Why the stakes are high in Spurs & West Ham’s relegation shootout

Tottenham finished 17th 12 months ago, but were never really in danger of relegation as then-boss Ange Postecoglou juggled an injury-hit squad with a focus on Europe.

However, they have endured a truly disastrous campaign this time around, once again not helped by a lengthy injury list.

Their season has encompassed three head coaches and multiple unwanted records, including losing six games in a row for the first time in their history and going on a 15-game winless run in the league.

Thomas Frank, who succeeded Postecoglou last June, was dismissed in February.

His replacement Igor Tudor’s reign was a new nadir, with the club collecting just one Premier League point from a possible 15 before his 44-day tenure was brought to an end.

De Zerbi then took on the unenviable task of ending their tailspin.

Draws against Brighton and Leeds that bookended wins over Wolves and Aston Villa provided light at the end of the tunnel, and they are now on course to escape – unless there is a dramatic plot twist.

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murpy said: “The mentality at Tottenham has to be, four or five weeks ago we were written off.

“If you’d said to Tottenham fans and players it’s going to go down to the last day and you’ve got to get a draw or a win at home to Everton, they would have bitten your hand off.

“The dilemma you have when you know a draw will suffice is that plays on your mind, and you really can’t let it.

“They’re at home against an Everton side who have petered out a little bit at the end of the season, they’ve got to be on the front foot and try to win the game, rather than be cautious and protective of that 0-0.”

The possible consequences of relegation do not bear thinking about for supporters, but will surely include a mass exodus of big-name players.

Dejan Kulusevski, Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Xavi Simons and James Maddison would all likely consider their options, while youngsters Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are also attracting admiring glances from elsewhere.