The Mirror

Games are running out for teams at the foot of the Premier League to save themselves with Tottenham and West Ham trading places following a huge victory for Roberto De Zerbi's men

Nottingham Forest were the big winners of the weekend in the Premier League relegation battle as they all but clinched safety with a stunning 3-1 triumph at Chelsea.

And with Tottenham also recording a seismic away win over Aston Villa, it's West Ham who are now staring relegation in the face after dropping back into the bottom three just as the sand in the hourglass begins to run dry.

Forest have managed to put daylight between themselves and the two beleaguered London clubs in recent weeks as a result of an upturn in form which has been timed almost to perfection. Few, though, would have been expecting an afternoon to remember in the capital when Vitor Pereira made eight changes to the side that beat Aston Villa in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final in midweek.

But they were leading inside 90 seconds at Stamford Bridge courtesy of Taiwo Awoniyi. And they were two goals to the good on 15 minutes when Igor Jesus diligently dispatched a penalty kick after Malo Gusto mindlessly dragged back the Brazilian's strike partner inside the area.

Cole Palmer spurned a golden opportunity to get Chelsea back into it before half-time when he failed to convert another spot-kick, given after a sickening clash of heads involving the unfortunate Jesse Derry in the Forest area.

And Awoniyi took full advantage by adding a third for Forest early in the second half to nudge them six points ahead of West Ham with three games left to play.

The weekend started badly for the Hammers, who were poor in defeat against Brentford. And things got even worse on Sunday night when Tottenham picked the perfect time to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time since August 2025, beating a much-changed Aston Villa team 2-1.

While Forest now look out of reach for West Ham, albeit not quite so mathematically, Nuno Espirito Santo's side are still in touching distance with Tottenham.

But with a trio of challenging games remaining, Spurs could retain their Premier League status without picking up another point unless West Ham can muster up something special between now and their home finale against Leeds.

As it is, Forest can almost taste safety. It also now feels like Spurs sense a route to it after weeks of darkness. For West Ham, it's now a case of hoping they can engineer one last twist to spare them from doom.

GAMES REMAINING

Nottingham Forest: Newcastle (H), Man Utd (A), Bournemouth (H)

Tottenham: Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Everton (H)

West Ham: Arsenal (H), Newcastle (A), Leeds (H)

There was a major change of direction in the Premier League relegation battle this weekend and emotions are running high.

West Ham's 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Brentford on Saturday opened the door for Tottenham and they accepted the invitation. Roberto De Zerbi's side came out swinging on Sunday, racing into a 2-0 lead at Aston Villa before conceding a late consolation goal.

Spurs' second straight win moved them one point ahead of the Hammers into 17th place with three games left to play. Tottenham were full of energy and good value for their win, yet Villa's flat performance and third straight loss raised eyebrows.

With Villa fairly comfortable in fifth place and prioritising the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest, Unai Emery made seven changes to his side. That decision perhaps played into the hands of Spurs and, for some, raised questions of sporting integrity.

So was there something untoward about the scenes at Villa Park on Sunday? Or was it a simple case of squad rotation? Here the Mirror Football writers give their take on the issue.

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John Cross

Let's be absolutely clear: Aston Villa’s so-called “performance” on Sunday night was probably the worst I’ve seen from a Premier League team this season. And yes, I’ve watched a lot of games. And if I’m Nottingham Forest or West Ham then I would be screaming: that stinks.

Tottenham were excellent. The best I’ve seen them play by far. They thoroughly deserved to win. But Villa did make it easy for them. They made seven changes. Would Spurs have won if Villa had not been playing the stiffs? Maybe. But the fact is we’ll never know.

We’ll never know whether in the second half a first teamer would be caught offside in Sunday League fashion at a short corner routine. Or whether they would have chased the ball Jadon Sancho gave up on. It’s clear he won’t be playing Thursday.

Here’s the thing. There’s more onus on relegation-threatened Forest to get a result at Chelsea on Monday. And that’s three days ahead of Forest’s Europa League semi final second leg at… you’ve guessed it: Aston Villa. Forest can’t rest any players. That’s why we’re using the word integrity.

West Ham sank into the bottom three after Villa rested seven players. How can that be right? During the game a contact from another club - with absolutely no skin in the game - messaged me about it. Could see it a mile off. Afterwards, an ex-player got in touch. “What about Forest?”

People in the game know the score. Emery will argue he's within his rights to make changes. But my God, he’d be moaning if he was Forest boss. It’s not right.

Jeremy Cross

Unai Emery is the manager of Aston Villa. Which means he can pick whatever side he wants, for whatever game he wants. He is paid the big bucks to make decisions which are in the best interests of his team.

And if he thinks resting some of his stars will give Villa a better chance of overcoming Nottingham Forest in the semi finals of the Europa League this week, then so be it. Because if Villa can go on and win the Europa League, it will be a much bigger achievement than finishing in the top four.

Villa will have another European trophy to boast about, not to mention be in the Champions League. Emery is being selfish. Which makes all those complaining about him damaging the integrity of the Premier League, one of the greatest ironies of all. Because when it comes to the top flight of English football, every club takes care of itself at all costs.

Andy Dunn

The Premier League allows clubs to lend players to each other and has a rule that forbids certain players from playing in certain games. The Premier League allows TV companies to dictate its schedule. The Premier League brought 115 charges against Manchester City over three years ago and there has still been no outcome.

Let’s not talk integrity.

Unai Emery was well within his rights to field a team that showed seven changes from the game at the City Ground last Thursday night. After all, Villa were pretty poor in that first leg. He is allowed to drop a few. The performance level from the players he brought in for the game against Spurs might have been unacceptable but his decisions were not.

He was entitled to make those decisions but they have backfired significantly. This Villa squad now goes into the second leg devoid of confidence. Still, at least Emery has done Spurs a favour.

James Whaling

Villa were awful. Abject. It happens. But the fact they made seven changes makes it seems a whole lot worse. Unai Emery picked a team flooded with internationals that was more than capable of beating a Spurs side languishing at the wrong end of the table.

Those who perhaps haven't seen as much game time as they'd have liked this season had an opportunity to stake a claim and they wasted it. Emery knows what he's doing. He's won the Europa League four times before and Villa are favourites to give him a fifth.

The wider debate should probably be on the over saturation of football that made Emery deem it necessary to make such sweeping changes. This has only been brought into sharper focus because it affected Spurs and their bid to stay in the division and avoid what would be the biggest relegation in the history of the Premier League.

Emery doubtless did them a favour. But he shouldn't have to answer to anybody.

Conor Mummery

This is not the first time a team has made changes for a Premier League game ahead of a big European tie, and it won't be the last. It is, however, the first time a team with the opportunity to have a big hand in sending Tottenham Hotspur down to the Championship has done so.

West Ham fans are naturally unhappy about Emery's selections given the result sent them back into the bottom three, but they were more understanding when David Moyes made six changes for the Hammers' 2-1 defeat at Leicester back in 2023, 10 days before their Conference League triumph in Prague.

If Aston Villa had made similar changes for a match against Crystal Palace or Sunderland, it would've gone largely unnoticed in comparison. But fans want Spurs down. And it's understandable. Seeing a 'Big Six' side in genuine danger of being relegated to the Championship is unprecedented and opposition supporters are naturally revelling in it.

Villa fielded as many regular starters in their line-up as Spurs did. The difference being the decision was taken out of Roberto De Zerbi's hands given Tottenham's ludicrous injury crisis. If fans want to criticise Emery's players for a perceived lack of effort and having one eye on Thursday's huge semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest, that's another debate. But to question the Villa manager's integrity for rotating his team four days out from one of the club's biggest games in the modern era is disingenuous at best.

Felix Keith

Oliver Glasner made five changes to his Crystal Palace side to face Bournemouth on Sunday. They were thrashed 3-0 and no-one seemed to mind, given the second leg of their Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk is around the corner. “Bournemouth’s semi-final was today. Ours is Thursday," Glasner admitted afterwards.

To my mind, the situation is exactly the same, it's just that Palace weren't playing a side involved in the relegation battle. But what makes it even more ridiculous is that, as Emery himself pointed out in his post-match interview, Villa had lost their last two matches ahead of facing Spurs.

Why shouldn't Emery change things up after watching back-to-back 1-0 losses against Fulham in the league and Forest in the Europa League? It's not like he put out a team of academy players. It's a complete non-issue.

Nathan Ridley

I can understand why West Ham and Nottingham Forest fans might feel frustrated, but Aston Villa did nothing wrong. Unai Emery's side have earned the right to prioritise the Europa League by giving themselves breathing room in fifth place.

If they get knocked out by Forest on Thursday and finish outside of the Champions League places, then questions can be asked. But not in relation to the relegation battle.

Whoever Villa were scheduled to play on Sunday would've faced a rotated team. The opposition happened to be Tottenham - just like when it was Brentford who got the benefit of facing a weakened West Ham XI between the Irons' Conference League semi-final fixtures in 2023. It's just how the cookie crumbles.

The only problem West Ham and Forest supporters should have is with their own results over the course of the whole season.

Roberto De Zerbi has led Spurs to back-to-back wins and the North London side are now favourites to escape the drop into the Championship ahead of next season

Roberto De Zerbi saw Tottenham take a huge step towards Premier League survival - but warned they are still a long way from safety.

Conor Gallagher scored his first goal for Spurs since his £35m move from Atletico Madrid in January with Richarlison also on target against a much-changed Aston Villa side.

The win lifted Tottenham out of the relegation zone above West Ham with just three games left but De Zerbi warned they cannot get carried away after their first back-to-back league wins since August.

Spurs boss De Zerbi said: “Nothing because the season is not finished yet. We have to play another three games starting next Monday night with Leeds, they are playing very well.

“We can't forget what the situation was before Wolves. It was a very sad situation and these memories have to stay in our heads. I'm pleased with this performance from my players. I know how much they have suffered this season.

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“We played very well when we had to attack the space or to shoot. I love playing football. My job is to help them and show what they are capable of.”

Tottenham’s wins at Wolves and now Villa have lifted them and De Zerbi says he wants to reward the fans in their two remaining home games against Leeds and Everton.

De Zerbi added: “Just one time we have played at home and the atmosphere was amazing in the stadium. I think it was a mental problem and these two wins, I hope we can play with more confidence and better mentality."

Tottenham goal scorer Gallagher said: “We’re really happy with the performance and the three points. It's been a perfect night but hopefully it's just the start. We want to carry it on for the last few games of the season.

"It's a good goal. I'm really happy with my first goal. It's always a relief to get the first goal and hopefully a few more can come now.

“The fans have had a really rough time this season, along with us. We're all one. Hopefully, this can be the start of something great.”

Gallagher also hailed De Zerbi’s impact on the team and added: “I can't speak highly enough of him. He's been so good. Every player in the squad has taken to him; he makes you feel so good. He brings the best out of you.”

Meanwhile, Villa boss Unai Emery defended the wholesale changes he made and insisted he wanted to shake things up after two straight defeats.

Emery said: “We lost on Thursday. We lost the previous match against Fulham. Maybe it’s better to continue with the same players - but we lost. But some of the players who came in had a challenge.

“We made changes a few weeks ago and you were not asking me then because we won. If people do not believe in these players then there is nothing I can do.

“But these are the players who won 11 games in a row and I am very proud of the players this season.”

Emery also said that he did not want to “take any risk” by using John McGinn ahead of their Europa League semi final second leg against Nottingham Forest on Thursday.

ASTON VILLA 1-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: Spurs gave their hopes of surviving relegation from the Premier League a huge boost as Unai Emery's men were booed off the pitch following a dismal performance

This was an absolute gift for Tottenham - and a present which may help them stay up. In fairness, Tottenham were excellent as you could see Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi’s methods are taking shape as they looked hungry, sharp and dangerous.

But Aston Villa were so bad it was embarrassing. The Villa Park faithful booed their team off at half time, full time and vented their frustrations throughout a dreadful display.

Penny for West Ham’s thoughts? Villa made seven changes, they rotated their squad between the two Europa League semi final ties with Nottingham Forest and the regulars who did play barely lifted a leg.

The win meant Tottenham leapfrogged above West Ham, climbed out of the relegation zone and now Spurs look clear favourites to survive with just three games left each.

These are the breaks at this stage of the season with some players already on the beach and other clubs prioritising different competitions.

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But Villa’s lack of interest was shameful. They did not manage an effort on target until Emiliano Buendia’s 96th minute consolation by which time it was too late. This raises questions about integrity. If you are West Ham or Forest you have every right to be fuming.

The Hammers are now in the drop zone and Villa’s surrender also means struggling Forest’s trip to Chelsea on Monday will take on greater importance just three days before their second leg with Villa.

It this was one hell of a lucky break for Spurs who have now strung back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since August.

Last week it was a scrappy, ugly win at Wolves. This time it flowed as they played some good stuff but Villa just stood off and there was no hint of any pressing or tackling.

No wonder the atmosphere inside Villa Park felt rather toxic at times. Unai Emery has got plenty of credit in the bank with Villa fans but it was little wonder most home fans had left before the final whistle.

Furthermore, Villa have yet to secure Champions League football themselves yet. If they keep playing like this then they will not get another point.

In contrast, Tottenham were sharp, fired up and tearing into tackles. They looked on a totally different level to Villa. It is no wonder that the likes of Jadon Sancho, Ross Barkley and Victor Lindelof do not start very often.

Tottenham were at it from the off. Tottenham were ahead after just 12 minutes. And it rather appropriately came from Conor Gallagher with his first goal for Spurs since he turned down Villa to join Tottenham for £35m in January.

Kevin Danso’s long throw was headed clear by Youri Tielemans but it fell to Gallagher who controlled the ball on the edge of the box and then had time to steady himself before firing low into the net from 20 yards.

It was nearly two five minutes later. Joao Palhinha’s low shot required a brilliant low diving save from Martinez to push the ball onto the post. Richarlison did then make it 2-0 after 25 minutes with a close range header from Mathys Tel’s lovely cross.

Villa were no better after the restart. When a short corner routine ended with an offside flag going up, there were audible groans. Sancho simply gave up on a pass forward. It was embarrassing.

Villa did finally create something deep into injury time. Matty Cash’s cross was flicked in by Bunedia but it was too little too late and it was never going to stop the wild celebrations in the away end.

Fair play, the long-suffering Spurs fans have been magnificent all season.

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Tottenham's fight to avoid relegation continues to be an uphill battle in the Premier League and will be harder as Roberto De Zerbi faces Unai Emery's

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur meet at Villa Park on Sunday with very different priorities, but both arrive off the back of 1-0 results. Villa return to Premier League duty after losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, while Spurs beat Wolves 1-0 to claim a first league win of 2026 and lift their survival hopes.

The bookies are expecting a clear winner in this one with Villa the favourites at 11/10 BetGoodwin while Spurs are 21/10 Ladbrokes to keep their survival hopes alive and a draw is 12/5 with Sky Bet. You can also find more betting offers at the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers.

Tottenham remain 18th and two points from safety, but recent improvement is clear: four points from their last two matches matches what they managed across the previous 13. Under Roberto De Zerbi, Spurs are also winning the ball higher up the pitch and posting stronger pressing numbers than they did under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor. They now have the chance to record back-to-back league wins for only the second time this season, and their away form has been respectable, with only six sides taking more points on the road.

Villa, by contrast, are in danger of suffering three consecutive defeats in all competitions for the first time this season, after last weekend’s league loss to Fulham followed by the Forest setback in Europe. However, they are still well placed for a top-five finish, sitting eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton, and could even seal Champions League qualification this weekend if results elsewhere fall their way — provided they do their part by beating Spurs. Their case is boosted by a four-game home winning run.

Unai Emery’s side also have recent dominance in the fixture, winning each of the last four meetings with Tottenham in all competitions, including 2-1 victories away from home in the league and FA Cup this season. Villa have had the upper hand over Tottenham throughout the campaign and start the weekend 13 places and 24 points better off. Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 in October’s meeting in London and could edge another tight victory at Villa Park.

Aston Villa vs Spurs Prediciton

Leeds to win and both teams to score - 19/10 ( BetGoodwin )

Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score anytime - 3/4 ( BetGoodwin )

Over 2.5 goals - 4/6 ( BetGoodwin )

Aston Villa vs Spurs Team News

Tottenham’s win at Wolves came at a cost, with Xavi Simons suffering an ACL injury that has ended his season. Spurs also have a fresh concern over Dominic Solanke, whose hamstring issue could rule him out for the remainder of the campaign. Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Guglielmo Vicario all remain sidelined, but Destiny Udogie is back in contention after missing out at Molineux with a knock.

Aston Villa have also been hit by a new setback, with Amadou Onana picking up a calf injury against Nottingham Forest after recently being troubled by a knee problem. Unai Emery has confirmed he will miss Sunday’s game, leaving Boubacar Kamara as Villa’s only other injury concern. With a top-five finish close to being secured, Emery may rotate with the Europa League in mind, potentially handing starts to players such as Ian Maatsen, Jadon Sancho and Lamare Bogarde.

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Luka Vuskovic has yet to make a single appearance for Tottenham Hotspur, but the young defender's transfer value has reportedly increased since joining the club

Luka Vuskovic's market value appears to have risen significantly despite not yet pulling on a Tottenham Hotspur shirt. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at German side Hamburger SV, having joined the Bundesliga club last summer following his official registration as a Spurs player.

Tottenham struck a deal to bring Vuskovic to the club back in 2023 when he was just 16 and plying his trade at Hajduk Split, with the defender eventually making the move to north London last summer.

Upon completing his switch to Spurs, Vuskovic joined Hamburger SV on loan to clock up vital first-team minutes, and his transfer value has increased considerably as a result.

The CIES Football Observatory have run the numbers and concluded that Vuskovic's current market value sits somewhere between €42million (£36.3million) and €49million (£42.3million).

The same organisation reported back in August last year that Vuskovic's worth was approximately €37.8million (£32.7million), representing a potential £9.6million jump in just eight months — all without featuring once for Tottenham.

Vuskovic is expected to return to Spurs this summer, though his future remains uncertain given the club's precarious league position.

Tottenham currently sit 18th in the Premier League, occupying the final place in the relegation zone with four games remaining. They sit two points behind West Ham and face Aston Villa on Sunday as they bid to move themselves clear of the drop zone.

Vuskovic has also been dealing with an injury during his loan stint at Hamburg, spending three weeks on the treatment table with a knee problem.

The young centre-back has reportedly been struggling with a 'knee contusion', but Hamburger SV manager Merlin Polzin recently delivered an encouraging update on Vuskovic's condition, with the defender participating in a light recovery session.

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"First of all, this is really good: sunshine, Luka is here. Wonderful," Polzin said.

"It gives me a good feeling that the pain has subsided."

Vuskovic marked his comeback from injury as a late substitute during Hamburg's 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, which represented the defender's 28th appearance across all competitions during his loan stint this season.

Vuskovic will also have his sights set on representing Croatia at this summer's World Cup, with the 19-year-old having already featured four times for his nation ahead of the tournament across the Atlantic, which kicks off next month.

Tottenham have endured a woeful season and remain under real threat of relegation to the Championship and former star Tim Sherwood believes it could get even worse for the North London side

Tim Sherwood has warned Tottenham could fall as low as League One should they drop out of the Premier League. The North London side have endured a miserable season this term.

They languish in the relegation zone, two points behind West Ham United, with just four games of the season remaining. And former Spurs player and manager Sherwood has real concern that it could get even worse should they not stabilise themselves off the pitch.

Speaking to BOYLE Sports, he said: “It's a worry, it depends on who's in charge of recruitment and running of the club. For me to give an educated answer on if they will go back up, for the people who are running the club at the moment, there'll be no guarantees.

“If a football person went in and ran the club, then yes, they should have the resources and deserve to be in charge to bounce straight back. But if you don't bounce straight back straight away, it becomes very difficult, as you said.

“There's giant clubs who have been down there and stayed down there for many, many years. Tottenham will be back. They're not down yet. If they go down, they will be back.

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“And it needs to be on the first attempt, in my opinion. And I think it's the club capable of doing that. But you need to change the decision makers to be able to do that.

“Leicester just shows you what can happen if your club's poorly run. And that is Leicester. Even though the club's poorly run, I look around their squad at the moment, they should never be in a relegation battle in the Championship. It's a real crying shame.

“A team that had so much success down the years, not only the Premier League win but the FA Cup win as well. Incredible what they achieved, and it's just mind-boggling to imagine that team in League One. Only 10 years ago, they were lifting that big trophy. Poor management, not on the pitch, but off the pitch.”

Only five teams have ever suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League in the history of the division - Leicester becoming the most recent of those. They followed Luton Town, who ended up in the third tier last year just 12 months after dropping out of the Premier League. Others include Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Swindon Town.

Spurs were given a huge boost in avoiding that fate on Saturday, with West Ham slipping to a 3-0 defeat to Brentford. Roberto De Zerbi’s side take on Aston Villa on Sunday, with Leeds, Tottenham and Everton all to come before the end of the season.

Roberto De Zerbi has hit out at the perceived negativity surrounding Tottenham as they attempt to leapfrog West Ham and survive relegation from the Premier League

Roberto De Zerbi began his press conference ahead of Tottenham's crucial trip to Aston Villa on Sunday by launching into a passionate four-minute rant about the negativity surrounding the club.

Spurs travel to fifth-placed Villa desperate for a win, with a two-point gap between them and 17th-placed West Ham. De Zerbi ended a 16-game winless run in the Premier League with a vital 1-0 win over bottom side Wolves last weekend, but the result came at a cost.

They have lost Xavi Simons to a serious knee injury, while Dominic Solanke also had to be substituted with a hamstring issue. It means they are currently without 10 players for their relegation scrap. But De Zerbi is determined that his players and the fanbase only look forward.

"Listen, I want to be clear one time," he said when asked about injuries at the start of his press conference on Friday. "The most important challenge now is to silence the voice inside of us, inside of the players, inside of the staff and inside of the fans. This voice can produce negative thoughts.

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"The voice says, ‘we are unlucky, we have too many injuries, we lost Xavi Simons and he was the last two games one of the best players and most important players for us, our medical staff is not good enough and the pitch of the stadium is not good, the pitch of the training ground is not good, it is impossible to win two or three games in a row because we have not won too many games in 2026,’ I think it is all negative things. And it is rubbish because I want to keep my focus on yourself and the quality of my players.

"We go to play against one of the best teams in this moment in Premier League, we have a big respect for [Unai] Emery as a coach, but if Tottenham win in Villa Park, it is not a miracle. Maybe we lose, I don’t know but we have the quality to win this game and it is not a miracle, so I think we have to be positive and to be lucky because we are working in a big club.

"If Solanke and Xavi are injured, we can play with [Randal] Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and I think they are not worse players. They are different as characters, but are very good players. We have Pedro Porro, we have [Destiny] Udogie, we have Micky van de Ven, we have [Rodrigo] Bentancur, we have Palhinha, we have [Conor] Gallagher and Gallagher two! For that all these things and I have not too much to listen and to hear this (negative) things."

He added: "We have to die on the pitch and to die on the pitch we have to lose the game. Before we lose the game we have to play, we have to fight and we have two points less than West Ham but West Ham have to play difficult games as well like us.

"For that, okay it is not the best moment for us, it is a tough moment, a difficult moment, but the losers cry. The losers think negative. I don’t want people close to me crying or to think in different way to me.

"We are good enough to win the games, and we are good enough to stay up. And then we will see, because it's the unique way I know. The way I know is to work hard, to give my best, to transfer my idea of the players, the confidence of the players, and to be realistic. I think there are not a lot of people realistic now."