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Spurs face the devastating threat of relegation on the final day of the season

Celebration: Joao Palhinha fired Tottenham in front against Everton just before the interval

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Tottenham vs Everton LIVE!

It’s do or die for Spurs this afternoon in what could be the biggest game in the club’s history. In a scenario unthinkable just a few months ago, Spurs’ Premier League survival is on the line on the final day of the season. Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment as manager has kept them competitive, and they now must earn a point at home to Everton to avoid catastrophe.

Just a few days on from the one-year anniversary of Tottenham’s Europa League triumph - one of the greatest days in the club’s modern history - one of the Premier League’s ever-presents risks dropping into the second tier of English football for the first time in almost 50 years. A draw will be enough because of goal difference, and even a defeat would see them survive if West Ham do not win at home to Leeds.

Djed Spence for Randal Kolo Muani is De Zerbi’s only change from the midweek loss at Chelsea, while captain Cristian Romero is in attendance after returning from Argentina. David Moyes’ visitors are chasing a top-half finish and say farewell to Seamus Coleman, with Thierno Barry preferred to Beto up front. Follow Tottenham vs Everton live below!

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Tottenham 1-0 Everton

James Maddison and Archie Gray are about to come on for Spurs as they look to finish the job.

Sarr weaves his way into the box and falls under the challenge of Iroegbunam.

He wants a penalty, but ends up being booked for simulation instead.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Remember, a West Ham win will only keep them up if Spurs lose.

Tottenham can draw and still be fine due to their superior goal difference.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Off go Tel and Richarlison.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Everton are enjoying far more possession just at the moment, but are doing preciously little with it.

Still, De Zerbi will be eager to regain control, particularly with West Ham now leading against Leeds.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Standard Sport’s Sam Tabuteau at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Mathys Tel looks set to come off, with Randal Kolo Muani ready to take his place.

Dropped from the team after a frustrating performance against Chelsea, this is a big opportunity for Kolo Muani.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Standard Sport’s Sam Tabuteau at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

West Ham have taken the lead and all of a sudden Spurs' position does not seem quite as secure.

It is still all in their hands, but a goal for Everton now would raise the tension ten fold.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Everton have still not had a shot on target in this game.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Now then!

Things just got far more interesting in the relegation fight after Taty Castellanos headed home at the back post from a Jarrod Bowen corner to put West Ham in front against Leeds with 23 minutes to play.

A change in the atmosphere around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but no need to panic with this lead.

Even a draw would be enough remember if West Ham won, due to Spurs’ vastly superior goal difference.

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Tottenham 1-0 Everton

He’s eventually crowded out and Tel can’t find the space to get a clean shot off.

Changes are imminent from both De Zerbi and Moyes.

Tottenham 1-0 Everton

Nothing doing and the two midfielders shake hands, with Spurs goalscorer Palhinha back up and fine to continue.

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No bragging rights up for grabs as two fierce London rivalries face the ultimate indignity

Sam Tabuteau

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau

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It is almost a year to the day since more than 150,000 Tottenham supporters descended on north London to celebrate the club’s Europa League triumph.

It was on that day that then-manager Ange Postecoglu confidently declared that “season three is always better than season two”. Amid pressure on his job he sought to offer stability and hope.

However, 17 days after lifting the club’s first trophy in 17 years, Postecoglou was sacked. The mess that has ensued since can scarcely be believed.

Spurs will fight for Premier League survival on the final day, knowing that should they fail to beat Everton at home then they will open the door for West Ham to leapfrog them to safety.

The odds are in Spurs’ favour. Only seven times in the Premier League’s 34-year history have a team starting the final day in the relegation zone stayed up.

Spurs are still yet to avoid the drop as we head into the final day

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But the final day has a propensity to throw up a surprise. Nerves have crippled Spurs this season, the weight of relegation - a fate Spurs have not befallen in nearly 50 years - has weighed heavy.

In the most competitive league in the world the only guarantee is that there are none.

Two points clear of the relegation zone and hosting an Everton side with nothing but pride to play for, Spurs’ task appears straightforward.

Win and they are mathematically safe, draw and they are effectively safe due to their superior goal difference over West Ham.

Yet, with just two home league wins all season, and having squandered four points from winning positions in their last two games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home advantage is not something Spurs have come to rely on.

Unlike the relative perfection of a title race, the relegation battle is full of variables and uncertainty. West Ham are by no means sure to take advantage should Spurs slip up.

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Their mid-season renaissance - kickstarted at Spurs in January - has put them within shooting distance of safety, and for a brief period they were above Spurs and looking towards another season in the Premier League.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s tactical tweaks may have doomed West Ham

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That momentum has slowed, though, with West Ham having lost their last three games by an aggregate score of 7-1. They have been given a new lease on life, but only because Spurs have failed to get the job done.

Roberto De Zerbi says the “job is not finished yet” and he is trying every trick in the book to make sure his team are prepared mentally and physically for an emotionally charged final day.

The squad stayed together last night to prepare meetings and build “the right atmosphere” before they travel as a group to the stadium. Thousands will be there to meet them.

Ben Davies has also been staying at the Lodge, living quarters at the club’s Hotspur Way training ground where De Zerbi has been staying since he took charge, to assist the Italian more intensively.

One man De Zerbi may not be able to count on is captain Cristian Romero, who travelled to Argentina this week to continue his rehabilitation after suffering a season-ending knee injury against Sunderland last month.

According to Romero’s agent, the decision was arranged weeks in advance and the 28-year-old had done all he could to delay his departure to Argentina and support De Zerbi.

The Spurs boss has remained supportive of Romero, praising his influence around the squad and stating that the decision to leave for Argentina was made in accordance with the club’s medical staff.

There have since been reports that Romero has now returned to London, raising the possibility that he could be in attendance against Everton.

Roberto De Zerbi insists he is staying put whatever happens

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Ultimately, though, the lack of official communication around Romero’s absence has frustrated supporters and points to a wider issue - the increasing chasm between supporters and the club’s board.

Spurs’ issues will rumble on into the summer regardless of whether they stay up.

Supporters’ Group, Change for Tottenham, are planning a protest against the club’s board on the full-time whistle irrespective of the result.

Until then the focus is clear, Spurs are in a straight shootout for Premier League survival.

They must handle the pressure of the occasion and the pressure of a 60,000-strong crowd who will be baying for blood if the tide turns against their team.

De Zerbi has been living with the pressure of keeping Spurs in the Premier League, obsessing over every detail and determined to keep his focus while the outside noise builds.

It all boils down to today. There is no telling where Spurs go if they are consigned to relegation.

Simply put, this was not the plan 12 months ago when a heady and inebriated open top bus trawled down the Tottenham High Road promising the start of new beginnings.

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Spurs had the chance to secure their top-flight status with a game to spare against Chelsea in midweek, but lost 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. They remain favourites to stay up, however, as only two specific permutations will see West Ham leapfrog them on Sunday.

Burnley and Wolves are already long since relegated, while Leeds and Nottingham Forest have both pulled away from the battle at the bottom in recent weeks to ensure their safety. That leaves Spurs and West Ham fighting to finish above the dotted line.

Tottenham welcome David Moyes’ Everton to their corner of north London this weekend, with the 12th-place Toffees having little to play for aside from trying to secure a top-half finish.

West Ham’s opponents Leeds are safe up in 14th position after a strong finish to their first campaign back in the Premier League. It is worth noting that West Ham have lost twice to Leeds already this term, including a defeat on penalties in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the London Stadium back in March.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men hold the initiative with a two-point gap above 18th-placed West Ham. Their goal difference is also superior by some distance, sitting at -10 compared to West Ham’s -22. That provides Spurs with a bit of a cushion heading into Sunday.

The maths is simple for Tottenham: beat Everton at home and secure Premier League survival. However, that task might yet prove difficult, with Spurs winless at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League since December.

If Spurs can only draw with Everton, whom they beat 3-0 on Merseyside in October, then West Ham will require an enormous winning margin of 12 goals over Leeds in order to stay up.

While not technically impossible it is obviously extremely unlikely, and as such, the main permutation that will see Spurs go down for the first time since 1977 is if they lose to Everton and West Ham beat Leeds.

Victory for Tottenham at home to Everton will guarantee their Premier League status for another season, regardless of events across London. Defeat for Spurs will only be punished by relegation if West Ham win their game.

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Spurs need a result to avoid a stunning relegation

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Sam Tabuteau

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Roberto De Zerbi has confirmed that Dominic Solanke will be available for selection ahead of Tottenham’s relegation decider against Everton.

Solanke has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury sustained during last month’s win away to Wolves.

De Zerbi had said last week that he hoped to have Solanke available to play some part this weekend.

"Solanke is available, we have to decide if he starts in the first XI,” De Zerbi said on Friday afternoon.

De Zerbi added that they still had to assess the “physical condition” of James Maddison, who has seen his minutes off the bench steadily increase since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

“[James] Maddison is available. It's always tough to decide before the game how many minutes he can play.

“Of course, he's a different player, a top player for us, but we have to analyse the physical condition with this Italian weather.”

Djed Spence, meanwhile, is fit to play despite suffering a broken jaw during Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Back: Djed Spence

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The England right-back, who has been called up to Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, will play with a protective mask if called upon.

Cristian Romero remains out with a knee injury but will not be in attendance against Everton, having decided to continue his rehabilitation in Argentina.

De Zerbi has prioritised continuity since he took charge and named an unchanged starting lineup against Chelsea.

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Despite defeat at Stamford Bridge, it would not be unexpected for the Italian to once again opt not to make alterations to his team ahead of Everton’s visit.

Guglielmo Vicario is back fit and was on the bench against Chelsea. But the Italian goalkeeper is lacking match sharpness, and so it would be a risk to hand him his first start in two months in such a pivotal game.

De Zerbi appears to have settled on a midfield combination he likes, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha all starting the last three games.

He is therefore unlikely to make any changes in the middle of the park. Though he will have been impressed with Pape Matar Sarr’s cameo off the bench at Stamford Bridge.

Disappointment: Richarlison

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Injuries leave De Zerbi with little choice in attack, despite frustrating performances from Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani in west London.

With a decision to be made on Solanke’s fitness, Richarlison could continue to lead the line.

The Brazilian struggled for large parts against Chelsea before popping up with the goal that got Spurs back in the game and set up a nervy finish.

Spurs are two points above the relegation zone and know that a win against Everton will keep them up, while a draw will effectively secure safety due to their superior goal difference over West Ham.

Spurs would, however, be relegated if they lose to Everton and West Ham beat Leeds at the London Stadium.

Predicted Tottenham XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison

Injured: Davies, Kulusevski, Odobert, Kudus, Romero, Simons

Date and time: 4pm BST on Sunday, May 24, 2026

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

How to watch: Sky Sports

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The Spurs captain had been expected to be in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, with the north Londoners looking to secure Premier League survival on the final day of the season against Everton.

Instead, Romero was pictured at Belgrano’s training ground on Thursday, and De Zerbi has confirmed the 28-year-old will not return to England ahead of this weekend.

“He spoke with the medical staff, together they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with the Argentinian medical staff,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference.

“We spoke last week. With me, he showed always that he wanted to stay with us, the injury is already an injury and we have to accept it.

“I am not stupid. I want to be clear. I am not stupid. If I understand there is any player, or some player, who thinks for himself before the club, I can't be the same Roberto. But with Cuti Romero, I can't say nothing, because with me, in my time, he has been correct in the beginning, until now.

“I will answer you. The decision was with the medical staff, and I think he can't change nothing if Romero tomorrow is in the stadium or not. And finally, I have no time to lose energy, to lose thinking other things. We have to be focused just on the game, and I think we have the players good enough to achieve our target.”

Romero has been a visible presence off the pitch during De Zerbi’s time in charge and could be seen celebrating on the touchline as Mathys Tel scored the opening goal against Leeds last Monday.

But his decision to return to his native Argentina, where he has been training with Belgrano in preparation for the World Cup, has not gone down well with Spurs supporters.

The World Cup winner, whose Spurs future is in doubt heading into the summer, has been widely criticised for deciding not to attend arguably the biggest game in the club’s history.

De Zerbi says he understands supporter frustration, but added that the decision was made with the medical staff as Romero steps up his recovery ahead of the World Cup.

“The decision is with the medical staff. I have not time to lose energy, we have to be focused just on the game. We have players good enough to achieve our target.

“Not all leaders are the same. Ben Davies spoke with me and he asked to stay today to work with us and tomorrow we sleep in The Lodge, the hotel, and he wants to stay with the team, the team-mates, but Romero is preparing for the World Cup, he has an injury and for me nothing has changed.

“And then we have to think after tomorrow, we have to think everything is for the future, the best future of Tottenham.”

Asked if Romero has played his final game for Spurs, De Zerbi said: “I don't know ... After tomorrow there is no trophy, no bonus. There is more than that. There is the history of the club, the pride of the players and their families, the dignity of everyone.

“I can't lose energy on the future. I'm not stupid. I have clear ideas of what I want but there is a process.”

David Moyes says he "would love" to help West Ham avoid relegation when his Everton side visit Tottenham on the final day of the Premier League season.

Spurs need just one point at home to Everton on Sunday to secure their Premier League survival, while West Ham need to beat Leeds and hope for a helping hand from the Toffees.

Moyes has plenty of affinity for the Hammers, having twice managed the club. His second spell was a huge success, guiding the club to Conference League glory and a top-half finish in the Premier League.

West Ham have been proven wrong to get rid of Moyes, with their league performances only worsening in the two years since, but Moyes holds no hard feelings.

His biggest job at hand, though, is not West Ham's survival but rather Everton's exploits.

Everton have not secured a top-half finish in the league for five seasons, and a win will be required to match that feat on Sunday.

"I would love to keep West Ham in the league if I can do, but it is more important I get Everton that top-half finish."

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