Tottenham Hotspur were beyond humiliated in the North London Derby on Sunday, losing 4-1 to Arsenal in a game in which they never looked like winning. If anything, it's a miracle Spurs somehow didn't lose by more, as they were down and out almost from the get go, shredded into pieces by summer snub Eberechi Eze.
It's been a long season already for Tottenham, and it looks like it could get even worse if Thomas Frank and Co. don't quickly respond, as evidenced by how helpless and outright putrid they looked at the Emirates Stadium.
Well, it isn't going to get any easier for Spurs next week either. After facing PSG, whom they lost to in the UEFA Super Cup to start th campaign, in the Champions League at mid week, Spurs will take on another tough London club next weekend in Fulham.
And they will have to battle Fulham without their most important and best overall player, as Argentina international Cristian Romero will be unable to partake in the game against Marco Silva's underrated group of merry men.
Cristian Romero is not easily replaceable
That's because Romero was handed his fifth yellow card of the 2025/26 Premier League season in Sunday's defeat to Arsenal, meaning he will be suspended for one game against the Cottagers next weekend.
While Kevin Danso is a dream third center back to have within the ranks and Micky van de Ven is another world class central defender who will still be out there to start for Spurs, there is simply no replacing Romero.
Because Romero isn't jut an elite defender. He is elite on the ball, too, as he is a great ball carrier and passer, progressing the ball importantly for a Tottenham team that has been awful on the ball and at building attacks - as Arsenal so clearly helped expose to the rest of the Premier League on Sunday.
Not having Romero out there against Fulham will make that matchup all the more difficult, and while you'd back Spurs to win that game normally, that's not the case this season. Now, Spurs are the underdogs, and especially without Romero, a draw may be difficult to come by if the midfielders and forwards don't improve - and if Frank doesn't change things up, especially with a midfield that has been constantly overrun and is at huge risk of being overrun worse without Romero stepping up to help out behind them.