Tottenham and West Ham aim to avoid catastrophic relegation in season finale shootout | OneFootball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roberto De Zerbi insists he is staying put whatever happens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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