Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur survived as West Ham suffered relegation on the final day

Tottenham Hotspur survived by the narrowest of margins on the final day of the Premier League season, beating Everton 1-0 to avoid relegation, while West Ham United suffered relegation despite a 3-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday.

Joao Palhinha’s first-half strike was enough for Spurs to finish 17th on 41 points, two ahead of West Ham. The result ensured Tottenham stayed in the Premier League and avoided their first relegation since 1977.

West Ham went into the day needing to both win and beat Tottenham to survive. While the Hammers were up to the task at the London Stadium, Spurs’ victory over Everton sealed the east London club’s fate.

Tottenham started brightly in front of a tense home crowd, with Conor Gallagher and Palhinha threatening early on. The breakthrough came just before half-time when Mathys Tel’s corner caused chaos in the cabin. Palhinha’s header hit the post, but the midfielder was the quickest to react and force a rebound over the line.

The goal eased the nerves briefly, but the tension returned in the second half as news spread that West Ham had taken the lead against Leeds. Taty Castellanos opened the scoring for the Hammers in the 67th minute before Jarrod Bowen doubled the advantage late in the game.

Substitute Callum Wilson added a third in stoppage time but West Ham’s hopes were that Everton would find an equalizer in north London.

Spurs were forced to dig deep in the closing stages, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky making a crucial save to deny Tyrique George during a frantic stoppage time. Relief filled the Tottenham Hotspur stadium as the final whistle blew.

The arrival of Roberto De Zerbi at the end of the season ultimately proved decisive. The Italian took over with Spurs in serious danger and guided the club to 11 points from seven games to complete the escape.

For West Ham, relegation capped a miserable campaign that began with four points from the opening nine games. The Hammers finished the season on 39 points, the highest total for a relegated team since 2010-11, when Birmingham City and Blackpool were relegated on the same number of points.

The defeat also raised fresh questions about the club’s direction after years of poor recruitment and inconsistency. Frustration among supporters was palpable throughout the afternoon, with anti-ownership chants echoing throughout the London Stadium.

Leeds, meanwhile, finished 14th with 47 points in their first season in the Premier League.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

24 May 2026 23:36 IST

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