LONDON, England — Tottenham Hotspur have successfully avoided the drop to the Championship on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season, while London rivals West Ham United have been officially relegated.
Spurs secured their top-flight safety after holding their nerve against Everton, aided by a crucial goal from João Palhinha to ensure they finished above the drop zone.
Okay News reports that the result leaves West Ham condemned to the second tier of English football for the first time since 2012, despite the Hammers leading in their match against Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
Tottenham entered the final 90 minutes of the campaign holding a slender two-point advantage over 18th-placed West Ham. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who took over from Igor Tudor in late March, managed to guide his injury-plagued squad through the final-day pressure to secure the points necessary for survival.
West Ham’s late-season resurgence under Nuno Espírito Santo ultimately proved to be too little, too late. Although a January victory over Spurs had sparked a temporary turnaround in form, consecutive defeats in the final weeks left the Hammers needing a complex set of results to fall in their favour on Sunday.
With the relegation places finalized, Tottenham will remain in the Premier League to rebuild after a turbulent, injury-hit campaign, while West Ham face a summer of transition as they prepare for life in the Championship next season.
