Tottenham loses again and faces fight for Premier League survival

LONDON (AP) — Tottenham's Premier League survival hopes took another blow with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday.

Spurs — one of the richest teams in Europe and a founding member of the Premier League — is just one point above the relegation zone and without a domestic win in 2026.

“We know that the position we are in is not where we want to be. We need to figure out how to get out of it as soon as possible," said Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke. “There have been difficulties, but we aren’t in the position to make excuses. We need to do the job on the pitch.”

Spurs' latest defeat was the fifth in a row and the third under new coach Igor Tudor, who was tasked with the responsibility of turning the season around.

He watched as his team capitulated in front of a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — conceding three goals in the first half, having taken the lead and then gone down to 10 men when Micky van de Ven was sent off.

Palace took full advantage by scoring three times in seven minutes before the break.

Ismaila Sarr struck twice — one from the penalty spot — with Jorgen Strand Larsen getting the other for the visitors.

That was after Solanke had given Spurs the lead in the 34th minute. Van de Ven was red-carded four minutes later for bringing down Sarr in the box and Palace took control.

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

“But after this game I believe more than before because I saw something in the team and in the dressing room after the game. When we will be complete it will be good, I believe.”

The deepening crisis at Tottenham comes after winning the Europa League last season and advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League this term, where it faces Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 next week.

But its desperate league form has carried on from last year when it finished one place above the relegation zone — its lowest final position in the Premier League era.

Its plight also comes amid a tumultuous period when it has had seven managers in less than seven years.

Tottenham has spent only one season out of England's top flight since 1950 and has been an established member of the Premier League since the competition's inception in 1992.

It is a two-time English league champion and was a Champions League finalist in 2019.

It's near-63,000 capacity stadium is one of the most impressive in Europe and regularly hosts NFL games, as well as top music concerts.

Deloitte ranked Spurs ninth on its most recent rich list in January with revenues of $781 million. That placed Tottenham above giants like Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.

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Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in London, Thursday March 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Crystal Palace's Jorgen Strand Larsen celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in London, Thursday March 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Igor Tudor on the touchline during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in London, Thursday March 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Pape Matar Sarr, left, and Richarlison react after the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in London, Thursday March 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Pape Matar Sarr reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in London, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Family members on Thursday identified the remains of two girls found buried in suitcases in shallow graves, and the father of one of them said he'd been trying to locate his missing daughter for five years.

DeShaun Chatman said investigators told him late Wednesday night that the body of Mila Chatman, who would have been 8 years old, was recovered from a field near Ginn Academy in Cleveland's South Collinwood neighborhood.

Nichelle Wilson confirmed her granddaughter Amor Wilson, 10, was the other child.

Both family members spoke at the spot where the children were found buried in suitcases.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the names late Thursday and said DNA relationship testing helped identify them.

Chatman said he sought emergency custody five times and had tried to locate Mila through a child welfare agency, but those efforts were unsuccessful because he did not know where they were living.

“It's very much horrible,” Chatman said, adding that it turned out Mila had been living within view of the graves. He said he felt “useless — I couldn't save my baby.”

Cleveland police said Thursday they expected to charge a 28-year-old woman in the investigation. Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz said police detained the woman Wednesday evening after detectives completed initial interviews and examined evidence.

The woman, whose name was not released, is considered a person of interest, Diaz said.

Chatman said he and Mila's mother were not married but lived together for about a year after their daughter was born. He last saw Mila in 2020, when she was 3 years old.

“Mila was happy-go-lucky, always smiling,” Chatman said. “Favorite color was pink — she swore that she was a princess. She was always happy. She was a kid's kid.”

He said authorities have not told him how the girls died but that he expects more information to come out Monday. Earlier this week, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said she did not know how the girls died.

“We are hoping to find answers,” Todd told reporters. “This is a terrible, tragic situation.”

The children's remains were recovered after a dog walker notified authorities.

Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Nichelle Wilson, the grandmother of one of the girls whose bodies were found earlier this week, Amor Wilson, holds her hand to her face as she arrives at the memorials at that site, in Cleveland, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

DeShaun Chatman, the father of one of the two girls whose bodies found earlier in this week, Mila Chatman, stands at the site where there is now a memorial to the girls, in Cleveland, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

This image made from video provided by WEWS/News 5 shows an official examining a crime scene where the bodies of two young girls were found buried in suitcases, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Cleveland. (WEWS/News 5 via AP)