West Ham United were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday, ending a 14-year stay in England’s top flight, while Tottenham Hotspur narrowly avoided their first relegation in nearly half a century.
Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs secured a tense 1-0 victory over Everton F.C. at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, finishing two points above the Hammers, who cruised to a 3-0 win against Leeds United.
Heading into the final day, Spurs knew a draw would almost certainly be enough to preserve their Premier League status, holding a two-point advantage over West Ham along with a far superior goal difference.
The breakthrough finally came just before half-time when Joao Palhinha reacted quickest after his header rebounded off the post, stabbing the ball home to spark wild celebrations inside the stadium.
The Portugal midfielder was immediately swarmed by teammates as De Zerbi sprinted down the touchline to celebrate with jubilant supporters basking in the London sunshine.
That goal piled pressure on West Ham United, who were still locked at 0-0 with Leeds at the time and suddenly needed a favour from Everton even if they managed to win.
Across London at the London Stadium, Valentin Castellanos finally gave the Hammers hope midway through the second half with a composed finish to break the deadlock.
Further goals from Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson sealed a convincing 3-0 victory, but it ultimately proved meaningless as Spurs nervously held on to secure survival.
Tottenham’s escape caps a remarkable turnaround under De Zerbi, who arrived in late March as the club’s third manager of a turbulent season.
Relegation would have dealt a major financial blow to one of the world’s richest clubs, especially after Spurs lifted the Europa League trophy last season under former manager Ange Postecoglou.
West Ham, promoted to the Premier League in 2012, will now join Burnley F.C. and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in the Championship next season.
AFP
