Tottenham left it until the final day of the season, but they will remain a Premier League club once more.
A 1-0 victory over Everton kept Spurs up and subsequently condemned West Ham United, who beat Leeds United 3-0, to relegation.
Joao Palhinha’s goal sparked delirium in north LondonGetty
The midfielder may never have to buy a beer in Tottenham territory ever againGetty
The Hammers will now face life as a Championship club for the first time in 14 years.
Joao Palhinha’s first-half strike did the business for Tottenham against the Toffees.
The Portuguese midfielder rose highest to meet Mathys Tel’s in-swinging corner from the left but thumped his header against the post.
Fortunately for Palhinha, the ball bounced straight back to him and he made no mistake from six yards out.
Luckily for Spurs, Everton did not seem in much of a mood to mount a challenge as they registered just a single shot on target.
Not even a bizarre six-minute delay due to a refereeing equipment malfunction could knock Tottenham off their rhythm.
Spurs are back?
The joy of staying up was especially evident on Jamie O’Hara’s face, as he crashed the talkSPORT Goals stream to celebrate.
O’Hara, a former Tottenham midfielder, hugged fellow Spurs tragic Abbi Summers and issued a passionate plea for Roberto De Zerbi to be given free rein to mould the team how he pleases.
“We’ve got the man in charge,” O’Hara said.
“Roberto De Zerbi is a top, top manager. Roberto De Zerbi will do things at this football club. Let him have the reins and let him get on.
It was party time for O’Hara and Summers on talkSPORT GoalstalkSPORT
“He’s got to get rid of Richarlison, Randal Kolo Muani. All of them, get rid of them. They’re crap, absolutely crap. And we find a way to do it.
“And I have to say, a massive thanks to Aston Villa for not turning up on that day and gifting us three points. That’s the one that kept us up.
“Come on the Spurs!”
Despite securing Premier League safety, Spurs star Micky van de Ven didn’t mince his words when asked whether there was a sense of embarrassment among the players they cut it so fine.
“Obviously, it’s unacceptable that the last game of the season, we’re playing for relegation,” Van de Ven told talkSPORT.
“If you look at this club, it’s a massive club with some unbelievable players and unbelievable fans.
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Hammers skipper Bowen cut a dejected figure at full time[/caption]
The grim reality of what’s to come quickly hit West Ham fansAFP
“It’s a bit embarrassing we let it come to the final day, but we did it and that’s the most important (thing).”
Hammer blow
As for West Ham, who needed to beat Leeds and have the Toffees overcome Spurs, they join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next term.
Goals from Taty Castellanos, skipper Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson were ultimately in vain for the Hammers, who finished two points behind Spurs on the table.
In fact, West Ham’s final tally of 39 points was the most picked up by a relegated team in 15 years.
The last time a team accrued 39 points but failed to stay up was in the 2010/11 campaign courtesy of Birmingham City.
Hammers fans were in no mood to stick around at the London Stadium upon the full time whistle, either.
AFP
Nuno faces a difficult summer with West Ham’s fate now confirmed[/caption]
Nuno tight-lipped on Bowen’s future
But for those who did remain in the venue, they unsurprisingly cut sullen figures.
For Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo, he was left to lament the fact his side did not have safety in their own hands.
“We know that it was going to be tough,” Nuno said.
“We lost the privilege of it being in our hands some games away. We knew the mission was tough, but we did the part that we were able to do.
“We performed well and it was a good game, but it was not enough.”
Nuno was also tight-lipped on Bowen’s future at West Ham, as he refused to answer, twice, on how sad it would be if Sunday’s contest marked the last time the winger would kick a ball for the Hammers.
Premier League News, Reaction, Opinion – talkSPORT
Tottenham beat West Ham in relegation battle as Jamie O’Hara storms into studio to celebrate
