Stakes never higher for Tottenham in West Ham relegation shootout | OneFootball

Yet another defeat at Chelsea means it is do or die on Sunday

The Premier League relegation battle will be decided this weekend after Tottenham squandered the opportunity to stretch clear of West Ham and once and for all lay to rest this nightmare season.

But with the Blues winless in their previous seven league games and sporting a number of changes to the team that lost the FA Cup final, an opportunity presented itself. It was an opportunity Spurs could not take.

A confident start was undone by a stunning Enzo Fernandez strike, and from there Spurs looked powerless to reply before Andrey Santos doubled Chelsea’s advantage after the break.

A late Spurs rally, a heroic Jorrel Hato block and a contentious penalty call made for an enthralling end to a game that hissed with intensity and animosity - former Chelsea favourite, Conor Gallagher, copping some of the harshest criticism from the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Randal Kolo Muani again struggled

PA

It was all fire and brimstone until the final whistle as Spurs, back in the game after Richarlison’s neatly worked goal, chased an equaliser. Full-time, though, felt like a death knell. The reality is that Spurs will have to go again in five days' time in order to secure Premier League survival.

Post-match, Roberto De Zerbi could not hide his frustration. He has “lived the last 45 days just for one thing.” To keep Spurs in the Premier League.

Another missed opportunity means that while Spurs are two points clear of the relegation zone, they are not out of the woods.

Defeat at home to Everton would open the door for West Ham, who, despite losing their last three games, have been given a new lease on life as they prepare to host Leeds at the London Stadium.

So, it all boils down to this. A straight shootout for Premier League survival. The tensions could not be higher, the ramifications more significant.

Forget last season’s Europa League triumph. This weekend, De Zerbi says, is Spurs’ cup final.

“Sunday is the final for Tottenham, not Bilbao against Man Utd. The most important game is Sunday, because last season they played for the trophy, now we play for something more important than the trophy,” De Zerbi said post-match.

Trophies are immaterial, according to De Zerbi. But “pride” and “dignity” are the measure of a man, and De Zerbi wants to ensure his players understand how disastrous it would be for the ninth richest club in the world to be relegated to the second division for the first time since 1977.

The pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than the trophy. The trophy you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life

Roberto De Zerbi

“The pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than the trophy. The trophy you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life.

To the credit of a Spurs squad that has been roundly and rightly criticised this season, it is clear De Zerbi’s words are not falling on deaf ears. The Italian has routinely praised his players’ attitude since he took charge six weeks ago. He needs one last push from them to get over the line.

The returning James Maddison was blunt in his assessment of the club’s plight after the defeat to Chelsea. Survival is “non-negotiable”. But he admits it is “embarrassing” and “unacceptable” that Spurs find themselves in this position.

De Zerbi has all summer to pick over the myriad of problems at the club, with talks scheduled at the end of the season regarding the futures of Cristian Romero and Guglielmo Vicario.

For now, though, the focus is clear. Spurs have one game to save themselves from relegation.

De Zerbi’s side seemingly holds all the cards heading into the final day. Yet, with just two league wins at home all season, their task is less straightforward than it would appear.

Ironically, they could learn a thing or two from their north London rivals Arsenal when it comes to getting over the line by any means necessary.