Spurs survive on Premier League's final day
West Ham are relegated to the Championship despite a 3-0 win over Leeds
Joao Palhinha’s 43rd-minute goal fired Tottenham to Premier League safety with a 1-0 home win over Everton.
Defeat at Chelsea on Tuesday meant Spurs required a draw or victory to guarantee survival and ensure West Ham’s result at home to Leeds had no bearing on the north London club’s destiny.
Even though Roberto De Zerbi had sparked an incredible turnaround for Tottenham since his March arrival and guided them out of the bottom four last month, his next magic trick was to end a 10-match winless run at home in the Premier League.
Palhinha’s scruffy goal two minutes before half-time earned Spurs a deserved lead at the break, but a nervy second half followed with news of West Ham goals filtering through.
Everton boss David Moyes shuffled his pack and substitute Tyrique George almost produced a last-gasp leveller, but Antonin Kinsky’s flying save in stoppage-time confirmed a first Tottenham home league win since December 6 and sent West Ham down.
The Hammers’ final-day win over Leeds was too little too late as they slumped to relegation from the Premier League.
They kept their side of the bargain as second-half goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson sank Leeds 3-0.
But Spurs, who had very sportingly been bad enough to take the relegation scrap to the last day, beat Everton to survive by two points.
It brought to an end West Ham’s 14-year stay in the top flight, with relegation coming a decade after the controversial move to the London Stadium and the hollow promises from the owners that came with it.
Their brief revival under Nuno Espirito Santo, who replaced Graham Potter as manager in September, began too late and fizzled out too early.
Published: by Radio NewsHub