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STAMFORD BRIDGE – It is never wise to celebrate too early. Winning the lottery before the cheque has cleared. Fancying yourself to have signed Eberechi Eze before the paperwork is finished. Or believing you have stayed up at the expense of a West Ham side who have inexplicably proven even more chaotic.

For Tottenham, every one of those anxieties, every imaginable kind of neuroses will follow them into the final day of the season. It bears repeating: Tottenham Hotspur will go into the last gasps of this campaign of misery fighting for their Premier League lives.

Whatever happens next, that is a damning indictment of an appalling situation which may yet turn into a catastrophe for this grand old football team.

A glimmer of hope

Those Spurs supporters crammed into a corner of Stamford Bridge hoped they had suffered enough indignities for one evening upon hearing news of Arsenal’s coronation, a sorrow they have not had to endure for 22 years. It was about to get even worse.

We do not yet know whether Chelsea will welcome them again next season, or whether they will tour the string of teams definitely consigned to the Championship: Portsmouth, Preston… Southampton.

But in the present day the Bridge was treated to an exquisite effort from Enzo Fernandez, hit with his left to leave a powerless Antonin Kinsky – in goal over a fit again Guglielmo Vicario – rooted to the spot. In the away end, heads wilted into shaking hands as Randal Kolo Muani’s careless pass set away Cole Palmer to spark the move for Andrey Santos and Chelsea’s second.

In Richarlison, there is always hope. Without him Tottenham would have been gone long ago. He picked the ball out of the net in a gesture to epitomise Spurs’ current feel: they are not finished, it is not over, but goodness, are they in a bad way.

A treacherous race to the bottom

Their record here is so abject the pain was simultaneously familiar and newly injurious. When Roberto De Zerbi’s men face Everton on Sunday they will begin two points clear of West Ham, who play Leeds.

Even if they are favourites to escape, for a group who have looked so fragile and bereft of confidence as this one there are no guarantees of the point they need.

And ultimately that is the logical outcome of this treacherous race to the bottom, where trying to run your football club mildly better than David Sullivan is the aim. De Zerbi has injected bite but that is the minimum requirement and has not yet overridden the most glaring issue – a simple lack of quality going forward. Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel took turns blazing over. “That’s why you’re going down,” delighted the Chelsea fans.

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That darkest of chapters in Tottenham’s history may not materialise. Relegation would be utterly unthinkable. Yet if you were to peruse the results of a team who failed to win a game between 28 December and 25 April, it is undeniable how terrifyingly fine they are cutting it.

In the desperate tension of the dying minutes, there was no full reenactment of the Battle of the Bridge but the reality of that ominous plight was setting in.

Should the worst happen, this will have been a demise inflicted not here at Stamford Bridge but in a north London boardroom over years of neglect and complacency. Tottenham have 90 minutes to save themselves from their own shadow.

James Trafford will be a wanted man this summer with four Premier League clubs already expressing an interest in the Manchester City understudy goalkeeper.

Trafford is likely to start in the FA Cup final for City against Chelsea at Wembley, where he has excelled in cup competitions for Pep Guardiola’s domestic treble-chasing side.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is first choice in Europe and the Premier League, leading to the England international – who rejoined City last summer before the Italy goalkeeper was also signed – to consider his options this summer.

Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring Trafford’s situation. Several sources suggested a fee of around £40m could be enough to tempt City into letting Trafford go.

Villa have already made contact with the 23-year-old’s representatives as Emiliano Martinez’s future remains up in the air. The Argentine stopper has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool, who look set to lose Alisson Becker in the summer.

Newcastle are the other frontrunners for Trafford’s signature, with signing a new goalkeeper a priority this summer after a difficult season between the sticks for Nick Pope.

Chelsea and Tottenham have also joined the race more as a “market opportunity”, one source added. The chance to sign an England international for a reasonable price could tempt them into a move, with both lacking in sufficient quality in the goalkeeper department.

Trafford is understood to be open to a move away from the Etihad. He is likely to finish the season with at least two trophies, but his bit-part role in the Premier League and slim chances of usurping Donnarumma on a permanent basis will come into his thinking in the summer.

Read more

Michael Hincks: Nine options to replace Ben White as England right-back

Pete Hall: The stunning assist that resurrected Phil Foden’s World Cup hopes

The signing of Donnarumma took everyone – including Trafford – by surprise, not long after the England goalkeeper had returned to City from Burnley.

City are not actively looking to sell at the moment, as they brought Trafford to the club as a long-term investment. They are perfectly set up in the goalkeeper department to fight on multiple fronts, as they have this season, with Trafford starting 16 times. However, making a profit on a second-choice option could tempt them into selling.

A lighter workload is not what Trafford returned to City for, something that will not be enough to see him replace Jordan Pickford as England’s number one regularly. He is set to go to the World Cup this summer as second choice.

This is The Score with Daniel Storey, a subscriber-only newsletter from The i Paper. If you’d like to get this direct to your inbox, every single week, you can sign up here.

An abridged Premier League weekend thanks to a Monday night fixture and two FA Cup semi-finals, but plenty of moves made and positions that matter continue to bunch up.

Arsenal carried on Arsenalling, a set-piece goal in a tight victory to go back to the top. Tottenham won for the first time in the league in 2026 but then saw their move matched by West Ham and Nottingham Forest to leave us as we were at the bottom. Forest’s scoreline was surely the most surprising of the season.

The other huge point of interest are the European places, a tussle potentially extending all the way down to Crystal Palace, 13th but with a game in hand. And the chances of the Premier League having six Champions League places just went up…

Here is one piece of analysis on each of the top flight clubs who played this weekend (in reverse table order)…

This weekend’s results

Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace

West Ham 2-1 Everton

Wolves 0-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

Wolves’ leading issue

We know what Adam Armstrong is. Anyone who signs Adam Armstrong knows what he is. Heck, even Adam Armstrong must know what he is.

Armstrong has scored seven goals in 98 career Premier League appearances. In the Championship since August 2020, he has scored 63 goals in 131 appearances. So when Wolves signed him in January for £7m and sold Jorgen Strand Larsen, it was clearly with one eye on next season.

As with Rob Edwards, however, impressions towards the end of this season matter. And Armstrong isn’t just failing to score; he’s failing to take the chances that have come his way and failing to have many shots at all. In 816 minutes in the league, he’s had just 13 shots of any kind and managed a total of 0.13 xG per 90 minutes played. The question: do you trust this to just click into place back in the Championship given Armstrong is now 29?

Positives and negatives for Tottenham

Only the results matter. With Forest and West Ham winning, failing to beat the worst team in the Premier League would surely have consigned Tottenham to relegation. Now they have a chance. From green shoots, trees can grow quickly.

But we are still allowed to dwell upon the negatives. Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons, Roberto De Zerbi’s first-choice striker and creator, left the field with injuries. More importantly, Spurs looked perfectly pleasant in possession but hardly offered any goal threat from open play.

Obvious statements: Tottenham have to avoid defeat at Villa given the other results and they will need to be far more inventive to do so. For now there is still light, even if it is only a flicker. Richarlison and Lucas Bergvall might be two of their defining players now.

West Ham’s unlikely saviour

Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen are brilliant. Matheus Fernandes has been exceptional since moving slightly higher up the pitch. West Ham signed two strikers in January and both have contributed. But if they stay up this season, they will thank Callum Wilson more than most.

Wilson looked like he was leaving in January (there was talk of a move to Leicester City, which is a sliding doors moment for both clubs). But why would you want to lose him, when even as third choice his goals have been worth seven points?

Wilson has played 1,084 league minutes and scored six times. That minutes-per-goal ratio puts him in the same ballpark as every Premier League player this season bar Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago and Eli Junior Kroupi.

Nottingham Forest’s magic trick

Given Tottenham and West Ham’s results, Nottingham Forest ended the weekend in roughly the same place they began it. And yet it hardly feels like it given the margin of victory at Sunderland an unbeaten run that now stands at eight matches in all competitions.

The magic trick? Two strikers. At half-time against Burnley, Vitor Pereira took off a winger (Dilane Bakwa) and brought on a striker (Igor Jesus). He put Morgan Gibbs-White in a position best described as “left 10”, nominally a wide player but told to find space infield.

Since then, Gibbs-White has scored four goals and assisted another in three halves of football and Forest have scored nine goals. Chris Wood occupies central defenders and his movement is excellent, creating space for Jesus (who looks revitalised with a strike partner). Keep this up and Forest will not go down.

Newcastle’s £120m headache

Last summer, in a recruitment process that we know Eddie Howe was a large part of, Newcastle spent £120m on two forwards that they believed could replace Alexander Isak. There have been injuries, but it is the end of April and the only game that Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade have started together was at home to Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

Howe has to change that. He may feel that William Osula is his best striker option right now, but a) that hardly paints his own recruitment in a good light and b) Newcastle cannot afford to have two expensive forwards on the bench. It is not as if Osula in the team without the other two has provoked a vast improvement in attacking quality.

If Howe wants to keep his job beyond this season, the next few weeks are an audition for what might happen in 2026-27. With so many other areas of the squad needing surgery this summer and with key players likely to be sold, Howe surely has to try Woltemade off Wissa to create some better vibes for both players?

Crystal Palace can’t finish their dinner

You will never guess what; Crystal Palace played pretty well against Liverpool. They conceded to a few half-chances and they failed to take a couple of more presentable opportunities that they created themselves. Jean-Philippe Mateta was twice guilty.

This is the story of Palace’s domestic season, really: a good football team that failed to maximise the periods in which they are on top because they don’t finish their dinner in front of goal. Only Wolves, Burnley and Sunderland have scored fewer times this season. Only Wolves have scored with a lower percentage of their shots than Palace.

Unsurprisingly, Palace also have the worst record for goals vs expected goals (by an absolute mile) and for the difference between the number of goals scored and big chances missed (-21).

Le Bris rumours prove unhelpful for Sunderland

Last week, there was a media rumour that Regis Le Bris’ position as Sunderland manager could come under pressure if the club fail to qualify for Europe. The Black Cats quickly moved to deny anything of the sort, but you wonder whether it played into the club’s shambolic defensive performance on Friday evening.

Le Bris has done a phenomenal job here, but will also know that he cannot lose control of this season. Sunderland rank 17th in the Premier League over their last 20 and 25 matches; their fabulous start to the campaign has carried them through.

In that context, Le Bris overseeing Sunderland’s joint heaviest margin of home defeat in the club’s history came at an inopportune time. It would be nice to see the club publicly back him and create a little serenity before the final weeks of the season.

Do Everton have an April problem?

After Everton lost late against Liverpool and late again against West Ham to dampen the mood of prospective European qualification, supporters were quick to point out that, for all the progress of this season, there is a chance the Toffees could finish in roughly the same position as 2024-25.

It also begs an interesting question (particularly given the same has been said of Mikel Arteta at the top of the table): does David Moyes struggle in the month of April, when things get real?

Over his last 21 April Premier League fixtures, a run stretching back to 2021, Moyes has taken only 24 points. It is a far lower rate than his season average and, if it continues, it is going to annoy Everton fans.

All hail Fulham’s four weeks of madness

The Premier League’s middle pack is often congested, but the increase in European places (and this season could be unprecedented) has changed the rules of engagement. These “other” clubs are not only competing for prize money. At least one of them is going to make Europe and their inconsistency makes it impossible to get a handle on the whole thing.

Fulham are the perfect example. Before Saturday, they were winless and goalless in three successive matches and the fanbase was getting itchy about Marco Silva’s potential long goodbye and another season that promised plenty and ended in perceived mediocrity. Fulham have finished 10th, 13th and 11th since promotion.

And Fulham are 10th again, only this time that puts them potentially two points off a Champions League spot and level on points with one team who will reach the Conference League. The mood turns with one win. Which is silly this far into a season, but I’m here for it.

Why everyone wants Aston Villa to win

It doesn’t really matter to Aston Villa whether they finish third, fourth or fifth (although Unai Emery will obviously be urging them to finish as high as possible). They are eight points ahead of sixth and that margin is surely not going to be overturned by anyone below them.

But for all of those clubs – and sixth to 12th are currently separated by four points – Villa’s Premier League form really does matter. Because if Villa win the Europa League (and they are favourites to do so) and finish fifth (a position they currently occupy), sixth place will qualify for the Champions League.

It creates a bizarre situation: supporters of Brighton, Chelsea, Brentford, Bournemouth, Everton, Sunderland and Fulham will all be cheering on Villa in the Europa League and cheering on their opponents in the Premier League.

Liverpool fans protest against ticket price increases

“You greedy bastards, enough is enough,” sang the Anfield crowd, plenty of them holding up yellow cards in protest at the move from owners Fenway Sports Group to put up season ticket prices again.

And good on those supporters. It’s always the same: football clubs talk up the importance of their home atmosphere as a genuine difference maker to team performance. And then they price out that grassroots support quite deliberately. And then, when form turns for the worse, they urge that they need the supporters to help them.

Make no mistake: the emotional blackmail about PSR and everyone having to help out is nonsense. Ticket revenue is a small percentage of the whole. If costs go up, there is one party capable of swallowing it (the club) and one who really can’t (the long-term season ticket holders). This isn’t a dilemma; it’s a choice.

Arsenal are doing it their way

The supposition was that the title race potentially coming down to goal difference might be a good thing for Arsenal. With their previous matches being uber-tense and uber-tight, margins reduced and set pieces becoming the only likely source of attacking joy, this gave Arteta a get out. He wouldn’t be sacrificing his principles; he’d simply be adapting to the needs of the situation by being more attacking to seek an advantage.

That did not happen against Newcastle, a team in no form at all who had conceded two or more goals in each of their previous four matches. Arsenal scored from a corner routine – setting a new Premier League record in the process – and largely refused to test Newcastle’s resolve from that point onward. They were fortunate for Newcastle’s own profligacy.

Perhaps the plan is to win every game their way and hope Manchester City stumble. Perhaps they will be more expansive against Burnley and score enough goals to pip City. But Arsenal have now gone seven games without scoring more than one goal. Which is an interesting vibe when the title might come down to how many you’re scoring.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Palhinha 82′)

MOLINEUX STADIUM – The prospect of this being a Championship fixture next season was unthinkable in September, when a third-placed Tottenham Hotspur drew with bottom-club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Now Tottenham are desperately fighting to prevent that from becoming the case, a gritty 1-0 win their first in the Premier League of 2026, and only secured thanks to a worldie Antonin Kinsky save keeping out Joao Gomes’ free-kick in the final minute.

A rare victory, then, and one only slightly soured by the fact relegation rivals West Ham United won against Everton as well.

It means Spurs remain in the Premier League relegation zone with four games to go, but their prospects are brighter than they were at 4.15pm on Saturday – when there was a four-point gap between themselves in 18th and West Ham in 17th.

At that point, Wolves fans revelled in singing “You’re going down with the Wanderers…” and “Premier League you’re having a laugh…”, but it was then Spurs supporters basking in the Wolverhampton sun after Joao Palhinha bundled the ball in from a corner in the 82nd minute.

And, what a shock, that is what can happen when you put corners in the box.

Somehow, in this game of probabilities, Spurs opted to send a first-half corner to the edge of the area, where Pedro Porro met the ball thinking he was Paul Scholes. The volley was as high as it was wide and a reminder the Spurs full-back does not quite boast the technique of the ex-Manchester United midfielder.

So when Spurs did find the breakthrough, it arrived in basic fashion, a messy corner resulting in Palhinha poking home the loose ball.

Few saw it coming. Spurs had look clueless in attack, had lost both Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons to injury either side of half-time, and utterly lacked a creative spark with a starting midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma.

Sometimes then you just have to put it in the mixer. It wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter.

West Ham winning means the gap remains two points, and going forward the main worry for Spurs will be that no club they face after this – Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton – are quite as bad as already-relegated Wolves.

The second worry: injuries. Again. Solanke hobbling off and Simons going off on a stretcher – sparking ACL fears ahead of the World Cup – means Spurs will have to limp their way over the line. If that is without Simons, then it is without their most creative outlet.

And at this rate, now onto 34 points to West Ham’s 36, the 40-point mark may not be so magic. West Ham were relegated with a record-high 42 points back in 2003. It’s unlikely that will be required this time, but it could be close.

And for Spurs, Saturday was a reminder of what they must fight to avoid. They have become the team everyone wants to lose, and should they drop down to the Championship, they would become the club every other second-tier club desperately wants to beat.

It would be relentless, and not merely because of the schedule, as 46 times they would face teams who would nothing more than contributing to their spiral.

They have four games to avoid that. It is out of their hands, but by going back to basics, they have a chance.

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Relegation-threatened Tottenham continue their push to escape the Premier League’s bottom three when they visit Wolves, whose drop to the Championship has already been confirmed, at 3pm.

At the same time, there is another huge game in the battle for safety as West Ham, who are currently two points ahead of Spurs, host Everton.

Arsenal will look to return to the top of the table – at least temporarily – when they take on Newcastle at 5.30pm. They are currently second with a worse goal difference than Manchester City, who take on Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals at 5.15pm.

In the day’s other Premier League games, Fulham host Aston Villa and Crystal Palace visit Liverpool.

Elsewhere, the Women’s Six Nations continues with England hosting Wales, Scotland traveling to Italy and France hosting Ireland. There is also action in the County Championship and across the football league.

Follow The i Paper’s updates below…

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Liverpool denied a penalty by VAR

Liverpool 0-0 Crystal Palace

Mohamed Salah is brought down by Brennan Johnson inside the Palace box, but the replays show he made contact with the ball before Salah.

Liverpool fans protest ticket price rises

Liverpool 0-0 Crystal Palace

Reds fans’ protests against rising ticket prices continue at Anfield today.

The ground becomes a sea of yellow cards at the supporters continue to voice their frustration.

Oh, Porro…

Reporting from Molineux

Wolves 0-0 Tottenham

Spurs are on top and playing with urgency, but unsurprisingly they are lacking confidence where it matters: in front of goal.

And in the game of percentages, it’s probably best to send any corner they win into the box. Instead, the corner picks out Pedro Porro 20 yards out, and Paul Scholes he is not…

His ugly volley goes well wide to the delight of this home crowd.

England lead Wales at half-time

In the Women’s Six Nations, England are 29-12 up against Wales at a sold out Ashton Gate.

England are currently top on 10 points, with France being the only other side to have won both of their first two matches.

Kick off

Right then, time for our three 3pm games in the Premier League.

Tottenham are at Wolves, West Ham host Everton, and Liverpool take on Crystal Palace.

Can Wolves drag Spurs down with them?

Reporting from Molineux Stadium

This feels huge, and to fall on a Saturday at 3pm: strange. Especially with Tottenham’s relegation rivals West Ham also in action at the same time at home to Everton.

Quite what the relegation picture will look like come 5pm remains to be seen, but on a glorious day at Molineux it’s time to see whether Tottenham can pick up points at what has become a bogey ground of late.

They’re winless against Wolves in the last six league meetings, and have lost the last three here. This is a poorer Wolves, a now relegated Wolves, but could they drag Spurs down with them? No one is ruling that out.

MK Dons promoted to League One

Elsewhere, a 3-0 won at home to Tranmere Rovers earned MK Dons promotion from League Two.

It is now down to a two-horse race for the title between them and Bromley.

Last-gasp drama as York win the National League

Wow! Utterly unbelievable scenes in the National League.

York City only needed a draw to win the division and earn promotion to League Two.

Six minutes added at 0-0. Then Emmanuel Dieseruvwe sent the home fans wild, scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time for Rochdale.

That wasn’t the end of it, though. Josh Stones scored in the 13th minute of stoppage time to equalise for York and win the league.

Rochdale, despite racking up 106 points across the season, will have to face the play-offs.

Rochdale fans invaded the pitch. It wasn’t all over.

Full time: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Well, far from the most thrilling of games to kick off the afternoon’s Premier League action, but it’s a win for Fulham.

They move up to within two points of sixth place.

Man City beaten by Brighton in the WSL

Khadija Shaw reduced the deficit for Manchester City, but they fall to just their third defeat of the season away at Brighton.

Losing means they remain five points from guaranteeing the title.

Team news – Liverpool vs Crystal Palace

Liverpool: Woodman, Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Isak, Gakpo.

Subs: Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Wright.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell, Johnson, Mateta, Sarr.

Subs: Benítez, Clyne, Riad, Sosa, Devenny, Lerma, Hughes, Pino, Strand Larsen.

Fulham have a goal disallowed

Timothy Castagne thinks he has doubled Fulham’s advantage as he heads home a corner from close range.

Butu the referee rules it out as Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was having his shirt tucked.

Team news – Wolves vs Tottenham

Wolves: Sa, Lima, Doherty, S Bueno, Toti, H Bueno, Andre, J Gomes, R Gomes, Mane, Armstrong.

Subs: Bentley, Tchatchoua, Olagunju, Wolfe, A Gomes, Bellegarde, Edozie, Hwang, Arokodare.

Tottenham: Kinsky, Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Porro, Bissouma, Gallagher, Bentancur, Xavi, Kolo Muani, Solanke.

Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Palhinha, Richarlison, Maddison, Tel, Gray, Bergvall, Souzs.

Team news – West Ham vs Everton

West Ham: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Fernandes, Souček, Bowen, Summerville, Pablo, Taty

Subs: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Todibo, Potts, Magassa, Kante, Adama, Wilson.

Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gana, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry.

Subs: Travers, Patterson, George, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Rohl, Iroegbunam, Armstrong.

Games back under way

We are about six minutes into the second half at Craven Cottage, where Fulham are currently beating Aston Villa.

The visitors have had a bright start to the second half and are having a lot of success on the break.

The second halves have also started across the other divisions.

The top stories from across the pyramid so far

Championship side Middlesbrough are currently beating Watford 2-0. A victory moves them to within a point of second-placed Ipswich having played a game more.

It is currently 0-0 between Ipswich and West Brom.

In League Two, MK Dons are beating Tranmere 2-0. A win today would confirm automatic promotion to League One.

In the title decider in the National League, it is currently goalless between York City and Rochdale. Rochdale need to win to earn automatic promotion to the EFL.

Half-time: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Ryan Sessegnon’s goal means the hosts are in front at the break. Villa were just caught napping at the back.

If it stays as it is, Fulham move to within two points of sixth-placed Brighton.

Goal! Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Fulham take the lead at Aston Villa and it is Ryan Sessegnon who has given them the advantage.

A cross comes in and Sasa Lukic’s initial header is saved by Emi Martinez, but Sessegnon is there to drill home the rebound

Brighton beating Man City in WSL

Brighton 2-1 Manchester City

Manchester City were ahead as they continue their push for a first Women’s Super League title since 2016, but are now trailing.

Goals from Kiko Seike and Madison Haley either side of the break have put Brighton in front.

City are still nine points ahead of Chelsea having played a game more and 12 ahead of Arsenal having played two games more.

Fulham creating chances but still struggling in front of goal

Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa

Fulham have not scored in either of their past two games and do not look like doing better this afternoon.

They are enjoying a lot of the ball in the Villa third but seem to be lacking bite inside the box.

It has been a bit of a drab affair so far.

SELHURST PARK — The wait for Brennan Johnson to fulfil the expectations of his £35m move to Crystal Palace continues.

Since arriving as Palace’s club-record signing in January, before being trumped in the same window by Jorgen Strand Larsen, Johnson’s attacking account has been flimsy.

There has been a consistent absence of end product from the Welshman, who ventures into promising positions but stops short of delivering the final ball or applying the finishing touch. That lack of quality has been a thread running through his nearly four-month stay at Palace, with the forward failing to score in 19 appearances and registering just two assists.

Against West Ham on Monday night, he should have netted his first Palace goal. An exquisite cross from Jefferson Lerma offered Johnson a free header less than 10 yards from goal, but the 24-year-old got his angles carelessly wrong and guided extremely wide of the target. It was the best chance of a relatively drab affair, as Johnson’s panicked header epitomised the disappointment of his early career in red and blue.

A foolish yellow card on El Hadji Malick Diouf followed. Although there was a hint of his quality, receiving the ball from Yeremy Pino before taking a touch and releasing a prompt effort narrowly wide of the post. On the whole, however, he struggled to have the desired impact.

His manager, Oliver Glasner, papered over the cracks in his post-match press conference — insisting Johnson’s performance marked progress as he attacked areas and occupied spaces he had previously struggled to, while demonstrating a better grasp of Palace’s defensive habits.

“He was a constant threat,” Glasner said. “It was his best performance out of possession; the job he did was amazing. In the last games, he didn’t come into great situations, so it was a great step in the right direction. The first step is getting into good areas and getting chances, then the next is to convert. When I see how he finishes in training, I am pretty sure he will score a few goals before the end of the season.”

In some ways, Glasner was right. This was an improvement, although it is more of an indictment of Johnson’s sluggish start than a glowing endorsement of his display against West Ham. Notwithstanding that Palace paid a hefty sum for attacking results, not defensive traits.

There is little invention, he is not overly progressive, has little flair to beat a man and does not carry the ball — making him appear like a passenger. He has crossing ability, which he demonstrated at times against West Ham, but there must be a more concerted effort to find him in those wide areas to get the best out of him.

There is merit in the argument that Johnson requires time to adjust to Glasner’s system, which utilises narrower attackers rather than wingers, with his experience coming out wide. But that is why it beggars belief that Palace spent £35m on him midway through the season when there is little time to bed in a new signing who is essentially learning on the job. The time to adjust – especially within a hectic European schedule – is non-existent.

A mid-season fix, especially when making a club-record outlay, should be compatible with the style of play to improve the chances of an expeditious impact. After all, Johnson was signed as Palace had a shortfall in attack from the start of the campaign. Midway through the season, the recruitment should have been much more considered, with a quick result in mind. Instead, the discourse is whether Palace have wasted £35m.

Johnson may benefit from Glasner’s departure in the summer, should Palace opt for a manager who prefers wingers to inside attackers. He is more accustomed to playing out wide and timing his blistering runs to the back post, losing his man to finish clinically. There have been very few opportunities to demonstrate that efficient part of his game, which enabled him to score 18 goals in 51 appearances under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur last season.

That may still come in a Palace shirt, and a reset in the summer, accompanied by a full pre-season, could serve him well. But the signs have been uninspiring.

As Palace continue to contend in Europe, Glasner is intent on using his attacking options in the squad to keep it fresh: starting Johnson in the last two Premier League games, with Ismaila Sarr having played in Europe. With Shakhtar Donetsk on the horizon, opportunities are likely to continue as Palace seek Conference League glory – the onus is on Johnson to start taking his chances.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Brighton (Porro 39′, Simons 77′ | Mitoma 45+3′, Rutter 90+5)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – “All Together. Always.”

Despite a draw snatched from the jaws of victory, perhaps relegation is not quite the utter inevitability which some Tottenham Hotspur fans have stoically believed.

However, it does remain a real possibility, thanks to a couple of sublime goals from Brighton in added time of each half to dilute the introduction of new boss Roberto De Zerbi in the home dug out.

The sun and the Spurs flags were out. And the feeling was one of sheer optimism – misplaced or not – despite ten home league defeats this season and a club mired in 18th place, with their fourth boss in ten months.

The notes of defiance in the air for the latest incarnation of a team in peril. Goals from Pedro Porro and Xavi Simons looked like they might be enough to crawl past Brighton. Georginio Rutter blasting in a late equaliser was merited for the Seagulls and only increases the uncertainty around this Tottenham side as the weeks compress in on them.

De Zerbi has all been about harnessing the spirits of flat lining players. It is now his task to lift them amid another deep disappointment. At least it was a point this time.

The Italian made all the right noises in his programme notes. “I am here to give the players confidence, to allow them to play with clear minds.” For these beleaguered, underachieving Spurs players it really is as uncomplicated as that.

Yet, new manager or not, it is not easy to engineer. Pep Guardiola is a big fan of De Zerbi, although it remains to be seen if this is admiration for crisis management.

For the afflicted here, it had been thirty one days of disaster, which began with defeat at Manchester United before caving in against opponents with either title or survival objectives, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, respectively, has dragged the north Londoners to this springtime existential struggle. De Zerbi’s arrival is to quickly water the spirits rather than oversee idealistic flower arranging. A team bonding session over a dinner in Mayfair in midweek is just one of the basic ideas to steer Tottenham in the right direction.

Of course, De Zerbi’s first league game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had to be against Brighton, the club which he invigorated between 2022-24, guiding the Seagulls to the knock out stage of the Europa League. Still, the hope around these parts is that his fiery nature is somehow contagious. The returning Simons curling, peachy 76th-minute goal almost restored desperately sought optimism for Spurs.

De Zerbi’s fresh 4-3-3 formation shows a certain faith. Even if Tottenham had issues with energy levels, the surge of adrenalin which greeted Simons’ strike spiked like precious little else all season. Like so many games, the excitement is too fleeting and too exposed.

In short – Spurs have five games to save themselves. Only two of those – against Leeds United and Everton – are at home. And always living dangerously, it seems.

Brighton, meanwhile, were merely the latest opponent to visit N17 with no fear and for long spells they were the better, zestier side.

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Rodrigo Bentancur and Kevin Danso may have their faults, but their return to the Spurs team brought an alertness amid the Seagulls’ continual attacks. Neither could be blamed for the sparkling equaliser from Kaoru Mitoma. If much of the fare was scrappy, at least relative desire by Micky Van De Ven and Destiny Odogie could seen by the Tottenham fans, despite plenty of taxing moments.

Looking ahead, it doesn’t help Tottenham that, a few miles east, there is growing encouragement. Watching West Ham in recent weeks, you get the impression that Nuno Espirito Santo – he of once fleeting Tottenham employ – has moulded a team who actually want to scramble out of the quicksand.

At least Tottenham showed signs, albeit uncomfortably so, of the same. But skittish defending is a major flaw for attack minded teams, like Fabian Hurzler’s team, to exploit.

Still without a league win in 2026, time is running out. A point here may, in the final analysis not be enough for Tottenham amid the battle. Those hangdog expressions from the dejected players at the end said it all.

West Ham 4-0 Wolves (Mavropanos 42’, 83′, Castellanos 66’, 68’)

LONDON STADIUM – In a hushed moment after Konstantinos Mavropanos’ header hit the net, there was an unusual sight. In unison, thousands of West Ham supporters took phones out of pockets to look at the Premier League table. Not so much at the prospect of their own great escape, but to check they really had just plunged Tottenham Hotspur into the relegation zone. You could see one man even taking a picture of it.

Yet there was another reason that first goal felt so decisive. Until that point, Wolves had been holding up an unflattering mirror. Headed for the Championship, too many stars sold, too little ambition, a civil war between owners and fans. If that all sounds painfully familiar in these parts, it is supposed to. West Ham had been staring grimly into their own future as they repeatedly ceded possession.

They refused to cede hope. With that Jarrod Bowen cross, two Taty Castellanos goals within 99 seconds of each other and another Mavropanos clincher, those reasons for optimism exploded into view. There is cause to dream again in east London.

Nuno Espirito Santo will not care that the first goal came against the run of play, or whether the initial corner was wrongly given. Nor that Castellanos had seized on some abject defending, showing exactly why hapless Wolves are where they are despite the improvement under Rob Edwards.

Nuno has become an enigmatic figure at the heart of the battle for survival, the ghosts of his past dissipating at every turn. In Wolves, he gave one former club an unsympathetic shove towards the drop – in Spurs, he nudged another into mortal peril.

It is not only that he has organised a defence which looked unsalvageable under Graham Potter. The whole attitude has changed. At one point Bowen sparked a brilliant break by retrieving the ball close to his own box to recover a botched pass.

The Hammers are ultimately showing enough signs of why they are still in with a fighting chance. It does not matter whether they actually recruited well in January, only that they recruited well enough. Castellanos made the difference here, but even when not firing he and Pablo have created a better-oiled front line for Bowen and Crycencio Summerville. The latter clearly needs time to get back to full sharpness.

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Should they survive, it will do little to stem fan ire directed at the board – and nor should it, given the series of events which got West Ham into this position in the first place. But there is increasingly an argument to be had that they deserve to stay up.

While Spurs dithered over Thomas Frank, they acted swiftly to replace Potter with Nuno. They went for an old school, 4-4-2 loving, oft-critiqued coach, but one with Premier League experience who could reshape them in his own image. Tottenham went for the stopgap option in Igor Tudor, who lasted five league games. If it is to be Spurs who go, their supporters – like West Ham – will point the finger firmly at boardroom level.

The north Londoners have been horribly unlucky with injuries but their reserved approach in January has left them in serious trouble. Again, the question is whether West Ham have done just enough.

The additions of the two forwards could swing it. Callum Wilson was also given a new deal, when he might have been sold amid interest from Everton. Now, West Ham are grinding out results in high-pressure matches.

Still, there is a long way to go between now and 25 May. The last time West Ham and Wolves faced one another, Nuno called his side’s 3-0 loss his most “embarrassing” day in football. Travelling fans berated their own players with “you’re not fit to wear the shirt”. This time, there was only the appetite to taunt their opponents: “Going down with the Tottenham.” They might just be right.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Tottenham Hotspur have been warned about a £200m loss in revenue and the prospect of losing three “crown jewels” should they drop down to the Championship.

Tottenham may sit ninth in Deloitte’s Money League among global football clubs but their position in the Premier League is what really matters: 17th with seven games to go.

Roberto De Zerbi will hope to turn the tide in this fight with West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and potentially Leeds United to avoid finishing 18th.

But while Spurs fans wrestle with a contentious new head coach, the club’s hierarchy will also be weighing up the financial cost of relegation – beyond the damage it would do to the club’s reputation.

‘Relegation clause nowhere near enough’

Daniel Levy reportedly installed a 50 per cent reduction in player wages as part of a relegation clause before he left his role as Spurs’ executive chairman in September.

However, sports finance expert Professor Rob Wilson stresses 50 per cent is not enough, particularly given Spurs’ wage bill is the seventh highest in the Premier League at £2.63m gross per week – almost double that of West Ham (£1.43m).

“Some other clubs could even have 90 per cent relegation clauses or agreements for players to move,” Wilson tells The i Paper. “But because Spurs have been relatively stable in the Premier League, they don’t have the clause they would need in order to properly survive.

“It’s nowhere near enough. You need a minimum 75 per cent relegation clause in order to balance your books when you go down.”

Spurs have to sell

The knock-on effect for Spurs needing to reduce their wage bill is ultimately selling players – and that may be necessary even if they stay up after the club announced post-tax losses of £94.7m for 2024-25 last week.

Relegation would undoubtedly ramp up the pressure to offload players, and Wilson says the club face losing their “crown jewels” – Archie Gray, Djed Spence and Dominic Solanke – for below market value.

Another vital player in Cristian Romero has three years left on his current contract and is valued between £40-50m. That makes the defender a prized asset and therefore a strong option to sell, although rival clubs are set to open with offers 30-50 per cent below Spurs’ asking price for players if they go down.

“Everyone knows you’ve got to sell so they’ll squeeze down the value of the players,” adds Wilson.

Big revenue hit

Spurs’ 2024-25 accounts showed an overall revenue of £565.3m, split between match receipts, Uefa prize money, TV and media, and commercial income.

Wilson estimates a loss of around £200m in terms of revenue should they drop to the Championship.

Spurs may have clauses in sponsorships, but elsewhere their revenue streams would be significantly hit by relegation. It is not feasible for them to charge the same amount for a Championship match ticket as they have done as a Champions League club.

The club also face the prospect of starting the 2026-27 season earlier than they are used to, and a longer domestic campaign comprising of at least 46 games could also limit the opportunities Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has to host concerts and other events.

Spurs’ revenue – Premier League vs Championship

Confirmed 2024-25 revenue streams

Match receipts: £126.5m

Uefa prize money: £34.7m

TV and media £127.0m

Commercial: £277.1m

Total: £565.3m

Estimated revenue streams in Championship

March receipts: £100m

TV and media: £80m

Commercial: £180m

Total: £360m

‘Held to ransom’

All three relegation-threatened clubs have spent handsomely in recent years – Forest’s 2025 summer spend of £182.5m was the eighth highest in the Premier League, narrowly above Spurs (£171.2m) with West Ham not far behind in 11th (£131.3m).

“Football needs to grow up and look at itself in the mirror,” adds Wilson. “Clubs are being held to ransom by players and agents. They’re making emotional decisions buying players who aren’t the value they’re being signed for, and paying them more than they’re worth.

“It’s because of a culture of fear and makes for a race to the bottom where clubs are spending too much money while the managers are laughing when sacked on their big contracts and you have players earning their six-figure salaries. They’re all rolling the dice.”

Roberto De Zerbi has agreed to become Tottenham Hotspur’s new head coach after a breakthrough in talks.

The former Brighton head coach will sign a five-year deal to replace Igor Tudor, who left on Sunday after just 44 turbulent days in charge.

De Zerbi’s appointment has already proven a controversial choice among supporters, with fan groups including Women of the Lane endorsing a “No to De Zerbi” campaign due to his public support of Mason Greenwood during their time together at Marseille.

Greenwood was charged with rape, assault and coercive control in October 2022 while a Manchester United player but the charges were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

De Zerbi called him a “good guy” who had paid a “heavy price” and said he planned to treat him like one of his “sons”.

Spurs have nevertheless opted to make the Italian one of the highest-paid managers in English football. His first game sees Tottenham travel to Sunderland on 12 April as they bid to win a first league match of the calendar year. They sit 17th in the table, one point above the relegation zone.

As the odds plummet on the club’s first relegation since 1977, De Zerbi will then face his old employers Brighton in his first home match.

While he was initially reluctant to take the job for the final seven fixtures of the season, preferring to wait until the summer, Tottenham’s board were adamant they did not want another interim option following Tudor’s chaotic reign, which did not produce a single league win.

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Sean Dyche was also considered as a survival specialist but De Zerbi is closer to the vision Spurs have for the future, provided they stay up. However, he also has a reputation within the game for volatility and on average, stays in managerial jobs for less than 18 months.

That mirrors Tottenham’s own recent instability. De Zerbi will become their fourth manager in 10 months, with Ange Postecoglou sacked last June, weeks after winning the Europa League. His successor Thomas Frank was then axed in February amid a dire run of results and a fan revolt over his style of play.

De Zerbi is renowned for his progressive entertaining football, but his first priority will be to ensure Spurs are playing it in the top flight next season.