Sleepwalking over: How Tottenham staved off relega...
Key takeaways
- Just as they looked in danger of sleepwalking over the precipice into relegation, manager Roberto de Zerbi and on-loan midfielder João Palhinha snapped the team back into life and ended this nightmare of a season.
- That's sheer relief and an explosion of pent-up tension, but when the adrenaline ebbs away, Spurs need to figure out why exactly they got into this mess, and how they can avoid being here again next term.
- As one of the so-called "Big Six" clubs of the Premier League, two 17th-place finishes in consecutive seasons is not cause for celebration.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Just as they looked in danger of sleepwalking over the precipice into relegation, manager Roberto de Zerbi and on-loan midfielder João Palhinha snapped the team back into life and ended this nightmare of a season.
The Tottenham players celebrated Palhinha's first-half winner on Sunday like it had won them the Premier League, but the reality was this 1-0 win over Everton helped them secure just their third league win at home this season and saw them avoid relegation on the final day. That's sheer relief and an explosion of pent-up tension, but when the adrenaline ebbs away, Spurs need to figure out why exactly they got into this mess, and how they can avoid being here again next term.
As one of the so-called "Big Six" clubs of the Premier League, two 17th-place finishes in consecutive seasons is not cause for celebration. Avoiding relegation on the final day of the campaign grants frustrated and exhausted supporters a chance to breathe, safe in the knowledge the ignominy of relegation has been avoided. But as the club execs watched on from the directors' box, instead of popping champagne tonight, they should be drinking mineral water in their plush lounges, mapping out every single poor decision made over the past handful of years.