Tottenham Hotspur escaped relegation on the last day of the Premier League with their best home performance since their first game of the season.
It was only fitting that to avoid relegation, Tottenham had to come up with a win at their bogey stadium, their home ground. Their win against Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marks their first home win of the year and the third one this season.
It granted them the crucial three points, pushing their point total to 41 (and actually bettering their point total from last season), which they, in the end, needed because West Ham did everything they could to make the afternoon as uncomfortable for Spurs as possible.
But for their part, Tottenham put in the kind of mature performances that the Tottenham Hotspur stadium hasn’t seen since the opening days of the season. Spurs played some of their best football of the season, keeping hold of the ball with intricate movement, limiting Everton’s chances, and creating the dangerous chances necessary to win a game of this calibre.
Joao Palhinha’s header and his rebound finish dragged Spurs over the line, but he won’t be the only winner from the match against Everton. Here are all of them.
Tottenham Hotspur football club: Perhaps the biggest winner of them all
It was a season that could have ended in unmitigated disaster for Tottenham Hotspur. The consequences of losing Premier League status for a club the size of Tottenham are probably impossible to even fully formulate. But, massive, forced sales of player talent, losses in valuation, status, would have been among those consequences. What is more, stories of clubs like Leicester or Leeds show that an immediate return to the Premier League is not even guaranteed, all the while every concurrent season below the top-flight leads to ever-compounding losses.
The win over Everton grants Spurs a stay of execution and the preserving of, as this season has shown, an incredibly fragile status quo. The Tottenham board has been given an undeserved chance to right their wrongs and stop the rot at the heart of the club, starting with changes in executive sporting personnel and significant investment in the transfer window.
Manchester United’s success this season shows how quickly the fortunes of a club can change when the correct decisions are taken at the top. Spurs will never get a better opportunity to follow that blueprint.
The Tottenham Hotspur players showed that they can still care
The same players decried for so much of their season for their loss of interest, their lack of willingness to fight and get stuck in, managed to find the motivation to perform in the seven highest-pressure games in club history.
The Everton game saw many standout performances.
Kinsky’s last-gasp save from Tyrique George made sure that Spurs kept all three points, while his accurate distribution and ability to receive the ball on his feet under pressure allowed Spurs to keep the ball and progress with it up the pitch. But more than that, Antonin Kinsky continued to show his unbreakable character, and his consistent performances make him one of the most valuable players since Roberto De Zerbi took over.
Joao Palhinha’s goals have turned out to be invaluable for Spurs, and Everton was probably his best ever showing in Lilywhite. Palhinha managed to add some progressive carrying to his game to shine alongside his constant pressure, tackling, and his ability to contribute in key moments. Palhinha stated a convincing argument to make his loan permanent, and he could be a valuable option for Spurs to have.
Kevin Danso gave another outstanding account of his defensive abilities, while the contributions of Rodrigo Bentancur or of Pedro Porro, who at times were carrying the team’s entire technical floor on their shoulders, were all invaluable and deserve recognition.
But above all, the squad showed that they can still get behind and fight for the club and manager, and their buy-in will be crucial in the rebuild to come.
Tottenham fans should win the respect of the footballing world
The Tottenham Hotspur fanbase came under a lot of scrutiny this season. Being met with constant antagonism from then-manager Thomas Frank as well as from the players made the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium one of the more toxic grounds in the division.
But when push came to shove, and even when the performances didn’t justify it, the fans rallied behind the club and did everything they could to try and will the club over the line and out of the relegation scrap.
The fan-organised coach meet ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest created one of the best atmospheres the stadium has seen. The stadium stood stalwart behind the players even when under pressure, like during the home games against Leeds or Brighton.
And on the last day, when it mattered most, and the stakes were at their highest, the fans didn’t wilt under pressure.
In the end, the supporter base of Tottenham Hotspur wore their allegiance with pride in defeat and victory alike, instead of reminding themselves that they support a certain football club just to join a trophy parade…
As a coach, Roberto De Zerbi gets the credit in the bank he needs to push the club forward
When De Zerbi took over at Tottenham, they were without a win in the calendar year and sitting just a point above the relegation zone. Somehow, despite having to deal with season-ending injuries to key players like Xavi Simons, Dominic Solanke, and Cristian Romero in his first game in charge, De Zerbi managed to steer a team devoid of technical quality towards Premier League survival.
In the seven games in charge, De Zerbi’s decisions in terms of man management, team selections and tactical approaches were almost immaculate, and his belief in the players and the club gave the players a platform to play their best football since Ange Postecoglou. Spurs end the season 3rd in the form table, and Roberto De Zerbi showed the players and club alike that he is a manager they can get behind.