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The English Premier League season is done and dusted before the hearts and minds of the football world become engulfed by this year’s World Cup, it is time for reflection.

The 2025/26 season was a truly wild one with Arsenal ending their 22-year drought as champions, while their fiercest rivals Tottenham flirted with relegation until the final day of the season.

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The two north London clubs copped plenty of criticism across the course of the season, but in the end Arsenal certainly had the last laugh.

While Tottenham can breathe a big sigh of relief despite many pundits arguing that Spurs’ hierarchy deserved to face the drop following years of poor decision making.

Liverpool delivered a timid defence of the title they won in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.

Frustrations at Anfield have led to fingers being pointed at botched transfer windows as well as their Dutch manager, who suffered from a bad case of the second year blues.

Adding to the angst on Merseyside was the re-emergence of Manchester United.

The Red Devils turned the corner under now permanent boss Michael Carrick and the future is looking a lot brighter at Old Trafford.

Big six club Tottenham and Chelsea flopping once again allowed for middleweight clubs to surge up the table and secure European football for next season.

Here are the biggest talking points from the end of the Premier League season!

TOTTENHAM’S OWNERS DESERVED RELEGATION

Arguably the story of the season was Tottenham’s relegation battle.

Spurs avoided the drop with three wins and a draw in their final five games of the season.

Instead, London rivals West Ham are headed to the Championship, finishing two points behind Tottenham.

On the final day of the season West Ham fans mourned a disastrous campaign and projected their anger towards the club’s hierarchy at the London Stadium, chanting to them ‘you sold our soul for this s***hole’.

The shoe could have easily been on the other front.

Tottenham supporters celebrated that they would remain in the top flight with a 1-0 win against Everton and their $1 billion stadium, but Spurs fans have certainly not forgotten their frustrations with their club’s ownership.

Australian manager Ange Postecoglou was sacked at the beginning of the season despite ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought with a Europa League triumph because of finishing 17th in the Premier League.

Tottenham bosses stressed that with Champions League football secured they wanted to compete on all fronts rather than sacrifice one competition for the benefit of another like Postecoglou.

They certainly have egg on their faces now.

Postecoglou’s team was never seriously threatened with relegation like this season’s squad under Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and Roberto De Zerbi were.

Tottenham made it to the Round of 16 in the Champions League before they were humbled by Atletico Madrid, but the reality of their campaign stood in stark contrast to the pre-season expectations placed on the club.

“Rewind to just over a year ago and Spurs released a video on the club’s YouTube channel in which (Daniel) Levy, the former chairman, and (Vinai) Venkatesham, the chief executive, went on a smarm offensive about their shared love of red wine and boldly declared: ‘We want to win the Premier League. We want to win the Champions League. We want to win.’,” The Telegraph’s Matt Law wrote.

“Had it not been for a João Palhinha goal and a stunning save from Antonin Kinsky against Everton on Sunday, then Tottenham might have been contemplating trying to win the Championship next season.

“Levy and Venkatesham’s sound bites proved to be nothing more than delusional drivel and both men should cringe with embarrassment if they ever watch it back. The video was released less than a month after Tottenham had sacked their first winner in 17 years and replaced him with a man who had never won a trophy and had never managed in the Champions League.

“If ever there was a wrong man at the wrong time, then it was Thomas Frank at Tottenham. He is a talented coach and an impressive individual, but Spurs were the worst fit possible for somebody who had come from such a settled and supportive environment at Brentford.

“Levy, Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange were delusional in their belief that Frank could somehow pick up where Ange Postecoglou had left off by winning the Europa League. They conveniently forgot the squad the Dane inherited had finished 17th in the Premier League table and had, along with supporters, been desperate for Postecoglou to stay.”

The final month of the season has been a sugar hit for Tottenham, but there is no hiding the reality of where they are at.

Back-to-back 17th place finishes without financially lucrative European football means they start 2026/27 under immense pressure.

“Is it too far to say that they’ve been pathetic? That they should be ashamed of themselves? Probably not,” Manchester United great Gary Neville said on Sky Sports.

Neville added: “Now they know for real, having escaped today, they can start to basically drive a bulldozer through that dressing room because that’s what they need to do.

“The actions out on the pitch speak a lot louder than words. To dare is to do - do they dare to do, these players? I don’t think so. Are they always together? No, I don’t think so.

“Is there a connection right through the club? No, we hear that the owners have been trying to sell this club for two or three, four years now, trying to get as high a price as possible.

“They’ve done a great job in certain ways with certain things that they’ve built, in infrastructure terms, but they failed the fans on the pitch - that is most important.

“There’s got to be a massive reset; there’s got to be an autopsy that goes really deep, right the way through the club.

“When you’re owners of a football club - and I’m an owner of a football club - sometimes you have to start by looking in the mirror yourself.

“Success sometimes doesn’t come in a football club because of the decisions that you [the owner] make, because of what you do. Not because of what the fans, what the players, or what the coaches do.

“I mean, appointing Igor Tudor and having to sack him within a few weeks - didn’t feel right, that appointment, from day one, did it? It just didn’t connect.

“Sacking Ange Postecoglou and bringing in Thomas Frank, someone who’s highly respected, bringing in Igor Tudor, now bringing De Zerbi in.

“What a rollercoaster of a season. [The owners] have lost a lot of credibility and trust. You can see the signs that are up against the owners and I’m not surprised.”

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LIVERPOOL TRANSFER PRESSURE AS SLOT IN THE GUN

After winning the title last season and winning their first five games of this campaign, Liverpool fans would have laughed at someone if they suggested the Reds would just cling onto a Champions League place late in the season.

Fifth-placed Liverpool’s season quickly suffered a downward spiral with new signings like Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike failing to make an immediate impact.

While Mohamed Salah’s form fell away, the Egyptian king fell out with Arne Slot and he farewelled Anfield on the final day of the season.

Liverpool are reportedly targeting 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomand as their Salah replacement.

It is one of several holes they need to fill in a team that was booed off the pitch multiple times in the second half of the season.

“There’s lots of things wrong with this Liverpool team. Nothing’s working or functioning going forward or defending. But the biggest thing that stands out for me that Liverpool have lost is the press,” Reds great Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports in March.

“And pressing, for Liverpool, was not just a Jurgen Klopp thing; he took it to a completely different level than what we’ve seen Liverpool teams do in the past, there’s no doubt about that, but the whole point of people saying it’s tough going to Anfield is not because Liverpool are always amazing on the ball or have got the best players in the world, it’s because it’s a tight pitch, the crowd are on top of you and Liverpool get after you.

“That is something that is sorely lacking. For me, that is the biggest problem with Liverpool right now.

“I’ve been asking myself all season: is this down to the manager or is it the profile of the player?

“I think Liverpool’s hierarchy will be sat there thinking ‘We won the league last season, and when we recruited, we think we recruited better players than we had before’. You could argue that, talent-wise, but Liverpool are not a team - they are a team of individuals.

“Quality players, yes, but they’ve just been dropped in. There’s no cohesion. That’s what they’ve lost, and that is the most important thing for Liverpool.

“I never think of Liverpool as this fancy team with superstar players; it’s always been about top players, but being a team.”

Many supporters have pointed the finger at Slot, but multiple reports have stated that the Dutchman will keep his job.

Liverpool lost 20 games across all competitions this season - their worst tally this century.

Slot is reportedly going to be aided by the acquisition of Etienne Reijnen, who was his assistant at Feyenoord and is allegedly a set piece specialist.

Ballon d’Or winner and Liverpool great Michael Owen is “a little bit torn” on Slot’s future, however, and many Reds people feel the same way.

“To win the league in your first year, that should buy you a lot of points. But this year has been pretty poor,” Owen told The Mirror.

“I do feel sorry for him in a way that there have been injuries, and not all signings will be the manager’s.

“But I think the style of play is what is irking the Liverpool fans. They are used to being entertained in the last decade, they are used to high-energy... a lot of people use the word and even Mo Salah said it in his statement the other day, heavy metal type of football.

“And they are seeing more of a slow, boring... they are not on the edge of their seats at Anfield this season and it’s been pretty depressing. I would be, after winning the league, qualifying for the Champions League, hesitant to pull the trigger just yet.

“However, I understand people that say if things don’t change after 10 or 15 games next year, then the season is virtually written off and you have wasted another year. I do get that.

“But who is out there? I’m not sure. I would probably continue with him. Probably. But I would be easily swayed if things started badly next year.

“Then the problem is obviously all the good managers are snapped up at the start of the year, so then you are potentially looking at leftovers during the season, and that’s not a position that Liverpool want to be in.

“Come November or something, if they are making a change, it’s like, where do you go then?

“It’s almost like you’d write a year off and that’s the bit that’s niggling at the back of my mind.”

ARSENAL: HOW GUNNERS PREDICTED DROUGHT-BREAKING TITLE

Mikel Arteta’s side copped a lot of flack this season for their style of play.

‘Set Piece FC’ was the moniker routinely thrown away as a result of their strength from corners and free kicks.

Others were a lot harsher in their criticism.

“Earlier this year, Paul Scholes said they would be the “worst Premier League title winners ever”. The notion that Arsenal do not have a clear enough ‘Premier League Player of the Season’ winner has been used as a stick to bash the Gunners with,” Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz wrote.

“It follows criticism throughout the season about their style - the comments made by Fabian Hurzeler about Arsenal’s time-wasting in March appearing to be the height of those complaints. Arteta sarcastically responded: “What a surprise” - a sign he was getting fed up of the criticism of his team.

“Even in the days since their title win was confirmed, there have been plenty of comments on social media about how ‘VARsenal’ won the title due to fortunate refereeing decisions.

“It included Liverpool head coach Arne Slot having a thinly-veiled dig at Arteta’s Arsenal this week. “Congratulations to them,” he said. “But for me they have been a different champion to the last 10 seasons. It is the first time in 30 years that 40 per cent of goals had come from set pieces.”

Despite how it looks on the pitch, how it came to be off it was a stroke of genius.

Mocked for three straight runner-up finishes before this breakthrough title triumph, Arsenal carefully plotted that now would be the time to strike.

“Years before Arsenal would become champions again, the club’s decision-makers identified what they believed could be a rare opportunity in the Premier League’s competitive cycle,” The Athletic’s James McNicholas wrote.

“After a rigorous analysis of rival squads, contract lengths, age profiles and managerial timelines, they projected a “win window” between 2023 and 2027 — a period in which Manchester City and Liverpool, winners of the past eight titles between them, might finally loosen the grip on the division.

“Everything Arsenal subsequently did was built around that calculation.”

They promoted players from their academy like Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly as well as targeting other youngsters like Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe.

The Gunners then complimented their young crop with targeted acquisitions of the likes of Jurrien Timber, David Raya and club-record signing Declan Rice.

They also stressed the need for managerial stability in the form of Arteta when others may experience change.

“Arsenal anticipated potential managerial changes at rival clubs, foreseeing the departure of Jurgen Klopp from Liverpool, among others,” McNicholas added.

“They projected the age curves for players such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne. It wasn’t a perfectly accurate prediction, but it provided the hierarchy with a framework. Player recruitment was then aligned to these forecasts, enabling Arsenal to assemble a squad designed to peak just as their rivals started to fade.

“Naturally, tweaks and adjustments have been required. There were near misses. Those three consecutive second-place finishes between 2023 and 2025 suggested they were close, but needed more. With Arsenal’s projected opportunity narrowing, the appointment of Andrea Berta as sporting director last March brought about a more aggressive final push in the transfer market.

“Ultimately, Arsenal delivered on the plan they had set in motion years earlier. This title was not simply won on the pitch. It was engineered.”

Those calculations also were not about this title being a one-off either.

“You hope this could be the start of something for Arsenal,” former Gunners striker Ian Wright told Sky Sports.

“Pep [Guardiola is going and Chelsea have to do what they need to do. What’s happening with Liverpool? We’re not sure.

“This is a time when you look at Arsenal’s team, the average age is 24 to 28 and players will want to come to Arsenal now.

“It’s now up to Arteta and Berta who they want to bring in to continue this.

“There is a window for Arsenal before everyone else catches up.

“So, I’m hoping we can take advantage of that.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp shared the same view on the final day of the season at Selhurst Park.

“The dangerous thing for everyone else in the Premier League now right now is Arsenal could be strong for the next few years,” the former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder said.

“They have good young players coming through. they have Max Dowman coming through in the next few years.

“They are going to go again.

“London is a great proposition for players. Arsenal are the Premier league title winners.

“Anyone that wants to be serious about their football will be looking at joining Arsenal.”

MAN UTD: GIANT FINALLY AWOKEN?

Arsenal’s ascension to becoming champions and the re-emergence of Manchester United means one of the Premier League’s fiercest rivals may reach its heights of the early 2000s once again.

United have appointed Michael Carrick on a permanent basis after the former skipper lifted them from seventh when Ruben Amorim was sacked to third.

Carrick’s ability to deliver Champions League football in a season where the Red Devils were absent from Europe has not been understated.

But after years of chaos, essentially ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Carrick brought calm back to Old Trafford.

That achievement is perhaps his finest from his interim spell which began in January with wins against Arsenal and Manchester City.

“What Michael Carrick has brought to Manchester United, beyond 12 wins in 17 games plus restoration to the Champions League, is a priceless sense of peace,” The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown wrote.

“Under the care of this “Geordie Ancelotti”, Old Trafford has ceased, for perhaps the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, to be a seething hotbed of palace intrigue.

“There has been no 3-0 humiliation at home by mid-table opposition, no banishment of a senior player from the training-ground canteen, no talk of inheriting the worst team in the history of the club.

“Instead, there has simply been a quiet rebalancing, a dismantling of a culture of rancour and entitlement in favour of such calm professionalism that United have glided to third in the league with a minimum of fuss.”

Carrick now has the opportunity to mount a title challenge next season.

Bruno Fernandes was awarded the Premier League’s player of the season as he broke the assists record with 21 - even if he was described by former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane as being in the middle of a “circus act” with his focus on individual awards.

The Portuguese midfielder fired back by saying in an interview: “What I don’t like is that people make their own words on what I say and it’s not true.”

Regardless, with Fernandes pulling the strings and the development of young players like Kobbie Mainoo, who stagnated under Amorim, it is exciting times at Old Trafford.

They also have a transfer window ahead to build a deeper squad to handle the added demands of Champions League nights.

Fernandes is under new illusions that Carrick is the perfect person to be at the helm.

“It’s a very important step for our club. We need stability in terms of managing,” he told Sky Sports.

“And since Michael came to the club, I’ve known how he works; I worked with him already, but you know how calm he is. He gives calmness to the team.

“But also the moments he needs to put some pressure on us. He does it too.

“He knows the club. He knows what it means and what it demands to be at this club.

“We are very excited for what’s coming, as we always are but as you said, we finished strong and that’s a good sign for what’s coming.”

RISE OF BOURNEMOUTH AND SUNDERLAND

The struggles of some big six clubs in recent seasons have paved the way for others to jump into the upper echelons of the table.

This season it was Aston Villa with a fourth-placed finish to go with their Europa League triumph, as well as Bournemouth and Sunderland that grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Bournemouth had the potential to make the Champions League if results worked in their favour and Villa finished fifth, handing a spot to the sixth placed finisher.

Regardless, the Cherries will step into the Europa League against the likes of Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus off the back of a club record 18-game unbeaten run.

Much-loved manager Andoni Iraola is departing the club with his next move unconfirmed, but the Spaniard gave Bournemouth a great parting gift.

“I feel so happy because I could not ask for much more,” Iraola said.

“I didn’t want to lose today, I wanted to finish sixth. Also I wanted to finish the season without losing so we can do the second half of the season unbeaten. This is the most difficult achievement we’ve got.

“I enjoyed every second with the fans, with the players. It’s nice to finish like this, something to celebrate. Honestly happy and in the changing room we were celebrating like we should.

“I knew it would be almost impossible to get Europe but the owner told me we want to stay in the Premier League, but I wanted Europe.

“For me to finish this season giving back to the owner, players, supporters, this European qualification is just one way of thanking everyone.”

Sunderland, meanwhile, were this season’s fairytale story.

It has been a serious achievement for promoted teams to remain in the Premier League in recent seasons let alone secured a Europa League place.

Sunderland started the final day of the season in 10th but with a 2-1 win against Chelsea and other results going their way, the Black Cats are off to Europe for the first time since 1973 via finishing seventh.

They were in League One as recently as 2021/22.

“This 24th of May, it’s a perfect day,” Sunderland boss Le Bris told Sky Sports after their win against Chelsea.

“When you think about last season and now we are in the Europa League. It’s crazy, but it shows the consistency of the club.

“Togetherness, the alignment as well. When you work hard as a team, you can do something exceptional.

“We have to reset quickly and prepare for the next season with new challenges. The first will be the Premier League with the same mentality.

“Will there be a big party tonight? Probably, yes.”

Sunderland skipper Granit Xhaka led the charge in midfield all season.

The Swiss veteran was arguably the signing of the season and he revved up the crowd at the Stadium of Light by telling them: “This is just the beginning and we want more.”

On the other side of the coin, it was one final disastrous day for Chelsea.

The Blues had been in the Champions League places for much of the season before falling to tenth, picking up seven points in their last ten matches.

It means the Club World Cup winners will have no European football next season under incoming boss Xabi Alonso.

“It’s a disappointing end to the season,” interim boss Calum McFarlane said.

“We should be finishing a lot higher up the league. For me, with this group of players we should be in the Champions League. We’ve been too inconsistent this year and it’s ultimately cost us.

“The feeling in the dressing room is disappointment. We wanted to win today and make the best of a bad situation and get into the Europa League.

“We weren’t able to do that. We didn’t get the performance we wanted or the result.

“The message to the fans: we’re as disappointed as them and we’re gutted we couldn’t do it for them.

“They’ve been brilliant this year and have really supported us. Especially in the last couple of weeks when we’ve needed to win games and unfortunately we’ve let them down today. We weren’t able to put the performance in they deserve.”

Tottenham’s Mathys Tel turned from hero to villain as Spurs coughed up the lead in a 1-1 draw with Leeds United to leave themselves at risk of relegation.

Tottenham are out of the drop zone in 17th position, but are only two points ahead of West Ham with two games remaining in their Premier League campaign.

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Tel sparked jubilation at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he opened the scoring in the 50th minute with a beautiful goal from the edge of the box.

A clearance from Pedro Porro’s corner fell to the 21-year-old Frenchman, who took one touch and steadied himself before curling a stunner into the top corner with his right boot.

Shortly after Tel’s brain fade cost Roberto De Zerbi’s side the chance to go four points clear of West Ham, however.

The former Bayern Munich winger attempted a bicycle kick clearance inside his own box and only succeeded in making contact with Ethan Ampadu’s head.

It was staggering that the penalty was not awarded on the field with VAR intervening and after several minutes of deliberation, the referee pointed to the spot.

“Skim his head? He nearly takes it off,” former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Liverpool great Jamie Carragher was also in disbelief on Sky Sports and highlighted a moment earlier in the game where Kevin Danso scrambled to ensure a wayward pass from Tel across his own goal went unpunished.

“It’s just a crazy decision from Tel. What you think sometimes is we’ve been there sometimes as players where you don’t see the opposition player coming in,” Carragher said.

“But he’s about to make his decision and he sees him, he looks. So he’s made his decision but as soon as he knows there’s someone there, it has to change.

“He still has time, he’s got to change his mind. I thought he hadn’t seen him initially, but he has. It’s a really, really poor decision.

“We’re talking about a young attacking player, making two ridiculous decisions in this game.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin then rifled the 74th minute penalty into the side-netting, leaving Spurs goalkeeper Antonín Kinský helpless despite diving the correct way.

It would not be the final time for the match that VAR was in the spotlight.

After ruling out West Ham’s equaliser in the dying minutes against Arsenal a day earlier, VAR once again come to the fore well beyond the 90th minute.

Eyebrows were raised when the fourth official’s board revealed there would be 13 minutes of added time.

It was then in the 103rd minute that a VAR check denied Spurs a penalty.

James Maddison came off the bench late in his return from an ACL injury sustained nine months ago, and appeared to play a decisive role in the match when he went down in the penalty area.

But Lukas Nmecha’s challenge was deemed insufficient to warrant a penalty with VAR upholding the referee’s decision on the pitch.

Tottenham players on the pitch and their supporters in the stands raised their objections, but it was one of several moments that could have swung the result either way.

Richarlison missed a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 less than ten minutes after Tel’s goal.

The Brazilian blasted his shot over the bar from close range.

While Leeds easily could have gone ahead in stoppage time if not for a superb save from Kinský, which Carragher hailed as “one of the saves of the season”.

“It was a real opportunity with what happened with West Ham to almost put the season to bed, but I felt it would be a tough game,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“Leeds are playing really well at the moment, and I think that point will feel a lot better in the morning.

“You think about that save from Kinsky, that’s one of the saves of the season. It could’ve been a lot worse.

“The two saves he made have made sure his team have got potentially a vital point.”

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Former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe was similarly upbeat about his old club.

“They’ll be disappointed not to get all three points but if you can’t win, make sure you don’t lose,” he said on Sky Sports.

“Second half, Leeds looked good. But Spurs are still in control.”

Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge to take on London rivals in the penultimate game of their season next Wednesday morning Australian time before hosting Everton on the final day of the season.

While West Ham travel to Newcastle and welcome Leeds to the London Stadium in their final two matches.

The script has been flipped at both ends of the Premier League table with north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham picked up vital wins.

The Gunners and Spurs now hold the upper hand in their respective title and relegation battles, but both have been cautioned about getting ahead of themselves with more twists and turned tipped to come.

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Old rivals Manchester United and Liverpool met at Old Trafford with the hosts completing their remarkable turnaround under interim boss Michael Carrick.

The former United skipper’s future remains unclear, however, despite receiving his strongest endorsement yet.

While defeat led to major concerns about the future for Liverpool as the reigning champions’ disappointing season nears the finish line.

Scroll down for the biggest talking points from the weekend’s English Premier League action!

‘DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING’: SPURS’ HAMMER BLOW IN RELEGATION FIGHT

Tottenham won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since the opening two matchdays of the season to climb out of the relegation zone.

West Ham’s 3-0 loss at Brentford on Sunday morning Australian time opened the door for Tottenham, and Roberto De Zerbi’s men barged through roughly 24 hours later.

Spurs produced an inspired performance away from home to down Aston Villa 2-1.

Unai Emery opted to make seven changes to the XI that lost 1-0 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest on Friday morning Australian time.

With a six-point buffer from sixth-placed Bournemouth and the chance to win a first European trophy in 44 years in front of them, Villa understandably had other priorities.

That did not take away from Tottenham’s performance, however.

They scraped past bottom of the table Wolves in their last outing with a late winner the only goal for the game.

But this time they raced out of the gates with two goals in the first 25 minutes via Conor Gallagher’s strike from outside the box to open his account for the club after crossing from Atletico Madrid and Richarlison’s header.

Spurs’ blistering start did not only catch Villa by surprise.

“That’s a huge result for Spurs. I didn’t see that coming,” former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said on the BBC.

“Villa were poor, but right from the start Spurs absolutely made the most of it with their desire and intensity.

“They were exceptional in how they set up, they were really brave.

“Every time we make a prediction, we get it wrong - but West Ham have got it all to do.

“Spurs have maybe got a bit of momentum and they have set their standard. De Zerbi deserves a lot of credit. None of his players hid and he has given them that confidence.”

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The Premier League greatest ever goal scorer Alan Shearer then weighed in by saying: “They won every single tackle, every single second ball and they took the risk out of their game by not playing from the back in certain circumstances.

“You need every single player at it when in desperate trouble and Spurs had that. It has been a terrible weekend for West Ham.”

The Hammers dropped back to 18th where they have languished for much of the season.

They are only one point behind Tottenham, but with league leaders Arsenal coming to the London Stadium next and Spurs playing Leeds at home, the north London club are firmly in the driver’s seat.

West Ham could feel hard done by after their loss to Brentford, however.

VAR was front and centre throughout the contest.

Konstantinos Mavropanos was unfortunate not to be awarded a free-kick as he turned the ball into his own net to give Brentford their first goal.

Moments later the Greek defender thought he had equalised with a thunderous header, but it was ruled outside for a slight offside in the build up.

West Ham fans were also up in arms when the Bees’ Dango Ouattara awarded a penalty, but penalty shouts on Tomas Soucek and Pablo Felipe went unheard.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg told Hammers News that the later was a clear blunder by VAR.

“West Ham could and should have had a penalty for a foul on Pablo Felipe inside the penalty box.

“Even though the Brentford defender slips while challenging the ball, he makes a clear contact on his opponent creating a trip which is a foul. If the defender slips while not challenging for the ball and the attacker creates the contact then I can understand why a penalty would not be given.”

West Ham captain Jarred Bowen lamented a day of near misses post-game.

“We had chances, we hit the post twice, we hit the bar and we hit the post again,” Bowen told Sky Sports. “It’s really disappointing. We had good opportunities.

“On another day we would have got the win. We have done a lot of good things.”

Even though Tottenham now have the upper hand and fortune was on their side this weekend, De Zerbi is not getting carried away.

Spurs have not won at home since December with their £1 billion stadium being flooded with unhappy memories.

Leeds are also unbeaten in the last six league matches and will be a tricky opponent.

While Chelsea (at Stamford Bridge) and Everton both have European places to play for.

“I am very happy for the performance, we won a great game against a great Aston Villa,” De Zerbi said. “They had to play Thursday, a very important game for them, but this is always very tough playing against (Unai) Emery, against this Villa in this stadium.

“For that I am really pleased, it was a good performance with the ball, without the ball. Without the ball we showed great courage and we showed great qualities.

“I am happy for this type of performance more than three points. We are one point more than West Ham but the most important thing is to play a great game and believe more and more in ourselves and believe in our qualities.

“The crucial thing now is keeping our head of what was the situation before the Wolverhampton game. This is the most important memory to keep in our head.

“In football it is very easy to change, if you lose, you are stupid. If you win, you are a champion. No, you have to find a balance. We have to work this week because Leeds is a very tough game. We have to remember in ourselves what we have done in the past.”

‘YOU WANT TO DIE FOR HIM’: UNITED BOSS’ BIG ENDORSEMENT

Manchester United completed their emphatic turnaround by sealing a Champions League return next season with a 3-2 victory against old rivals Liverpool in a thriller at Old Trafford.

United were 2-0 up after 14 minutes, but Liverpool drew level with two goals shortly after half time.

Kobbie Mainoo was then the hero with a 77th strike proving to be the winner.

The 21-year-old midfielder having that moment in front of his home fans was symbolic in more ways than one.

Last week, the England international committed to United with a new five-year deal, reportedly worth roughly £150,000 per week.

While he has also been a poster boy for a player who has turned their fortunes around under interim manager Michael Carrick after being out of favour under previous boss Ruben Amorim.

Post-game, Mainoo gave Carrick perhaps the best endorsement yet that he should receive the job permanently.

“You want to follow him. You want to fight for him. You want to die for him on the pitch. We showed that today,” Mainoo told Sky Sports of Carrick.

The former United skipper has passed just about every test thrown at him since he stepped in to the role in January.

The Red Devils are third on the table, six points clear of fourth placed Liverpool, having been sixth and in danger of missing the Champions League places when Amorim was sacked.

It has also helped Carrick’s credentials that he has overseen victories at the Emirates and Stamford Bridge, while also winning at home against Manchester City and Liverpool.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer believes Carrick “deserves a chance”, but former United enforcer Roy Keane believes there are still many cracks at Old Trafford.

“You could’ve been critical of United for giving up that goal threat. But even at the back, there still felt like there was some calmness. If anyone was going to win, it would be United,” Keane told Sky Sports.

“United are also lucky that there was no Salah or any of Liverpool’s top strikers on the pitch because they’d have felt up for that.

“We’ve seen the best and worst of United. They scored three goals. But they lost momentum. At half-time you’re thinking you want to see a complete United performance. Not bits and bobs. They gifted the goals. There are worries for United. That’s the bigger picture when competing for the Champions League.”

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Keane also addressed rumours that Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola will be United’s next manager.

The Spaniard announced last month that he has not signed a new contract with the Cherries after a three-year spell in the south of England, but it remains unknown where he is headed next.

Keane is not so sure that it should be United.

“I’m not sure if he’s done enough yet,” the former United captain told Sky Sports. “I’m sure United are looking at him, his contract is up. But could I see him coming to Man Utd? Probably not.

“It depends on the remit, the remit at Bournemouth is different to Man Utd. At Man Utd they threaten to win titles but [at Bournemouth] it is keep winning matches while you sell players and bring in the revenue.

“There is a different pressure at Bournemouth to Man Utd. Would he be an option? I don’t know. You’ve asked me if I see him coming to Man Utd, maybe not.

“But he has done an amazing job.”

Carrick remains the overwhelming favourite to get the gig, but the man himself is reluctant to discuss it.

“You can still add a few layers in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll begin with that!” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s not about what I like or what I do not like. It’s not in my control. Everything has gone so well, we know the situation and where we are.

“I am happy with where we are at the moment and we still want to get better. Let’s see what happens next.

“At this moment in time, it’s not something I am thinking about.”

‘BLOWN UP IN THEIR FACE’: LIVERPOOL GREAT RAISES RED FLAGS

On the flip side, it was a disappointing day out for Liverpool.

Reds manager Arne Slot was fuming with VAR after what appeared to be a handball by Benjamin Sesko in the lead up to the Slovenian scoring United’s second goal.

But Liverpool great Jamie Carragher believes the Dutch manager has bigger issues to worry about.

The Reds have now lost 11 games in the league and 19 in all competitions - their most in a season this century.

After starting the campaign with five straight wins after winning the title last season, the decline has been drastic.

Liverpool spent big in the summer, but have been unable to find the right formula with a new-look squad.

Carragher is worried that they may not find the solution anytime soon.

“Am I worried about where Liverpool are going? Yeah, I am,” Carragher said.

“I think it will be really interesting who Liverpool buy in the summer, what the profile of player will be. Going for just good players hasn’t worked, it’s blown up in their face. There’s a lack of physicality.

“We’re in a situation now where we look at the teams who are looking for a manager: Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea.

“Those three clubs we just mentioned sacked their managers midway through the season. They ended up with [Alvaro] Arbeloa whose never managed before, [Michael] Carrick who had been at Middlesbrough and young [Liam] Rosenior which it was too big a jump.

“Maybe those big managers aren’t around at the moment, those figures aren’t available. Xabi Alonso is the one that’s making Liverpool fans think: ‘We don’t want to miss out on him’.

“We can’t be a club who continue for the next five or 10 years saying, ‘Oh, we want Jurgen Klopp football’.

“The fella is a genius. He does football better than anybody. So whatever manager is going to come in, he’s going to play his football.

“The worry is not that there’s no identity. That is the identity.

“So it’s on the manager’s shoulders. And I go back to last year when Liverpool didn’t sign anybody, but the one player he wanted was Martin Zubimendi again, another technical footballer.

“I’m not saying that doesn’t work. The most successful team in the Premier League over the last 10 years have been a technical football team, but we’re going away from what Jurgen Klopp was, because this manager wants that.

“This is where he’s taken this team. And that’s the worry for me, is this actually going to go more of the other way?

“Or are we thinking Liverpool needs to go back to last season? Or is Arne Slot thinking, ‘No, we actually need more technical footballers?’”

‘ARSENAL ARE FAVOURITES’: GUNNERS FLIP TITLE SCRIPT

Sitting six points clear on top with two games in hand, suddenly Arsenal have turned the pressure onto Manchester City in the title race.

The Gunners passed their most recent test at home with a commanding 3-0 win against Fulham.

After City went ahead with victory at the already relegated Burnley, Arsenal have responded strongly by seeing off Newcastle and Fulham at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta’s side are now in the driver’s seat as City head to Everton on Tuesday morning Australian time.

Former England, Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes Arsenal are now best-placed to end their 22-year title drought.

“This Man City team can blow teams away, but what Arsenal have done is flipped the pressure. Anything can still happen, but I think Arsenal are favourites,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports.

“For Man City, the Bournemouth fixture is going to be Andoni Iraola’s last home game so there’s going to be a celebration there and Bournemouth will want to put on a bit of a show,” he added.

“Everton away against a David Moyes side is always going to be difficult, and Brentford are going for Europe.

“If it goes to goal difference, I look at the games Arsenal have got as a big advantage. There’s a game that really shouts at me and it’s Burnley at home.

“If we work on the basis that both teams are perfect and win their remaining games, if Arsenal can’t beat Burnley 3-0 or 4-0 and get their goal difference up... That’s a big opportunity.”

With City have six games to play - five in the league as well as the FA Cup final against Chelsea - former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes Pep Guardiola’s men will need to produce something extraordinary to win the league.

“If Arsenal win their next three Premier League matches, Man City will have to pull up trees,” he said.

“With the FA Cup final, they will always be playing catch up between now and the end of the season - unless they win big against Everton and Brentford, and they can swing it around where Arsenal are playing catch-up and the goal difference becomes a lot.

“Otherwise, they’re always going to be chasing their tail and it takes its toll in the end - knowing you’ve just got to win this game just to stay on the tails.

“The easiest game they’ve got to come is against Aston Villa. They will already be in the top five, that’s cemented. They could have played in the Europa League final on the Wednesday before.

“That could be their goal difference game.”

West Ham edged themselves a step closer to Premier League safety with a scoreless draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The Hammers moved two points clear of Tottenham, who sit inside the relegation zone in 18th, and confined last-placed Wolves to the drop as a result.

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It was former Tottenham forward Brennan Johnson, who had the best chance to give his former club a boost.

The Welshman, who scored the only goal in Spurs’ Europa League final triumph against Manchester United last year, is still yet to find the back of the net for his new club and had a golden chance to break that duck in the 19th minute.

Johnson was left unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box from a corner, but somehow sent his free header five yards wide of the goal.

West Ham had their chances too.

Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson showed on the stroke of half time that the south London club were up for a fight despite having enjoyed a night out in Florence last Thursday after their UEFA Conference League quarter-final victory against Fiorentina.

Henderson made an excellent save to deny centre back Konstantinos Mavropanos’ powerful header.

That chance came shortly after Palace defender Maxence Lacroix cleared Taty Castellanos overhead kick off the line after a Henderson punch spilt to the Argentine forward.

“Probably feeling both frustrated and happy with a draw. They are a good side, on a high from reaching a European semi-final, but on another day we had some chances that we could have scored,” West Ham captain Jarred Bowen told Sky Sports.

“A point is certainly not the worst result. We play for West Ham United and we can’t rely on results elsewhere and fight to stay in the Premier League.”

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West Ham hearts were in mouths in the 82nd minute when the ball ended up in the back of their net.

The goal was quickly ruled out, however, as replays showed a clear handball by Jean-Philippe Mateta before setting up Ismaila Sarr.

With that scare avoided, there were plenty of positives for the East London club, who may have the destiny of the relegation fight and the title race in their hands.

If West Ham can finish the season strongly, they can condemn Tottenham to the drop.

While they also could deny Arsenal the title when the Gunners make the trip to the London Stadium next month.

One player who will be key in their remaining five games is 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes.

The Portuguese midfielder, who made his international debut earlier this month, was awarded the man of the match for a tidy display in the centre of the park.

“We performed well. We expect the best but we were compact in a difficult place in Selhurst Park,” West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo told Sky Sports.

“Our final pass was not quite there, though. Palace are a tough team to play against, with a big threat on the counter attack. We kept the balance and we were solid. Saturday [against Everton at home] we go again. We know we have to do better. It’s very tight.”

Wolves were relegated from the Premier League after West Ham’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace sealed their fate.

The Midlands club are now 16 points behind fourth-bottom West Ham with just five games to go and are mathematically certain to drop down to the Championship.

Bottom of the table Wolves, managed by Rob Edwards since November, have endured a miserable campaign, winning just three league matches from their 33 games to date.

Despite notable recent wins against Aston Villa and Liverpool, Wolves have looked relegation certainties for months and their eight-year stay in the Premier League is coming to an end.

Vitor Pereira, now in charge of Nottingham Forest, started the season in charge of the Molineux club but the Portuguese coach was sacked in early November after a terrible start to the campaign.

Former Middlesbrough boss Edwards was brought in but he had an almost impossible task and has been unable to work a miracle.

Second-bottom Burnley look certain to join Wolves in the second tier next season.

They will be relegated if they lose against title-chasing Manchester City on Wednesday.

Tottenham came agonisingly close to climbing out of the relegation zone on Saturday but conceded a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Brighton.

The north Londoners have not won a Premier League match since December, with new boss Roberto De Zerbi winless in his first two games.

Nottingham Forest and Leeds are also in the relegation battle, but both won at the weekend to pull well clear of the drop zone.

Frank Lampard’s Coventry, currently top of the Championship, on Friday sealed their return to the Premier League next season after a 25-year absence.

New Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has declared that he wants to bring Angeball back to north London.

The Italian, who most recently managed Brighton and Marseille, is the third manager to charge of Spurs since Australian Ange Postecoglou was sacked last year.

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Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor were ridiculed earlier in the season for their dull style of play which helped plunge Tottenham to the depths of a relegation battle.

So, now De Zerbi wants to bring back the electricity of Postecoglou’s aggressive tactics which yielded a fifth place Premier League season in the former Celtic boss’ first season and, of course, the Europa League trophy in his second season.

Postecoglou was given his marching orders despite breaking the club’s 17-year trophy drought as his team finished 17th in the league.

Tottenham were never seriously a chance of being relegated under the Australian, however, finishing 13 points clear of the drop zone as Postecoglou decided to prioritise the European campaign with his injury-hit squad.

De Zerbi’s comments suggest letting Postecoglou go may have been an error, even if it has led to his return to the English top flight.

“I want to see again the Tottenham I watched with Postecoglou,” he said.

“In my second season in Brighton there was Postecoglou here with a lot of these players, and it was one of the best teams in terms of quality of play. I would like to see it again.”

De Zerbi has seven games to save Spurs from playing in the Championship next year.

He signed a five-year contract with the club, and the new era begins at Sunderland late on Sunday night Australian time.

Tottenham sit 18th, inside the relegation zone, at present after West Ham’s 4-0 win against Wolves on Saturday morning.

De Zerbi vows to fight his way out.

“My style is one part about the style of play and one part about the character,” he said. “I want to give organisation with the ball and without the ball.

“What I want to achieve immediately is the character, the right spirit and the right courage to play and attack. Because the DNA of this club, of this squad, is to find the goal, to score. In this part I can be able to transfer, not in too much time, my principles.

“We have no time to work like in Brighton or Marseille, or in other places I’ve been. I don’t want to put confusion inside of the players. They have to have a clear plan and not too much instruction, not too much thinking.

“They have to run, they have to play with courage and personality and they have to fight. That’s it. For me, my demand is to show the right spirit I want to see.”

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De Zerbi also admitted he was not surprised by the backlash from a section of fans over his past comments on Mason Greenwood.

Several Tottenham supporters’ groups objected to the 46-year-old being hired by the struggling Premier League side due to his backing of Greenwood during their time at Marseille.

De Zerbi managed Greenwood at the French club after the former Manchester United striker faced charges -- which were later dropped -- of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2022.

The Italian described Greenwood last year as a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price” and added: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”

De Zerbi faced questions on Friday about his role in helping Greenwood resume his career at Marseille.

Asked about the fan criticism, De Zerbi said: “I wasn’t surprised. I was a bit sad and sorry it happened, because I’m sorry if somebody took offence.

“I must repeat what I said the other time. This topic is very close to me, I’m very sensitive about this topic, because of the person I am and because I have a daughter.

“And so I must repeat what I said the other time. I have always been against - always - any type of violence, especially against women. But not only violence - even just sexist jokes or other sexist behaviour.

“I know who I am, I know the type of person I am, so I wasn’t annoyed by the questions, I’m just sad about them.”

Greenwood was charged in October 2022 after images and videos were posted online.

But the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light”, which meant there was “no realistic prospect of conviction”.

Greenwood, who denied the charges, subsequently resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024 under De Zerbi.

Asked if he hoped fans accept his apology, De Zerbi said: “Yes, also because I’m not going to go back over this topic.

“I spoke about it in my first interview, I spoke about it today and it wouldn’t be right to go back over this topic again.”

New Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi confirmed he will remain at the club next season even if they suffer relegation from the Premier League as he welcomed the biggest challenge of his career.

The Italian was appointed on a five-year deal on Tuesday with Spurs perilously poised just one point above the drop zone.

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De Zerbi has just seven games to try and save Tottenham, who have not experienced life outside the top flight since 1978.

Reports suggested the former Brighton and Marseille boss had not keen to join Spurs before the end of the season, but was convinced by a lucrative five-year deal that put him among the highest paid coaches in the Premier League.

And he dismissed any suggestion of a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave if Spurs did go down.

“I signed five years of (a) contract because for me it is a big challenge,” De Zerbi told an interview with the club’s in-house media channel.

“I will be the coach of Tottenham a next season no matter what.

“Tottenham, especially in this moment, is maybe the most important challenge in my career. I’m ready to start this challenge.”

De Zerbi established a positive reputation for himself in England during a two-year spell as Brighton boss between 2022 and 2024.

His time at Marseille also started well, with the club finishing second to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season to qualify for the Champions League.

But he left the French club in February after failing to make it out of the Champions League league phase and following a humiliating 5-0 defeat by PSG.

His appointment has not been universally welcomed by the Tottenham fanbase. Some fan groups have raised objections to his support for Mason Greenwood during his time at Marseille.

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Former England international Greenwood was suspended by Manchester United in January 2022 following allegations of attempted rape and sexual assault.

Prosecutors dropped charges against Greenwood in February 2023, who always denied the allegations, and he joined Marseille not long after De Zerbi in July 2024.

“I’ve never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone in general,” De Zerbi added, speaking in his native Italian.

“Those who know me well know that I’m not the kind of person who compromises to win one more match, or to win one more title.

“I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone with this topic. I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things. I hope that as time passes, people will get to know me better and understand that I didn’t mean to take a stance.”

Tottenham has offered their “thoughts and condolences” to interim boss Igor Tudor following the death of his father.

The 47-year-old Croatian did not undertake post-match media duties following Spurs’ 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest on Sunday after he was informed of a family bereavement.

Assistant Bruno Saltor stepped in and declined to give further details on Tudor’s “family issue”.

“Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Igor Tudor’s father Mario,” said a club statement on Monday.

“Our thoughts and condolences go out to Igor and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”

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Juventus also issued a statement expressing sympathy for their former player and manager.

“Juventus stands with Igor Tudor and his family at this difficult time,” the club said on X.

“Juventus joins in mourning the passing of his father.”

Relegation-threatened Spurs are without a fixture for three weeks due to the international break and cup exits. They return to action away to Sunderland on April 12.

Tottenham, the ninth-wealthiest club in the world, are running out of time to save themselves from the almost unthinkable nightmare of Premier League relegation, with Tudor losing five of his seven matches in charge in all competitions since replacing Thomas Frank.

Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy said it was “impossible” for Tudor to stay and believes the club, considered a member of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’, will take the plunge.

“I think it’s really difficult for the players to play in an environment that’s so deflated and toxic,” he told the BBC.

“The only way you can change that is either winning games, which they’re not doing, or change a manager - what the fans want.

“If they keep him in charge, it’s five league games without a win. A new guy comes in, gets one win, all of sudden, it can turn quickly. I think it’s a risk worth taking and I think they’ll take it.”

Club bosses now have a to decide whether to stick or twist as they seek to avoid an embarrassing and shocking first relegation since 1977.

According to The Telegraph, Roberto De Zerbi is believed to be open to taking the permanent Tottenham head coach job should the club stay in the Premier League. De Zerbi, who has previously managed Marseille and Brighton and Hove Albion, has been out of work since February.

Sebastian Kehl, who recently left Borussia Dortmund, and current US head coach Mauricio Pochettino are the leading candidates for the role, according to the report, while Tottenham also made checks on Al-Diriyah’s Dougie Freedman and Chelsea’s Paul Winstanley as part of their hunt.

Tottenham have extended the deadline for fans to renew their season tickets because of the growing threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Spurs are just one point above the bottom three, without a win in their past 11 league games, while boss Igor Tudor is under intense scrutiny after just four matches in charge.

In a message sent to fans, the London club announced the period to renew season tickets would run until June 7, after the end of the season.

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The club said it recognised the “seriousness of the current league position” and wanted fans to have “full clarity on next season before renewing”.

“Everyone at the club remains absolutely steadfast in our collective commitment to improve our Premier League position and finish the current season as strongly as possible,” it added.

Former England defender Gary Neville, now a television pundit, has branded Tudor’s brief tenure a “car crash” that needs to be brought to an end.

The Croatian’s position was weakened significantly by Tuesday’s 5-2 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 tie in the Champions League.

Tudor selected reserve goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky only to substitute him in the 17th minute after calamitous errors.

Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Neville said the treatment of Kinsky was “brutal”.

“I thought the whole thing of the last few weeks and then that, the whole thing is just a car crash, a shambles,” he said.

Tudor was only appointed last month following the sacking of Thomas Frank, but Neville believes Tottenham must act again immediately after four defeats out of four matches on his watch.

“If you’re going to make another change, that for me needs to be today or tomorrow, because you don’t wait,” he said.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League, a point clear of Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

They face a daunting trip to Liverpool this weekend before a crunch match against Forest the following week.

Tottenham are once again in turmoil, sitting 14th in the Premier League after early exits from the the FA Cup and League Cup, while their Champions League campaign hangs in the balance.

Ange Postecoglou’s sacking after last year’s Europa League triumph was supposed to end all the turbulence.

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The club statement upon Postecoglou’s dismissal said as much: “It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.”

Those words are haunting the club, however, as they now compete on no front domestically. In Europe, they need a strong finish to the league phase to give themselves a chance of a meaningful campaign.

In reality, the absence of Angeball from north London has so far only succeeded in making Tottenham boring.

Former Brentford boss Thomas Frank was brought in as the anthesis of Ange. Spurs fans are now living a warning Postecoglou famously issued during his time as Socceroos boss.

“At some point in time I’ll get replaced by John the Pragmatist and you can all be happy and revel in it,” Postecoglou said during the 2017 Confederations Cup.

Tottenham fans certainly are not fan happy though as they are still booing their team off the pitch after most games.

When you dive into the numbers, it is clear to see why.

Frank has been in charge for 31 matches across all competitions since his appointment in June for only 12 wins - a win percentage of 38.7 per cent.

Postecoglou’s stood at 46 per cent as Tottenham won 46 of the 100 matches played during his two-year stint at the club.

Frank’s version of Tottenham are conceding less goals (1.35 per game compared to 1.57), but they are not scoring as often (1.68 per game compared to 1.83).

Understandably, the Danish manager is now under the pump.

Tottenham welcome West Ham in the early hours of Sunday morning AEDT and a loss to their London rivals, who are destined for relegation, would spark mayhem.

For the Hammers, Nuno Espirito Santo, the man Postecoglou replaced at Nottingham Forest, is skating on thin ice too with his team sitting 18th and enduring a ten-game winless run before defeating Championship outfit Queen’s Park Rangers in the FA Cup in their last outing.

Their two last league matches have been losses to fellow relegation contenders Forest and bottom-placed Wolves.

Times are almost as tense at Tottenham, however.

Spurs have just one win in their last seven and were knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Aston Villa on the weekend.

But the biggest sin was committed by Frank off the field: The Dane was snapped drinking out of an Arsenal branded cup before last week’s match at Bournemouth.

Tottenham fans did not respond kindly, venting their fury and sharing an array of conspiracy theories on social media.

“Anyone thinking I’ve done that, or the staff has done that [on purpose is wrong],” Frank said in his post-match press conference at Bournemouth.

“They’ve been in the changing room, the game before us. It’s normal to take a cup, give me an espresso - [I] do that before every game.

“I think, actually, it’s a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question about that. I think we’re definitely going in the wrong direction if we need to worry about me having a cup with another logo of another club - of course I would never do that, that’s extremely stupid.”

The embarrassment it caused, combined with the glee it gave their league-leading rivals, the mounting losses, and the constant problems behind the scenes, led to another supporter protest being planned for this week’s game.

Spurs fans are angry that their manager did not apologise, and about other comments made by Frank about not enjoying his time at Tottenham.

“When you need to put in a big, big shift and it’s not smooth and it’s tough, it’s probably difficult to enjoy it,” he said when asked if he is enjoying his new club.

“If I run hard I don’t enjoy that moment but I know I need to keep my head down and run hard to get through it.

“So the short answer is: no [he is not enjoying his job]. The reality is you can’t,” Frank added.

“But when I put myself out of it and look down, I think: ‘What a privilege to be in charge of this fantastic club in a period where it’s a big transition’.”

The two sets of comments have left Frank unforgiven for his misdemeanours.

The fans are also incensed about having seen only two home wins so far this Premier League season.

The Spurs supporters trust have already demanded action, releasing a statement expressing their dissatisfaction and organising a fan protest ahead of the match. Protests were an all-too-common sight during former chair Dan Levy’s more than two decades in charge.

“Whilst we acknowledge the changes in personnel behind the scenes at the club, this has regrettably not been matched with improvements on the pitch,” the statement read.

“There also appears to be a dramatic fall in ambition for the football club, as evidenced by the transfer window to date and repeated statements by Thomas Frank, reminding supporters that the club finished 17th in the Premier League last season, that the club is only participating in the Champions League through winning the Europa League, and that Bournemouth [a side without a win in 11 games] are ‘always a difficult team’ and that he is ‘not enjoying the job.’

“Supporters have suffered the embarrassment of players directly confronting them for exercising their right to express themselves, of the club captain publicly calling out ‘other people’ at the club who do not speak except ‘to tell a few lies’, and of the manager being photographed drinking from an Arsenal cup apparently unaware that he was doing so.

“Whilst these incidents may have explanations that we could understand and even sympathise with, they demonstrate a lack of understanding and a lack of care about the perception of the football club.”

As a result of the angst, and West Ham’s struggles, former Tottenham player and manager Tim Sherwood dubbed the match “El Sackico” on Sky Sports.

Sherwood also shared his frustrations with his former club, and delivered a tactics talk that could have been taken straight from Postecoglou’s dressing room.

“I think their playing style is not fantastic,” Sherwood said. “Thomas needs to take the shackles off.”

“When they get the ball, get at them. Don’t play safe,” he added. “I don’t want you passing three yards backwards and square. Run and take the opposition on. Take the game to the opposition.”

Based on their attitude on the pitch, Tottenham’s players are clearly unhappy with the style of football they are being asked to play.

Defenders Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven even ignored Frank as they walked off the pitch after a loss to Chelsea in November.

“I don’t think Thomas Frank is going to last very long personally, and I only say that because I watch a lot of like players’ mannerisms like their body language when they’re talking to him or if he’s talking to them,” former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas said on the Wildcards Podcast.

“Players are coming off the bench and just not even looking at looking in his face when he’s talking to them. And there’s a clear I don’t know, there’s a clear breakdown in terms of maybe what he’s asking the players to do and the players just not agreeing with it.”

Those allegations gained strength when injured midfielder James Maddison made an appearance on Sky Sports as a guest pundit.

Asked about the highs and low of last season, the England international said the period under Postecoglou “was one I look back on fondly”.

“We’d never have a session with Ange where the base of the session, the model, wasn’t around how we played, with fullbacks inside, wingers high and wide, not really allowed to move from the touchline, kind of fixed wingers, and then rotation from the midfield three,” he said.

“Sometimes he’s shown us clips … of the fullbacks in the No.10 positions, and maybe your No.10 and your No.8 in the fullback positions, just like rotations,

“There’s still structure, it just didn’t matter who the personnel was … and he enjoyed that. We loved playing (that way).

“You (pundits) would describe it as chaotic and entertaining, but it was really fun to play, and we ended up with a trophy under Ange, so huge respect (for him).

“I loved that little period with him. We had ups and downs. but that’s what I miss.”

The respect the playing group had for Postecoglou was clear during the Europa League celebrations last year as well as in their social media posts farewelling the Australian once he was dismissed.

With Postecoglou without a job at present, many have pondered whether Tottenham would admit they made a mistake and bring the polarising manager back, if Frank is removed.

Sherwood shut down such a suggestion, however, saying: “That won’t happen.”

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Postecoglou; he’s a manager who won something at Spurs when others have failed,” he continued.

“They sacked a winner, and they made their choice in the best interests of the club. They believed that Postecoglou wasn’t the man to take them forward, end of.

“That is what they’ve done with Frank, they’ve put their belief in him being a success.

“He still might be a success, but he’s clearly not at the moment.”

If Frank is going to salvage his time at Tottenham, he made a promising step in the acquisition of former Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher for a fee of £34.6 million ($69.5) from Atletico Madrid.

The 25-year-old England international had appeared headed to Aston Villa for his Premier League return, but a personal call from Frank reportedly convinced him to join Tottenham despite the team’s struggles.

A lot of weight will now be on Gallagher’s shoulders, but not as much as Frank’s.

The divide between manager and supporters is ever expanding.

While they have not appreciated many of his actions, Frank did not appreciate goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario being booed after making an error against Fulham in late November.

“I didn’t like that our fans booed at him straight after and a few times after that,” Frank said.

“They can’t be true Tottenham fans because everyone supports each other when you’re on the pitch and we do everything we can to perform. I’m fine with them booing after the match, no problem, but not during. That is unacceptable in my opinion.”

The war of words, or boos, shows that some things do not change.

Last season, many pointed the finger at Postecoglou as the problem.

Frank’s woes prove it is clearly far more complex than pinning the blame on the manager.

Thomas Frank insisted he retains the support of Tottenham’s hierarchy after Saturday’s FA Cup exit against Aston Villa piled pressure on the beleaguered boss.

Frank’s side crashed out in the third round as first-half goals from Villa’s Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers inspired a 2-1 win in north London.

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Wilson Odobert reduced the deficit in Tottenham’s improved second half display, but it was too little, too late for Frank.

The former Brentford boss has lost seven of his last 13 matches in all competitions, with Tottenham out of both domestic cups and languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

They remain in contention to reach the Champions League last 16 but Frank faces a fight to ensure he is still in charge by the time the group stage ends.

Tottenham fans once again showed their discontent with the Dane by jeering at the final whistle.

But Frank is adamant he will be given time to improve Tottenham’s wretched form. “Completely feel the support. No doubt about that. Of course, we are disappointed by the result and the fact that we don’t have better results,” he said.

“We need to put more and better performances together and keep pushing forward.”

It was another week to forget for Frank after he inadvertently angered Tottenham fans by drinking from a cup with the logo of north London rivals Arsenal on it before a 3-2 loss at Bournemouth on Wednesday.

Tempers spilt over at full-time after Villa forward Ollie Watkins celebrated in front of Tottenham midfielder Joao Palhinha, who clashed with the England international, as well as Villa’s Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa, in an ugly brawl.

Frank admitted he was hurt by the defeat but defended his players’ involvement in the row.

“We are all hurt. There is nothing we want to do more than to get through to the next round no matter who we face. We play at home, we had a good opportunity and unfortunately we couldn’t go through,” Frank said.

Quizzed on if his players were losing control after they also clashed with Tottenham fans at Bournemouth, Frank said: “The players gave everything, everything out there, losing a tight game, the season not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking.

“The way he is going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans and he is walking into Joao, he can just easily walk around. I think everyone that has been in a competitive nature, that is difficult and can trigger things.” He said his own players had “passion” and “want to do very well for the club”.