Jamie Carragher believes that James Maddison may become a decisive factor if Tottenham Hotspur hopes to avoid the drop and remain in the Premier League. The north London side have been plagued by a cascade of injuries, and their recent 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers – their first win of the 2026 calendar year – came at a steep cost.
Young talent Xavi Simons suffered a season‑ending injury, dealing a massive blow to Spurs' relegation fight. Simons' £52 million price tag is only the latest in a string of setbacks. Tottenham sit two points adrift of safety with four matches left, after summer signing Mohammed Kudus and captain Cristian Romero were ruled out for the remainder of the campaign early in De Zerbi's tenure.
Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have also been absent; Maddison has been sidelined since August with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Although Maddison has been named in the last two matchday squads, the coaching staff have deemed him not yet fit for a full‑time comeback. Nonetheless, Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, argued that Maddison possesses the "magic" needed to lift Spurs out of the relegation zone.
"Spurs have been incredibly unlucky with injuries," he said. "If they hadn't suffered this injury record, they wouldn't be in this predicament." Carragher highlighted that three players occupying similar attacking roles have suffered ACL tears – Kulusevski, Maddison and now Simons – underscoring the severity of Tottenham's medical crisis.
"Now I feel Maddison, who is returning from a long lay‑off, may have to play a role in keeping Tottenham up," he added. When asked which player could provide a spark, Carragher named Maddison as the sole candidate capable of delivering something special, comparing his creative flair to that of Jarrod Bowen and Morgan Gibbs‑White. He admitted that Maddison might only be used for 15‑20 minutes off the bench, but that brief cameo could be enough to produce the decisive moment Spurs need, especially in the away fixtures against Aston Villa and Chelsea. "When I think of the Spurs squad and the lingering fear of relegation, that fear may have eased a little after the win at Wolves, but Maddison would still take the ball forward regardless of the situation," Carragher explained.
"For Tottenham to stay up, I feel he has a role to play." Everton forward Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall echoed the sentiment on the same programme, calling Maddison "probably the most creative player in the Spurs squad." He noted that Maddison would not have wished to be in a position where the team relies on him, yet his ability to influence a game in the final minutes – either by setting up a chance or scoring – could be vital. "Spurs haven't really got a hat at the moment," Dewsbury‑Hall added, referring to the lack of a reliable goal scorer. The relegation battle remains intense after the weekend, with Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest all desperate to avoid joining Burnley and Wolves in the Championship. Spurs have four games remaining: home fixtures against Leeds United and Everton, and away trips to Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Carragher warned that despite the win at Wolves, Tottenham could still struggle due to a comparative lack of firepower when measured against Forest and West Ham, who boast attacking talents like Bowen and Gibbs‑White. "It's going to be really tough for Spurs," he said.
"The fans may think they've finally won a game this season, but the reality is they haven't won a proper football match all year. Meanwhile, their rivals West Ham and Nottingham Forest also secured victories.
Adding the weekend injuries to the mix, even with a win, Spurs are in a worse position than last week because they've already tackled their easiest game on paper." Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood weighed in on Sky Sports FC, lamenting that injuries have derailed Tottenham throughout the campaign and suggesting that bad luck is no longer a sufficient excuse. "They need to review what's happening to their players," Sherwood said. "Many of these injuries are not caused by contact but by twists and soft‑tissue problems.
Ultimately, they may pay the ultimate price – relegation." Sherwood singled out Kulusevski and Maddison, noting that both have been sidelined for an extended period. He warned that the club will need to conduct a thorough assessment over the summer to understand why so many key attackers have been struck down. He also compared Spurs' attacking options with those of West Ham and Nottingham Forest, pointing out that both rivals operate with a front four and possess players capable of producing moments of brilliance. "Spurs don't have an attacker who can even come close to the quality of Bowen or Gibbs‑White," Sherwood said, expressing his concern for Tottenham's prospects.
Looking ahead to the crucial fixtures at Villa and Chelsea, Sherwood questioned who will find the net for Spurs. "After watching the Wolves game and seeing the injuries up front, who is going to score? Who will create? I can't see them scoring a goal at Aston Villa or Chelsea unless it's a one‑goal miracle, and then they'd have to keep a clean sheet to win.
That puts enormous pressure on the home games against Leeds and Everton." In summary, the consensus among pundits is clear: Tottenham's survival hinges on the return of creative firepower, and James Maddison is the most likely candidate to provide that spark. Whether a brief cameo off the bench can generate the decisive goal or chance remains to be seen, but the club's injury woes have left them with few alternatives. The final four matches will test the squad's depth, resilience, and ability to produce moments of brilliance when the stakes are highest. If Maddison can recapture his pre‑injury form, even in limited minutes, he may indeed deliver the "magic" that Carragher and others believe Tottenham desperately need to stay in the Premier League.