Spurs secure survival as João Palhinha sees off Everton to seal West Ham’s fate

It was a question of dignity, according to Roberto De Zerbi, which was certainly a valid starting point. But for Tottenham, it was so much else besides. Reputations. Livelihoods. The very future of the club. Everything was on the line because the consequences of a first relegation from English football’s top division since 1977 did not bear thinking about. Even if everybody had thought about them all the same.

It was impossible to ignore the feeling of foreboding. It was there as the Spurs fans made their way to the stadium, which has been a house of horrors for them in the Premier League this season. No club in the division had a worse home record than them at the start of the day. It was there throughout the game, rising exponentially in the second half as West Ham, needing to beat Leeds at the London Stadium to make it very interesting, scored three times. And it hammered on in to the 12 minutes of stoppage time; only nine had been signalled.

The big moment for Spurs came in the 43rd minute when João Palhinha scored at the second attempt from a Mathys Tel corner. But even as we went deep into added time, the mood remained extraordinarily angsty.

Spurs only needed a draw but they starred deeply into the abyss. They came out on the other side, relief prominent among the emotions when it was finally all over, some of their players slumping face first into the turf when the last whistle sounded.

De Zerbi tore on to the pitch, the manager’s survival mission complete – three wins and two draws from seven matches keeping them on the right side of the dreaded dotted line. The recriminations about a wretched season can wait. This was simply a day for the club’s longsuffering fans to drink in some positivity.

João Palhinha (far right) watches as his follow-up shot puts Spurs ahead. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

The stadium announcer had set the scene about 40 minutes before kick-off by declaring it to be a “very exciting day”. Which was one way of putting it. Other more accurate descriptions involved words like fraught and seismic. The biggest game this venue has hosted? Definitely. De Zerbi said it was bigger than last season’s Europa League final triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao.

How much did Everton want it? They had nothing to play for. They were in the nightclubs, to riff off the popular phrase. David Moyes had said he would “love” to help his old club West Ham stay in the league but there was a chasm before the motivation levels for the respective teams here. When the Spurs players emerged from the tunnel for kick-off, some of them had their children in their arms.

The Spurs team bus was welcomed into the ground by thousands of fans and the atmosphere was feverish. De Zerbi’s players had to master the heat on more than just a literal level. It was 30C in the shade.

Antonin Kinsky’s brilliant stoppage-time save sees Spurs over the line. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Spurs pressed on to the front foot at the outset, threatening to get in behind and the first-half belonged to them. Conor Gallagher, Kevin Danso and Palhinha squandered half-chances before the water break in the 23rd minute. The tensions bubbled and they spilled over at one point into a row between the benches after Jake O’Brien was booked for pulling back Tel. The Spurs substitute goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, was particularly exercised.

Tel was in the mood; quick and direct. There was a collective energy about the Spurs performance in the first half, a synergy with the crowd and they deserved their half-time lead. Danso had wasted another half-chance and Tel saw a curling shot blocked by James Tarkowski before the breakthrough came.

Palhinha was given yards of space at the back post to meet a Tel corner and when his header came off the upright, he was quick to react to the rebound, stabbing goalwards. Jordan Pickford got something to it and Beto thought he had cleared off the line but the ball had just about crossed it. Chalk it up as another vital Palhinha goal after his winner at Wolves in April that got De Zerbi’s tenure up and running. Palhinha also scored a last-gasp equaliser in the home game against Wolves last September.

The second half was always likely to be an ordeal for the Spurs crowd and they had to absorb the news, in the 63rd minute here, of West Ham’s goal for 1-0. The TV director feasted on the cutaway shots of anxious Spurs fans. Moyes made attacking changes, getting on Harrison Armstrong and Tyrique George and Spurs sank back, seeking to preserve what they had. The mood changed. More so when West Ham scored again. And again.

Pickford had fumbled a Djed Spence shot behind for a corner shortly after the restart but the remainder of the second half became a slow and painful countdown to the full time. Nothing much happened in terms of goalmouth action but the fear of what might do so seemed to increase for everybody with Spurs in their hearts.

Roberto De Zerbi races on to the pitch after Spurs sealed their place in the Premier League. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images/Reuters

The clocks on the giant screens in all four corners of the stadium seemed to transcend the occasion. Nobody could relax, even as we entered the closing stages. Pape Sarr, on as a substitute, was guilty of a blatant dive in the area on 80 minutes and was booked. James Maddison and Archie Gray came on to great acclaim.

Could Everton produce something to turn the screw? George almost made something happen with a low cross after a flick from Michael Keane and there were gasps when the board went up to show nine additional minutes. Towards the end of it, George cut inside and unloaded only for Antonin Kinsky to produce a fine save. Spurs collapsed over the line.