Premier League relegation battle: Palhinha saves Spurs, as Nuno and Pereira guide West Ham and Forest to victories in epic survival fight | OneFootball

Palhinha's goal was crucial for Spurs [Getty Images]

The final stages of the Premier League season look set to be the most memorable in years. While Arsenal and Manchester City compete in an intense tussle for the title, which could be settled on goal difference if each win their remaining games, there is similar intrigue surrounding the relegation places, where Portuguese involvement is strong.

Palhinha the hero 

Arguably the most eye-catching story at the bottom is Tottenham Hotspur’s bid to avoid dropping out of the top flight for the first time in almost half a century. Spurs were last relegated in 1977, spending the following season in the second tier before being immediately promoted, but a repeat of such an occurrence was deemed unthinkable until recent weeks.

An incredible slump in form saw Roberto De Zerbi’s side head to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday having not won a league match since December. Manager Thomas Frank was sacked in February, with his replacement Igor Tudor lasting just seven matches before meeting the same fate and being replaced by De Zerbi last month.

The dismal run of results has seen Spurs slip down to 18th place and the relegation zone, rendering the Wolves match a ‘must win’ at Molineux. With less than ten minutes remaining, the travelling Spurs fans surely feared the worst as the clock ticked with the score goalless, but substitute João Palhinha’s close-range finish on 82 minutes earned a 1-0 victory and ended their winless run.

“It means much more than three points, this victory, the goal,” Palhinha told Spurs’ media after the match. “The celebration was a little bit more with the fans because we’re all together. They deserve this victory after such a long time, it’s been a really tough time to be at the club.

“We probably did more to win games in other matches than we did today. But football is like that. We need to focus on the reality that we are right now and on the main goal now which is staying in the Premier League. This win was overdue because I think we deserved to win games in the past, but it’s much more than three points today. It gives us an extra boost.

“I hope one win can change everything. We have four finals and it doesn’t matter if we play well, we are in the position where we just need to win games. That’s the reality.”

Forest send message with crushing win over Sunderland 

The three points for Spurs were all the more important due to the performances of their direct relegation rivals. The three teams directly above Spurs – Leeds, Nottingham Forest and West Ham – have all been picking up positive results of late, with their form dragging Spurs into the bottom three.

Vítor Pereira, who so impressively adapted at Wolves midway through last season to save them from relegation, is having a similar impact in his role at Nottingham Forest, following his appointment in February. The Reds, who are also in the Europa League semi-finals, sent out a message of intent on Friday night with sensational 5-0 victory at Sunderland.

The result made it three wins from the last four matches for Forest, who before that held high-flying Aston Villa and Manchester City to draws. The flurry of positive showings has seen Pereira’s side move up to 16th place and open a five-point gap between themselves and Spurs in the drop zone.

“It’s a good feeling,” Pereira said after the astonishing win over Sunderland. “We’re eight games unbeaten now, and it’s important to keep this mentality.

“They had the belief and the spirit in themselves, and they know they can score goals and be an aggressive team, and we did everything to win.

“The results we are getting mean that we are creating something consistent. We are competing in every game for results, which is the spirit I want to see in my team until the last game.”

Forest’s upturn in form under Pereira is made more impressive given it has been balanced by their European campaign. Pereira’s men saw off his former club FC Porto in the last eight of the Europa League, having previously knocked out Midtjylland and Fenerbahce, setting up a semi-final meeting with Aston Villa commencing next week.

West Ham snatch late winner 

West Ham also continue to rack up points under their Portuguese boss Nuno Espírito Santo. While not as convincing as Forest, the Hammers beat Everton 2-1 in the capital on Saturday thanks to an injury-time winner by substitute Callum Wilson, which made it seven points from their last three matches in the Premier League.

Of particular significance to Nuno is the team’s regular ability to respond to setbacks. The winner against Everton came after the visitors had stunned the London Stadium by equalising in the 88th minute through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but Nuno’s men quickly recovered from the disappointment to find a dramatic clinching goal.

“One of the positive things we achieved, especially at home, is that we don’t give up,” Nuno said after the final whistle. “Conceding was a huge blow for us, but the next moment was to react and Jarrod [Bowen] showed us the way and put the ball in the right place [for Wilson] at the right moment.

“What a way to suffer in the end! But I think all of us deserve this moment, especially our fans. But I’m speaking too much, I want to pass this message: we have two more games here. And I really hope our fans understand the need and do what they did today. It’s going to be huge for us.

“During the game, the fans give us extra. We hear the noise. We cannot thank them enough and I insist we have two more games at London Stadium and we know the energy we have here. We know how important the home factor is in the Premier League.”

Remaining fixtures: 

Leeds United (40 points)

Burnley (h) 

Tottenham (a) 

Brighton (h) 

West Ham (a) 

Nottingham Forest (39 points)

Chelsea (a) 

Newcastle (h) 

Manchester United (a) 

Bournemouth (h) 

West Ham United (36 points)

Brentford (a) 

Arsenal (h) 

Leeds (h) 

Tottenham Hotspur (34 points)