Tottenham Hotspur

John Acres
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Travelling across a sweltering London to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by Tube on the final day of the season, the emotional divide among football fans in the city was striking. Sitting opposite me in the carriage, a man in his 50s wearing a 90s original "Holsten" home shirt was wedged between two Arsenal supporters.

"I think you'll be all right today, mate," they offered.

Now I know you don't speak to strangers on the Tube if you're a Londoner, but this Spurs fan just stared straight ahead, entirely consumed by the dread and anxiety that they could be relegated on the same day that Arsenal were crowned champions. He didn't even acknowledge them.

There was a hush around the ground on arrival - very few smiles, very little noise. That was until the team bus turned up and the players were greeted as if it was them that had won the Premier League title and not their north London rivals.

Inside the ground, the wall of noise before kick-off was deafening. The relief at Joao Palhinha's goal palpable. The West Ham goals against Leeds filtered through to add some jeopardy, but Everton never really offered enough until late on to make it truly nerve-wracking inside the stadium.

Spurs' players collapsed with a mixture of exhaustion and relief at the final whistle, and the South Stand became a wall of noise once again.

The concourses, now doubling as bustling bars, were now buzzing - smiles, laughter, singing, drinking and general merriment.

The journey home saw the Victoria Line trains mixed with red and white shirts as triumphant Arsenal fans returned from south London to launch an impromptu street party around Emirates Stadium. Fans chanted at each other as they passed on the escalators, but what I saw was good humoured.

By the time I hit King's Cross, the first dejected West Ham fans began sharing the carriages with their celebrating north London rivals, some being consoled and some being taunted - all part of the cruelty of having to take public transport on a day like Sunday.

It was one city and three entirely different sets of emotions for the supporters of the teams involved on an afternoon in the capital not to be forgotten.

Bardi
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

This was not a great escape. There is no motorbike or blond-haired lead actor to cheer on as they race towards safety. This is not a story of David versus Goliath, or an underdog overcoming the Premier League elite.

It is the sad story of a club that fell asleep at the wheel and reacted just in time to avoid disaster. There will be no film, book or song about this wretched season. Most Spurs fans will never want to mention it again. They will file it away in a box labelled "Do Not Open".

However, if you dig a little deeper, and happen to be a chief executive at another Premier League club, then you should pay attention to what happened in N17. Falling out of the top division is easier than ever. There is no longer any divine right to Premier League football. You have to work relentlessly, every single day and every single transfer window. You are only one bad managerial appointment away from "doing a West Ham".

As the final game of the season came to its gut-wrenching conclusion, one question entered every Spurs fan's mind: do we even celebrate this?

The sense of relief sweeping across the fanbase is enormous, but it means very little if we do not learn from it. We can celebrate winning an important match. We can even celebrate the demise of a noisy neighbour. But surviving relegation with 90 minutes to spare is not a moment for joy. It is a moment for reflection and for figuring out what went wrong.

The message from inside the club is that there will be no wholesale changes at executive level. Instead, Spurs are putting new systems, structures and jargon-heavy procedures in place to make sure this never happens again. But trust is at an all-time low.

As fans, we trust Roberto de Zerbi and little else.

The short-term future of the club has been secured thanks to our new manager, but what awaits us long term is still unclear. I am not sure Spurs fans could cope with another horror show of a season.

Please Tottenham, be sensible. Make good decisions and give us something more Disney and a little less Saw next season.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch - a Spurs podcast, external

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Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, speaking about Roberto de Zerbi keeping Tottenham up on Match of the Day: "I think the Igor Tudor appointment was a strange one and everyone felt that but De Zerbi has come in and it feels right. It feels right for Tottenham. There seems to be a really good connection with the players and supporters as well.

"He's done his job, he's kept them in the Premier League, and I think going into next season with a few additions to that squad - he could get them back to where you'd expect Tottenham to be.

"I think Tottenham are an interesting club and if they get the recruitment right, they have some good players in there there's no denying that. If they get the recruitment right with this manager I think they can be driving up the table."

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Strains of the old 'Glory, Glory' anthem echoed inside the giant stadium as Tottenham stepped back from the precipice of the most humiliating relegation in Premier League history.

The players and supporters were in unison at last, as they could finally look forward to next season as a top-flight club.

Slowly, a note of dissent was introduced as a giant banner was unfurled by supporters, reading: 'Promised Success. Delivering Failure. ENIC out.'

The fans who have suffered so much mediocrity were entitled to their outpouring. After all, this was only the third home league win they have witnessed this season, albeit in arguably the club's biggest game in recent history.

The instant exuberance from the players was understandable, but embarrassment should have quickly descended on them as they listened to their supporters chanting: 'We are staying up'.

The very sound of those words - the preserve of strugglers - should reverberate through the whole club.

Once Tottenham High Road empties of its revellers, the inquest from top to bottom must begin.

The club's top brass were in attendance for the conclusion, with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham front of house and sporting director Johan Lange sitting just behind.

Their part in all of this will come under scrutiny, not least for their remarkable decision to trust ill-suited Igor Tudor as successor to Thomas Frank.

The season finale was also watched by Vivienne Lewis, representing the family who own Spurs, along with her son-in-law Nick Beucher, a key contact with the London-based management.

Non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and chief operating and finance officer Matthew Collecott were also in attendance, presumably poised to work out how and why the club found themselves in such reduced circumstances and how it can be avoided next season.

For now, thanks to Roberto de Zerbi's inspiration and the failings of other clubs, Spurs are spared a day of reckoning.

Not for long, however, because the temporary elation of fans will soon turn to anger.

How can a club that plays in such a magnificent stadium, has such passionate support, and has received around £74m by qualifying for the Champions League via that Europa League triumph, end up on the brink of the Championship?

Answer: bad decisions on and off the pitch, poor appointments and players playing poorly.

Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur? Not this season, no glory here.

Read the full article here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts and feelings as Tottenham avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Ricky: There's a time for post-mortems, analysis and frustration with the board, but it's not today. The boys did us proud. COYS!

Robert: A mixture of exhilaration and relief. We were by far the better team in the first half, and fully deserved the one-goal lead. Second half, we got deeper and deeper and the nerves were plain for all to see. But we got over the line, and that's all that matters. Now, the real work starts to make sure this situation never happens again.

Jeff: A diabolical season. Being 17th for the second year running is just unacceptable and speaks to years of utter incompetence in leadership, ownership, management and recruitment. To borrow a phrase, it's time to "drain the swamp". There needs to be a cull of senior management and we need to get rid of all the dross and malcontents in the playing squad. Simple as that.

Michele: They truly do not deserve to have been saved. Lifelong Spurs fan, but this season has pushed me to the edge. An embarrassment and can now only hope someone somewhere has learned a massive lesson. Have a clearout. Do what is necessary and spend, spend, spend or we will surely be in the same position next year.

Chris: Now is the time to look at the coaching and medical staff. The injuries the team has suffered both this season and last can't be all down to bad luck. Something is seriously wrong on the fitness side of the team.

Brian: Relief that we will have a chance to reset and we already have a top coach in place to oversee it. A pair of outsiders deserve maximum credit for our survival. Joao Palhinha scored the two most important goals of the season. Antonin Kinsky's rebirth continued with another fine save. Some changes needed, but who cares right now?

Carol: Absolutely delighted that we escaped relegation, but this must not happen again. We now have a manager who we can all get behind and he must be given the means to bring new players in and get rid of dead wood or whoever doesn't want to be here. A lucky escape indeed.

Tottenham have moved their attention away from 32-year-old Roma striker Paulo Dybala, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. (Football Insider), external

Fenerbahce are monitoring the situation of France international Randal Kolo Muani, 27, with the forward on loan this season at Tottenham from Paris St-Germain. (Fanatik), external

Tottenham club captain Cristian Romero, 28, would be interested in linking up with fellow Argentinian Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid. (Teamtalk), external

Tottenham are considering a move for Benfica's Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, 24, in the summer. (A Bola - in Portuguese), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from all 10 fixtures on the final day of the Premier League season.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 1-0 Everton

• West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal

• Brighton 0-3 Manchester United

Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I'm very happy and elated for the performance of my players. They showed they are good people and top players. We played maybe the best game in my time here.

"We played against an Everton side who had a coach that maybe wanted to help keep West Ham up but I'm sorry he couldn't do that."

On Joao Palhinha's goal: "Palhinha is a great example. He's on loan here but he's one of the first players to start here and as we look to rebuild next season.

"It's now around 7pm and in around an hour or two we will start working towards next season."

On the fans: "Before the game the fans were outside the stadium and they were fantastic. We had to fight on the pitch to make them happy and proud of us. We need to show more of this spirit in the future."

Spurs goalscorer Joao Palhinha, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "This day for us is much more than winning a game. There are a lot of people - away from the players - who live this club. A lot of people depend their lives on this club. It was a tough season but I think this season can help for the future. We can take a lot from it, even if we didn't reach the level Tottenham should.

"This is one of the special days of my life in terms of everything happening. I feel very happy today."

"The goal was just a goal. I didn't care too much who scored, but I just wanted to win. It didn't matter who played, we all just wanted to win. The commitment from everyone and the crowd helped us stay in the Premier League. The fans deserve better than this season."

Did you know?

• Tottenham earned their first Premier League home win since December and just their third overall in 2025-26. This is the joint-fewest home wins by a team to survive relegation in a Premier League campaign, along with Hull in 2008-09 (three).

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham were finally able to put an end to a season of suffering and can now finally plan for next season as a Premier League club.

Roberto De Zerbi dragged enough of out the squad he inherited late in the season, fashioning three wins that were just sufficient to keep Spurs up.

Spurs' fans played a huge part, with thousands greeting the team bus before kick-off and providing thunderous support throughout.

And there was another outpouring of emotion at the final whistle when safety was secured - but this can only be a brief reaction before the wreckage of a season that almost saw this giant club drop out of the Premier League must be pored over.

The fist-pumping celebrations were exuberance in the moment, but underneath there should be embarrassment, and club anthem "Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur" sounded hollow in the extreme after this brush with humiliation.

This was no sudden decline. Spurs had a warning last season when they finished 17th, the cracks covered up by the Europa League win under Ange Postecoglou soon exposed when successor Thomas Frank proved out of his depth.

At least, when it mattered here, they showed determination and resilience against an Everton side that has looked out on its feet in the closing weeks of the season.

There will be the usual noises of how this must not happen again - but actions must now speak louder than words both on the pitch and from a hierarchy, led by chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, who have got so much wrong this season.

A final day win at home to Everton has secured Tottenham their Premier League status for another season.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know how you are feeling.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page for a selection of your replies - reaction and analysis to follow shortly

Tottenham make just one change from the 2-1 loss at Chelsea.

England international Djed Spence comes in for Randal Kolo Muani.

Tottenham starting XI: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, Spence, Gallagher, Tel, Richarlison.

Everton also make one change with Thierno Barry replacing Beto in attack. Departing Seamus Coleman is on the bench.

Everton starting XI: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Iroegbunam, Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry.

It is the last day of the Premier League, every side is in action this Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Burnley v Wolves

• Crystal Palace v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Fulham v Newcastle

• Liverpool v Brentford

• Manchester City v Aston Villa

• Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth

• Sunderland v Chelsea

• Tottenham v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• West Ham v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off times 16:00 BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play West Ham v Leeds", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

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The stakes could not be higher for Tottenham and West Ham on the final day of the Premier League season.

While both go into Sunday's games with a chance of being relegated, the odds of top-flight survival are heavily weighted in Tottenham's favour.

Roberto de Zerbi's side are a place and two points better off in the table than West Ham and they also have a much superior goal difference.

Tottenham's tailspin

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 focus on Europe.

However, they have endured a truly disastrous campaign this time around, once again not helped by a lengthy injury list.

Their season has encompassed three head coaches and multiple unwanted records, including losing six games in a row for the first time in their history and going on a 15-game winless run in the league.

Thomas Frank, who succeeded Postecoglou last June, was dismissed in February.

His replacement Igor Tudor's reign was a new nadir, with the club collecting just one Premier League point from a possible 15 before his 44-day tenure was brought to an end.

De Zerbi then took on the unenviable task of ending their tailspin.

Draws against Brighton and Leeds that bookended wins over Wolves and Aston Villa provided light at the end of the tunnel, and they are now on course to escape - unless there is a dramatic plot twist.

Read more here

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be no place for the faint-hearted on Sunday, with the club's Premier League status on the line against Everton.

Spurs need only a point to survive, but the air will be heavy with nervous tension as Robert de Zerbi's side attempt to avoid their first relegation from the top tier since 1977.

If Spurs did go down, it would be the biggest relegation of a generation - perhaps since Manchester United were relegated to the old Second Division in 1974.

The loss at Chelsea on Tuesday meant Spurs' fate would not be decided until the final day in front of their own fans – but this may not be the advantage it initially seems.

Spurs' form has been dreadful all season, but this has especially been the case at home, where their record is embarrassingly bad.

They have won only two league games at home this season, the last coming on 6 December under the management of Thomas Frank, when they beat his former club Brentford 2-0.

Even under De Zerbi, they have been unable to crack the code as they have drawn against Brighton and Leeds United.

And in Everton, they face a team whose own home form has been poor but markedly better on their travels, where they have enjoyed wins at places such as Aston Villa and Manchester United.

David Moyes' team have nothing to play for having seen their own European ambitions evaporate, but they do not give out free passes, as proved when they almost beat Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium recently.

The good news for Spurs is that they reach his defining point with their destiny in their own hands – but that is unlikely to make it any less nail-biting for a fanbase that has suffered so much in a miserable season.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Joining Wolves and Burnley in the Championship next season will be one of Spurs or West Ham.

Tottenham in 17th do have a significant advantage going into the final day of the season. They are two points clear of their London rivals and are 12 goals better in terms of goal difference.

While mathematically not guaranteed, a draw for Spurs at home to Everton all but confirms their stay in the Premier League.

The only scenario where this would not happen is if Spurs draw and West Ham were to beat Leeds by 12 or more goals, a scoreline that has never happened in the 34-year history of the Premier League.

A win for Roberto de Zerbi's side guarantees safety.

West Ham have to beat Leeds to stand any chance of survival. If they do win and Spurs lose to the Toffees, the Hammers will stay up.

Can former West Ham manager David Moyes help to save his old club by getting a win with Everton here?

Going on form, the answer is probably no. The Toffees have not won any of their past six matches.

But this is going to be a nervy old afternoon for Tottenham and their fans.

Spurs were flat against Chelsea and, based on that performance, Everton will get at least a point.

Thinking about it, I am actually going to say they will take all three. Tottenham have been wretched at home all season - only Burnley have picked up fewer points on home turf - while Everton had a strong record away until their recent run.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham host Everton with their Premier League survival still in the balance.

Almost exactly a year after they won the Europa League, Tottenham find themselves in danger of being relegated from the top flight for the first time since 1977.

Despite that European success, Spurs finished just one place above the relegation zone (albeit 13 points clear of the bottom three) – but what they would give right now to finish in that same position again.

Their destiny is in their hands – given their superior goal difference, a draw will be almost certainly be enough to ensure their survival. But nothing has been straightforward this season for Tottenham, who have ditched three managers since that European triumph.

Spurs have a good recent home record against Everton – but the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hasn't proved much help to its hosts recently. They are winless in their last 10 home league games (D4, L6), their second-longest run in their league history after a 14-game streak between October 1993 and April 1994.

Everton limping to finish line

Everton were firmly in the running for a place in Europe at the start of April but six league games without a win means that prospect has evaporated.

Injuries to key players haven't helped their cause and they will be looking to bolster a pretty threadbare squad in the summer. They have used just 22 players in this season's top flight – fewer than any other side, and the joint-fewest in their Premier League history.

Manager David Moyes has admitted that "results in the last four or five games haven't been good enough" and last weekend's lacklustre defeat by Sunderland was a miserable way to end their first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

For the third game in a row, his side led during the match, yet ended up failing to hold onto their advantage (D2, L1).

Moyes will be hoping for a reaction from his team this weekend – and a win could mean survival for his former club West Ham at Tottenham's expense.

But Everton have a poor record at Spurs – they have won just one of their last 16 Premier League away games there (D4, L11), and have lost the last four by an aggregate score of 13-1.

Image source, PA Media

We asked for your views on whether Tottenham playing at home on the final day of the season against Everton adds more concern?

Here are some of your comments:

Steven: Home form should not be taken as a marker for this game. It's a cup tie but with a draw the minimum requirement. We should look to win the game. In any other scenario, that's what we would be doing. A positive attitude is required from the fans and the squad. Forget the home form, the injuries, the potential consequences and focus on a performance with a single-minded determination to win. Nothing else.

Adam: Why is everyone so negative about Spurs? This game at home and the crowd behind the team should pull us to our goal.

Simon: This is a totally different sort of game, and you can't look back at previous form at home. Spurs are fighting for their very survival in the top flight, and they will be highly motivated not to create history for all the wrong reasons. Think of the damage to the players' reputations if they are seeking out. Yes, their home form has been abysmal up to now, but they will be going into this match to win it, not try to settle for a draw. I'm sure Everton will be out there to spoil the party, but what have they really got to play for?

Rick: Our home record in the past two years has been abysmal, give or take the odd decent result. Sunday really is do or die for this club. I'm going on Sunday with my two boys - win, lose or draw, we will always be shouting in the stands.

Peter: It shouldn't have come to this, but now our final fixture of the season against Everton is the most important game of our campaign. There can be no undue caution or petulance - we must be rock steady in defence, and throw everything at the final third. Sunday must deliver a glorious, Premier League-sustaining win!

Callum: As a Spurs fan, I find it more scary since we are at home seeing all the injuries we have had and considering we had more luck from away spells. I honestly think retractable pitches are the problem nowadays, but I hope we get that one point.