Why the stakes are high in Spurs & West Ham’s relegation shootout
Tottenham finished 17th 12 months ago but were never really in danger of relegation as then boss Ange Postecoglou juggled an injury-hit squad with a Europe-focused focus.
But this time they’ve had a truly disastrous season and once again the long injury list hasn’t helped either.
Their season included three head coaches and numerous undesirable records, including losing six games in a row for the first time in their history and going on a 15-game winless streak in the league.
Thomas Frank, who replaced Postecoglou last June, was dismissed in February.
The reign of his successor Igor Tudor was a new low; The club managed to collect just one of a possible 15 Premier League points before his 44-day tenure ended.
De Zerbi then undertook the inevitable task of putting an end to their turmoil.
Wins against Brighton and Leeds, as well as Wolves and Aston Villa, have shone a light at the end of the tunnel and barring a dramatic plot twist, they are now on course to escape.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murpy said: “The mentality at Tottenham must be: We got knocked out four or five weeks ago.
“If you had told Tottenham fans and players that it would come down to the final day and that you had to draw or win at home against Everton, they would have bitten your hand off.
“The dilemma you face when you know a draw will be enough is that it plays in your mind and you can’t really let that happen.
“They are at home against an Everton team that has weakened a bit at the end of the season, they should be at the forefront and try to win the match instead of being cautious and protective against 0-0.”
The possible consequences of relegation are hardly worth considering for fans, but would certainly include a mass exodus of key players.
Dejan Kulusevski, Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Xavi Simons and James Maddison will likely consider their options; Youngsters like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are also drawing admiring glances from elsewhere.
