West Ham’s win against Leeds doesn’t matter as Tottenham beat Everton to send Nuno Espirito Santo’s side down from the Premier League and into the Championship on the final day
West Ham have been relegated from the Premier League for the first time in 15 years after losing their battle with Tottenham on the final day of the season. The Hammers have been circling the drain for much of the campaign and their fate was sealed despite a 3-0 win over Leeds.
Trailing by two points, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needed to beat Leeds and for Spurs to lose against Everton, but that never looked like happening. Joao Palhinha’s scrappy rebound from a corner sent Spurs in at the break 1-0 up, while West Ham were booed off by their own fans at the London Stadium with the score at 0-0 at half-time.
Taty Castellanos headed in Jarrod Bowen’s corner to give them the lead midway through the second half. But Everton were not doing their bit, having failed to have a shot on target after 65 minutes, meaning that Bowen’s low finish to make it 2-0 and Callum Wilson’s drive in the 94th minute counted for little.
The Hammers came into the final day in poor form, having lost three straight games against Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle, and with their supporters downbeat and statisticians Opta giving them just a 15 per cent chance of escaping. Other than a diving save from Antonin Kinsky to deny Everton winger Tyrique George in injury time, there was no magic in the air in London on a sweltering summers’ day as logic kept the drama at bay.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page
READ MORE: Premier League final day LIVE: Table as it stands as Tottenham strike first in relegation battleREAD MORE: Alex Scott in tears on BBC as Football Focus coverage paused as she receives special gift
Castellanos failed to get a shot away when clean through on goal early in the second half and blasted another opening high and wide minutes later. But the £26million summer signing came good when he nodded in a corner and star player Bowen showed his quality once more with a high-quality solo goal before Wilson pinged a shot into the bottom corner in injury-time but barely celebrated.
Yet the atmosphere inside the London Stadium told the real story, with no news of an Everton revival coming through. West Ham’s third relegation from the Premier League, after 2002-03 and 2010-11, was confirmed when the final whistle blew a few miles to the north west, with the Tottenham game lagging behind after a farcical delay due to the referee’s communication equipment.
The Hammers posted a £104.2m loss for the last financial year and their relegation will inevitably mean player sales, with captain Bowen – their top scorer for a fifth consecutive season – and midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who only joined for £42m from Southampton last summer, the most valuable assets who are set to move on.
It also has implications for London taxpayers, who will see an extra £2.5m diverted from public services to cover increased operating costs at the London Stadium, where the Hammers have the most favourable of rent deals.
Spurs had taken eight points six games under De Zerbi before the final day yet had to overcome a miserable home record. But Everton arrived in north London winless in six games and never really looked like helping David Moyes keep his former club up in a flat performance which screamed last day of the season.
Ultimately, the decision to make De Zerbi the third manager of the season, after Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, has been vindicated, giving a sweet end to an otherwise miserable campaign. Spurs have now secured back-to-back 17th-place finishes and will need a major rebuild over the summer to avoid a repeat.
For West Ham, their change from Graham Potter to Nuno in September has not paid off. Now they are braced for a revolution before starting life in the Championship next season.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
