There is no margin for error left for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League relegation fight. Even after defeating Wolves 1-0 last weekend to pick up their first win in 15 straight league fixtures, Spurs remain one of the three teams slated for relegation to the EFL Championship.
Lately, a potential hero has emerged for Spurs under new manager Roberto De Zerbi in the form of Rodrigo Bentancur, who has seemed to be reborn again since returning from a hamstring injury. Bentancur has looked sharper and even more confident than he did earlier this season, becoming a fixture in the starting lineup, even at the expense of young gem Archie Gray.
De Zerbi is favoring the veteran players and continuity as a formula to getting out of the Premier League dugout, but Spurs supporters will be rightfully leery here. Not just because Dominic Solanke had his own purple patch post injury return, only to fade back into obscurity soon after, but also because Bentancur himself has had uneven months this season.
Rodrigo Bentancur is being braver
Rodrigo Bentancur was never a brave player for Juventus, and those bad habits were an issue in the first half of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Even back then, Thomas Frank was forced to bench Benta for Archie Gray, unable to believe in the veteran player's consistency.
So Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League survival hopes rest on the shoulders of Bentancur being able to avoid regressing into being that same player who avoids the ball, passes sideways, and gets run over by even the most mediocre teams in the league - teams whom Tottenham would, at this point, pray to trade places with now that there are mere matches left in the campaign.
Bentancur, at his best, is a quality midfielder who can lead by example, make smart passes, and cover adequately for the defense. He has shown these traits in the draw with Brighton and the win over Wolves, which is why Roberto De Zerbi will continue to lean on the Uruguayan with a Serie A pedigree.
At his worst, though, Bentancur is a liability and not at all a better option than Gray, let alone even someone like Joao Palhinah who offers more rugged defending. If Bentancur keeps this form up, he can be an impetus for saving Spurs. If he is to fall off at any point into the player we saw in the first half of the season, then Spurs are royally screwed.
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