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Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi says knowing rival fans are willing the club to be relegated from the Premier League is a "big motivation" to stay up.

Spurs are two points above West Ham, who occupy the final relegation place, and have a vastly better goal difference (-9) than their London rivals (-22) having played a game fewer.

That means a point from either of their last two fixtures - at Chelsea on Tuesday or against Everton at the Tottenham Stadium - will safeguard their top-flight status bar a set of freak results.

Chelsea supporters will be keen to pile the misery on to Spurs when the sides meet at Stamford Bridge.

But De Zerbi said his players have to "enjoy this pressure", calling a "good thing" for them to have.

"We have to find new motivation from this pressure. If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, it's a big motivation for me and I hope for my players as well," he told a news conference.

"We have to accept that football is nice because of the rivalry. It's good to imagine ourselves celebrating the win in their stadium. It's the reason football is like this, no?"

The Italian insists the external pressure should serve as fuel rather than a distraction for his squad.

De Zerbi said: "It's a motivation, it's a challenge. If a challenge is tougher, it's better for us to find new motivation and to be focused on staying together from the beginning to the end of the game.

"The pride is amazing motivation. The pride, if everyone wants Tottenham relegated, I think for one Tottenham player, one Tottenham fan, all the people who work inside Tottenham, it has to be the biggest motivation."

Even though Spurs only realistically need a point, De Zerbi has warned his players not to approach the game playing for a draw.

"We can't start the game thinking to draw," he explained.

"We have to start the game and we prepare the game and we speak in the meeting to win the game.

"Everybody wants to stay up, everyone wants to achieve this goal and then we can speak about everything."

De Zerbi to take 'best decision we can' on Maddison

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto De Zerbi on how long James Maddison could play for against Chelsea: "At the beginning of this week, he didn't work for a small problem but yesterday and today James worked very well. He is a special player, a different player. Now he is not ready to play 90 minutes. I want to speak with him tomorrow morning and to take the best decision we can."

'Vicario is number one, but...'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi on the goalkeeper choice he has to make tomorrow: "No, it is not difficult. It is easy. [Guglielmo] Vicario is number one but we have to consider the physical condition, the momentum and everything. I have a big relationship with [Antonin] Kinsky and Vicario as well and there will be no problem."

'We try to achieve the target tomorrow'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto De Zerbi on how much of a wake-up call the threat of relegation has been for Tottenham: "One thing at a time. Now we need to play two games and make other points to achieve our target and then is the right time to speak about problems we have had. It is not the right time to speak about that and lose energy."

On his positivity since joining: "I have just one face. I consider myself very honest as a man. I have big confidence in my players and their high qualities so I am always positive. It is not finished but I am happy for what the players have done in my time, but we need another step. We try to achieve the target tomorrow."

'Caicedo is one of the best midfielders in the world'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi on how Conor Gallagher will fare against former club Chelsea: "He is a great player, great personality. He doesn't speak too much [off the pitch] but he does on the pitch. We are lucky to have a player like this."

On Moises Caicedo, who he coached at Brighton: "Caicedo was a great player. It was a pleasure working with him, like Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill and Joao Pedro. I think Caicedo is now one of the best midfielders in the world because he is a complete player with and without the ball. But also our midfielders are very good [Joao] Paulinha, [Rodrigo] Bentancur, [Conor] Gallagher, [Pape Matar] Sarr, [Archie] Gray, [Yves] Bissouma, [Lucas] Bergvall. I'm happy because I am working with my players."

Huge improvements under De Zerbi

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

It has been a difficult season for Tottenham, who are on their third manager, after Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor were dismissed.

Roberto De Zerbi has inspired a marked improvement since he was appointed at the end of March, signing a five-year contract with the club.

Spurs have taken as many points from their last four Premier League games (8 – W2 D2) as they had in their previous 17 combined (W1 D5 L11).

They’ve only conceded one goal in the opening 45 minutes of their five games under De Zerbi, having conceded in the first half in each of their previous 11.

After their draw with Leeds last time out, De Zerbi stated: "We are good enough to stay up with these players."

'We have to show the right mentality'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto De Zerbi on how confident he is in his Tottenham side: "In the last four games we made eight points and we could have made more than eight. We have to be confident and positive. We cannot forget the situation from a month ago. We are not safe yet. We have the quality, we have to show the right mentality."

'Tough stadium because Chelsea players are fantastic'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto De Zerbi on playing at Stamford Bridge, where Tottenham have won just one of their last 35 league games: "It is difficult, it's a tough stadium because the players at Chelsea have been fantastic. Fantastic players and fantastic managers. They played two days ago very well, maybe they didn't deserve to lose the game. It will be a tough game for us for sure."

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Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto de Zerbi says his decision about which goalkeeper to choose on Tuesday was "not difficult".

He confirmed that Guglielmo Vicario was the club's number one, but then added it was important to asses his physical fitness.

The Italian stopped short of saying whether Vicario or reserve stopper Antonín Kinsky would play, but seemed to hint that the Czech number two was in a better place to start against Chelsea.

Full quotes to follow.

'Try to make three points'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi on whether his players are ready to seal their Premier League survival after West Ham's defeat at Newcastle on Sunday: "My players have to be ready to play a good game, with pride, work on the pitch, to try to make three points to win the game, but we have to keep the balance. You have to keep the same balance in every match."

'We are not safe yet'

Chelsea v Tottenham (Tue, 20:15 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberto de Zerbi says it's not just Tottenham that have struggled at Stamford Bridge.

He says the club have had top players for the past 25 seasons and acknowledges it will be a tough game.

But he says his side must play with confidence after picking up eight points from their last four games.

However, De Zerbi warned: "We are not safe yet."

More to follow.

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Here's closer look at the bottom six.

Wolves and Burnley are down, either West Ham or Tottenham will join them in the Championship.

The Hammers are in 18th place, two points behind Spurs with a vastly inferior goal difference - -22 compared with Spurs' -9.

West Ham have one game remaining, Spurs have two to play - at Chelsea on Tuesday and at home to Everton on Sunday.

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Right, from the Premier League title race and quest for Europe, we switch our focus to top-flight survival.

Tottenham can all but seal their place in the Premier League for another season by claiming a point at Chelsea on Tuesday. Win and they will be mathematically safe.

Manager Roberto de Zerbi is speaking with the media now and we will bring you the top lines from his news conference in a moment.

'We are close'

Bournemouth v Man City (Tue, 19:30 BST)

Bournemouth

A final word from Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola on sealing a European place: "We are close, but we still don't have it. We need one more point but it won't be easy. [Manchester] City are in good form after a trophy, they are also fighting for the league but we are ready. We are in a good place, we don't have injuries. We are looking forward to the game tomorrow."

Can Bournemouth qualify for the Champions League?

Bournemouth v Man City (Tue, 19:30 BST)

Bournemouth

Sixth-placed Bournemouth are only four points behind Liverpool, in fifth, and have a game in hand, which is against title-chasing Manchester City on Tuesday.

The Cherries only need one more point to guarantee a top-eight finish - to seal at least a place in the Conference League.

But if they do manage an upset against Pep Guardiola's City side and follow it up with a win at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, they could overtake Liverpool - provided Arne Slot's side lose to Brentford on the final day.

Even if Bournemouth miss out on fifth, finishing sixth might be enough to secure Champions League football.

That is because if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League, England will have six teams in the Champions League.

For that to happen, Villa would need to lose at City on the final day. A Liverpool victory against Brentford would then move the Reds above them.

However, as it stands, sixth place will seal a place in the Europa League for Bournemouth.

Crestfallen goalscorer Valentin Castellanos buried his face in his shirt, but West Ham players had nowhere to hide as a furious away end turned at St James' Park.

"You're not fit to wear the shirt," West Ham supporters hissed at their side following the visitors' 3-1 defeat against Newcastle United.

Those on the field unsurprisingly kept their distance.

Some in claret and blue meekly applauded. Others stared ahead with their hands firmly on their hips. Many bowed their heads before heading down the tunnel.

Relegation may not have been confirmed with this dismal loss, but West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo recognised the Hammers "owed the fans respect and dignity".

"This is our job, this is our life, but the fans are right and today they show their anger and frustration and they have reasons to," he said.

"It hurts, it hurts the boys, it hurts us, it hurts the club."

Two points from safety, having played a game more than Tottenham Hotspur, 18th-placed West Ham now need Chelsea to defeat their relegation rivals at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to take the race to survive to the wire.

A draw is almost certain to be enough for Spurs, due to their vastly superior goal difference.

Even if defeat happens, West Ham would then need to beat resurgent Leeds United on the final day and hope for an Everton win at Spurs.

"We are holding on by a small thread but we are still holding on," West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen told BBC Sport.

"We have to see how the result goes on Tuesday. There's a chance that we are relegated then and we can't hide from it. The only thing we can do is wait and see what happens.

"I will watch it. We never want to be relying on teams but we have put ourselves in this position. We have created this mess and I think we have to be big enough to watch it and accept what happens."

How did it come to this?

It is less than three years since West Ham lifted a European trophy in Prague, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the Europa Conference League final.

Only two years ago, they were taking on German champions Bayer Leverkusen in a Europa League quarter-final.

But next season, their supporters could be trading the glamour of European nights and Premier League away days for trips to Lincoln City's 10,669-seater LNER Community Stadium and the equally modest Racecourse Ground to face Wrexham.

The defining moment of West Ham's season might be Callum Wilson's stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal that never was.

But their slide towards the Championship began long before that and could be traced back to the departure of David Moyes in 2024 as the club opted for a more expansive style of football.

Across two spells, Moyes won 112 of his 261 matches, delivering three top-10 finishes. He also ended the club's long wait for silverware in Europe.

Since his exit, the Hammers have struggled for stability and direction.

Julen Lopetegui lasted only six months while his successor Graham Potter was out after eight.

Nuno arrived in September looking to reboot a side that took only three points from their opening five games under Potter.

The Portuguese began with a draw at Everton, but three consecutive losses to Arsenal, Brentford and Leeds soon after laid bare the scale of the task at hand.

Back-to-back wins in November suggested a turning point, but it was followed by a 10-game winless run from November into January.

A spell of three wins in four matches against fellow strugglers Tottenham, Sunderland and Burnley at the turn of the year offered hope again, but just three victories in 12 games since have left them on the brink.

West Ham were already planning to sell players this summer after posting a £104.2m loss for the last financial year.

The impending relegation would only place more pressure on the club's finances.

The Hammers, however, are giving little away when it comes to future planning.

For now, they remain hopeful of succeeding in their survival fight, even if it looks from the outside as though it is an impossible task.

Much will depend on the thoughts of chairman David Sullivan and the other significant shareholder Daniel Kretinsky, the Czech businessman who now also owns the Royal Mail.

There are some players whose departures would seem obvious.

Midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been looked at by a number of clubs, including Manchester United, and the Portugal star is a saleable asset.

Winger Crysencio Summerville has found his form over the past couple of months and also might attract attention.

Axel Disasi will presumably return to Chelsea when his loan expires on 30 June despite his good performances in defence. Adama Traore joined from Fulham on a permanent deal in January but to the end of the season, with an option for an additional year, which is yet to be triggered.

The big decision will surround skipper Jarrod Bowen.

Along with Tomas Soucek and Alphonse Areola, the man whose last-minute goal famously won the Conference League final, is one of only three starters from that night still at the club.

Bowen, 29, is a crowd favourite and his father-in-law is actor and celebrity West Ham fan Danny Dyer.

If he could be persuaded to lead West Ham's attempt to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, it would represent a major coup.

However, the club - and Bowen - know there would be a queue of clubs keen to sign him for a decent fee, which would cover some of the club's financial hit.

"But whether West Ham can extract full market value for them, given age and potential clauses in contracts, remains to be seen," football finance expert Kieran Maguire said.

"Some players will have relegation clauses, which usually are no more than 25%, so the total wage bill will decrease significantly."

Maguire expects relegation to cost West Ham a revenue loss of around £100m.

"Last season West Ham generated £228m, of which £133m was from broadcasting but that could fall to about £48m even with parachute payments and they will find it difficult to charge premium prices to sponsors and matchday fans."

A wage bill which dwarfs most Championship clubs is also a concern.

"Championship wages averaged £37m in 2025. West Ham's was well over four times that figure and averaged £75,000 per week [per player]," Maguire added.

"There could be job losses at the club as they are unlikely to need a large marketing, communications and back-office staff given the relative lack of interest from international markets in the Championship."

Their 62,500-seater ground, while an asset in the Premier League, could be a burden in the Championship.

"The cost of renting the stadium, which was about £4m in 2024-25, may fall if there is a relegation clause. But it is a large venue, so maintenance and general overheads will be substantial.

"And unless there is a very good start to the next season, there is a danger of empty seats too."

With London Stadium already the backdrop for fan protests against the running of the club under Sullivan and now former vice-chair Baroness Karren Brady, the decisions in the coming weeks and months will be crucial to the club's future.

Tottenham Hotspur teenage striker Mason Melia has received his first senior call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad for their upcoming friendlies against Qatar and Canada.

Heimir Hallgrimsson has also named four players from the League of Ireland in his 24-man squad, but there is no place for Lincoln City midfielder Jack Moylan, who scored a hat-trick on his debut in their 5-0 friendly win against Grenada on Saturday.

Melia broke through at St Patrick's Athletic in 2023, scoring 21 goals in 76 appearances in the League of Ireland before he moved to Spurs in January of this year for a fee of £1.6m.

The 18-year-old has scored three goals in his six caps for the Republic of Ireland under-21s.

Shamrock Rovers duo Ed McGinty and Adam Brennan are included for the first time alongside Bohemians midfielder Dawson Devoy and Cork City goalkeeper Conor Brann.

Lecce defender Corrie Ndaba, Newcastle United's Alex Murphy, Middlesbrough midfielder Alex Gilbert and Tondela's Joe Hodge have all also received their maiden call-ups while Benfica striker Jaden Umeh is again included after his club withdrew him from the squad for the Grenada friendly.

James Abankwah, Jayson Molumby and Chiedozie Ogbene are the only three players that were in the recent squad for the Murcia friendly to be retained.

Seamus Coleman, who recently announced his departure from Everton, is included for potentially the last time as he weighs up his future and potential retirement.

Hibernian striker Owen Elding has been invited to train with the squad but is not yet eligible to feature.

Hallgrimsson's side will face Qatar at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, 26 May before travelling to Montreal to take on World Cup co-hosts Canada on Saturday, 6 June.

Toko Koga's injury-time winner helps Tottenham complete a late comeback away win over Brighton, as the visitors seal a fifth place finish in the WSL with a 2-1 victory.

MATCH REPORT: WSL - Brighton 1-2 Tottenham

Chelsea have won 38 Premier League games against Tottenham. It’s the most they’ve beaten an opponent in the competition, while Spurs have only lost more against Manchester United (40).

Spurs have won just one of their last 35 away league games against Chelsea (D11 L23), a 3-1 win in April 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea have won their last five league games against Tottenham, only winning more in a row against them between January 2000 and March 2002 (6).

Chelsea haven’t lost their final home league game in any of the last 23 seasons (W16 D7), since a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in 2001-02.

Having won their final away league game in four consecutive seasons between 2020-21 and 2023-24, Spurs lost 2-0 at Aston Villa in their last game on the road last term.

Chelsea are winless in their last seven Premier League games (D1 L6), last having a longer run between December 1994 and February 1995 (10).

Chelsea have lost each of their last four Premier League home games – they’ve never lost five in a row at Stamford Bridge in their league history.

Tottenham have won their last two Premier League away games, last winning more consecutively between September and November 2020 (4).

Spurs have taken as many points from their last four Premier League games (8 – W2 D2) as they had in their previous 17 combined (W1 D5 L11). They’ve only conceded one goal in the opening 45 minutes of their five games under Roberto De Zerbi, having conceded in the first half in each of their previous 11.

Argentina defender Marcos Senesi will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires in the summer.

The 29-year-old centre-back will become a free agent after spending four years with the Cherries, who are currently sixth in the Premier League.

Senesi has been free to speak to European clubs about a free transfer since 1 January and is also exploring options to stay in England's top flight.

Bournemouth did offer the defender a new contract, but he will leave Vitality Stadium at the end of the season, as will manager Andoni Iraola.

"I'm proud of everything we achieved over the last four years," Senesi said. "I will look back at my time here with fond memories.

"For now, there are still two big games left of the season and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together."

Sixth would be Bournemouth's highest Premier League finish - and they need two more points to achieve a record points tally.

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Brighton & Hove Albion vs Tottenham Hotspur: Women's Super League stats & head-to-head  BBC

"Not in a million years" did Daniel Levy believe Tottenham would be fighting for Premier League survival this season after he stepped down as executive chairman in September.

Levy said "relegation was not something we ever considered" during his 25 years in the role, but a wretched run of form in 2026 saw them slip into the drop zone.

After taking eight points from the last 12, Spurs are now two points above third-bottom West Ham with two games remaining.

Levy was appointed a CBE in the New Year Honours list for his services to charity and the community.

Speaking following Wednesday's investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle he said he felt "emptiness" at the team's league position, but insisted he remained "optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League".

Asked if he saw any signs the club would end up in a relegation scrap, he added "never, no, not in a million years".

Levy oversaw the construction of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and although the team reached the 2019 Champions League final, the only trophies Spurs won during Levy's spell as executive chairman were the 2008 League Cup and last season's Europa League.

"What I would have hoped for is winning the Premier League, winning the Champions League... easier said than done," he added.