West Ham United have been relegated from the Premier League after Tottenham Hotspur secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The result left the Hammers two points adrift of safety, despite their own 3-0 win against Leeds United at the London Stadium.
Goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson gave West Ham a convincing victory over Leeds, but it proved insufficient as Joao Palhinha’s strike for Tottenham condemned them to the Championship. Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs finished the season on 41 points, while Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ended on 39.
West Ham needed Everton to win in north London to have any chance of survival, but the Toffees fell short. De Zerbi stormed onto the pitch at full-time in celebration after his team avoided relegation from what had once seemed an unthinkable position.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher expressed surprise that players of the calibre of Mateus Fernandes and Bowen had not been enough to keep West Ham up, referring to their combination for the second goal as ‘Champions League’ quality. The defeat marks West Ham’s return to the second tier for the first time since they won promotion via the play-offs in 2012.
Uncertainty now surrounds the squad, with Bowen among several players likely to leave. West Ham fans directed anger at the club’s ownership, singing negative songs about David Sullivan during the match. De Zerbi, meanwhile, confirmed he would remain at Tottenham, stating it remained an honour to coach the club despite the relegation battle.
