Tottenham survive as West Ham suffer Premier League relegation
Tottenham Hotspur secured Premier League survival with a narrow victory over Everton, while West Ham United suffered relegation despite winning their final match. The dramatic final-day battle brought an end to an intense season and extended Spurs' top-flight stay.
By Ashmit Mazumder
The 2025-26 Premier League season came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday as the final relegation spot was contested between London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. In the end, it was the East London side that suffered relegation despite registering a 3-0 victory over Leeds United, while Tottenham secured survival with a tense 1-0 home win over Everton, extending their uninterrupted stay in the Premier League since 1992.
The stakes were clear heading into the final matchday. Spurs entered the fixture in 17th place with 38 points, two points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham and with a significantly better goal difference. This meant only a Tottenham defeat combined with a West Ham victory would have sent Spurs down.
At the London Stadium, manager Nuno Espirito Santo and his men did their part by recording a commanding 3-0 victory. However, the result was ultimately not enough to secure their survival.
Across the capital, Tottenham finally delivered as a scrappy goal in the 42nd minute from Joao Palhinha proved to be the decisive moment of the match. The win took Spurs’ tally to 41 points, leaving them two points clear of the relegation zone and ensuring their Premier League status for next season.
West Ham finished with 39 points, notably the highest total for a relegated Premier League side since 2011.
For Spurs, survival brought an end to what Sky Sports described as a “truly miserable season littered with embarrassment”, with the side managing only two home wins throughout the campaign.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi had reportedly urged his players before the match to “keep the dignity, keep the pride”, and his side responded accordingly as the 2025 Europa League winners held on to their top-flight status.
West Ham’s relegation comes just three years after winning the Europa Conference League and a decade after moving to the London Stadium.
Much of the club’s decline has been attributed to persistent administrative shortcomings and what The Scottish Sun described as “chronic managerial turnover” following the departure of David Moyes.
West Ham joined Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers in relegation, with Wolves dropping out after an eight-year stay in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, newly promoted Sunderland finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League, while Sunday’s London relegation battle was described by Sporting Life as “the highest-profile relegation battle in history”.
