Roberto De Zerbi still has plenty to do in the final stretch of the season even as Opta’s supercomputer continues to back West Ham United for relegation following Tottenham Hotspur’s draw with Leeds United.
The Premier League relegation battle took another turn on Monday as Tottenham Hotspur were held by Leeds United. While it was a frustrating result for the Lilywhites, they still remain two points above West Ham United in 18th place with a much better goal difference that could become very important by the end of the season.
The game also showed why Tottenham are still far from safe. Mathys Tel gave Spurs the lead early in the second half and looked set to be the match winner, but the mood quickly changed when his overhead clearance led to a penalty for Leeds. Tottenham then came under pressure late in the game and needed a big save from Antonin Kinsky in stoppage time to avoid a damaging defeat.
Tottenham’s fight to stay up goes beyond tactics
That nervous ending against Leeds showed the bigger problem Roberto De Zerbi has been trying to fix since arriving at Tottenham in late March. He walked into a squad low on confidence and struggling badly for results, so improving the mentality of the players quickly became just as important as improving the football on the pitch.
Because of that, De Zerbi has spent a lot of time trying to bring belief and energy back into the squad during the relegation battle. After the Leeds draw, he admitted that survival is not only about tactics or quality, but also about staying calm and handling pressure in difficult moments. That has been one of Tottenham’s biggest problems throughout the season.
There have still been some positive signs in recent weeks, with players like Joao Palhinha, Conor Gallagher and Antonin Kinsky stepping up at important moments as Spurs have shown more fight and determination. However, the Leeds game also showed why De Zerbi knows the job is far from finished. Tottenham are still making costly mistakes in key moments and continue to struggle for consistency, which is why the final two matches of the season will be so important.
Roberto De Zerbi and Spurs still have work to do
Even though the Lilywhites are currently outside the relegation zone, the pressure is still very high going into the final two matches of the season. Opta’s projections as of 11 May still strongly back West Ham to be relegated after another poor run of form.
The opta’s supercomputer gives West Ham an 81.3 per cent chance of going down compared to Tottenham’s 18.70 per cent. That puts the Lilywhites in the better position for now, but the final fixtures will still be difficult. West Ham face Newcastle and Leeds in their last two matches, while Spurs travel to Stamford Bridge before hosting Everton on the final day.
With so little separating the teams near the bottom, De Zerbi knows Tottenham cannot relax yet. The numbers may favour Spurs, but there is still plenty of work to do before Premier League safety is secured.
What relegation could mean for West Ham and Tottenham
If West Ham are relegated, the impact would be serious both on and off the pitch. The club could lose around £60 million in revenue and also see fewer fans at the London Stadium in the Championship.
That kind of setback would also force big changes to the squad. Players like Jarrod Bowen could attract interest from other clubs, while Crysencio Summerville is also on Tottenham’s radar as they look at possible summer options.
If West Ham go down, they would not only be fighting to come back up but also trying to avoid the problems other clubs have faced after relegation. Teams like Luton Town and Leicester City have shown how difficult it can be to recover quickly once you drop out of the Premier League.
Because of that, the final matches of the season are very important for Tottenham. For De Zerbi, the focus now is on keeping his side calm and consistent under pressure and making sure they do not lose control in key moments.
De Zerbi’s men on the other hand, will need to stay disciplined and show more control in the final games because any mistake at this stage could quickly change their position in the table