By Louii Clarkson
The Premier League season is set for a dramatic finish, and remarkably, it’s two London giants fighting to avoid the drop. Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United head into the final day separated by just two points, with one survival place left available above the relegation zone.
Tottenham hold the advantage. Sitting 17th on 38 points, they know a draw at home to Everton will be enough to guarantee safety regardless of what happens elsewhere. Even a defeat could still keep them up thanks to a vastly superior goal difference.
Tottenham are 12 goals ahead.
For West Ham, the equation is brutally simple: beat Leeds United and pray for an Everton win in North London. Anything less than victory almost certainly condemns the Hammers to the Championship.
The tension surrounding Tottenham is extraordinary. A club that began the season dreaming of Europe now faces the possibility of one of the most shocking relegations in Premier League history. Roberto De Zerbi has called on his players to fight for the club’s “dignity,” with the pressure mounting after a damaging defeat to Chelsea in midweek.
Even though Tottenham struggled in the league last season it ended in pure delight with a Europa League victory. It was their first major trophy since 2008.
Celebratory scenes on the streets of Bilbao last year after Tottenham’s 1-0 Europa League Final win vs Manchester United
West Ham, meanwhile, will believe there is still hope. Their task is difficult, but not impossible. Leeds have already secured survival, while the atmosphere at the London Stadium could become electric if news filters through that Everton have taken the lead against Tottenham.
Click above to find out Spurs super fan Joe’s starting 11 if they happen to be relegated.
If Tottenham do get relegated it will be for the first time since 1977. They are a founding member of the Premier League and it will send shockwaves throughout English football.
West Ham are also one of the biggest clubs in England with an illustrious history so if they go down it will also have massive implications for English football.
Permutations for survival:
- Spurs win or draw = Spurs stay up
- West Ham fail to beat Leeds = Spurs stay up regardless
- West Ham win + Spurs lose = West Ham survive, Spurs relegated
- A Spurs draw would require an enormous goal difference swing for West Ham to survive
After Burnley and Wolves had their relegations confirmed weeks ago, only one question remains unanswered: who joins them in the Championship?
All matches kick off simultaneously on Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock. Exactly the way a relegation battle should end.
