defeats since taking charge.

“I am very disappointed, like the fans,” Tudor said after the match. “We know what the moment is and we need to keep working and believe.

“After this game I believe even more because I saw something in the team and in the dressing room. When the squad is complete it will be good.”

Tottenham’s league struggles come during a season that has produced contrasting results in Europe. The club won the Europa League last season and have reached the knockout stage of the Champions League this term, where they will face Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 next week.

However, their domestic problems have continued from last year when they finished just one place above the relegation zone, the lowest final position in their Premier League history.

Tudor acknowledged that decisions about the squad will be important as the club tries to reverse its form.

“I need to choose the right players because the boat is going in the direction that I want,” he said. “Those who are in the boat can stay. Otherwise they will have to leave.

“When the other players return and we make the right choices I am sure the victories will come back.”

Tottenham have been a permanent member of the Premier League since its formation in 1992 and have spent only one season outside the top flight since 1950.

Financially the club remains among the strongest in European football. Deloitte ranked Tottenham ninth in its latest revenue list in January with earnings of 781 million dollars, placing them ahead of clubs including Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.

For now, however, their focus remains on avoiding a relegation battle that few expected at the start of the season.