Tottenham Hotspur secured their Premier League status for a 49th consecutive season by finishing two points above West Ham United, avoiding relegation on the final day of the 2025-26 campaign [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The team's survival was confirmed by a 1-0 home victory against Everton on May 21, a crucial win that ensured safety regardless of West Ham’s result against Leeds United [2, 6, 4, 5]. Had Tottenham lost and West Ham won, Spurs would have faced relegation for the first time since 1977 [1, 3].
Roberto De Zerbi, appointed Tottenham manager on March 31, replaced interim boss Igor Tudor and promptly improved the team’s form. Under De Zerbi, Tottenham won 11 points in seven league games, a sharp turnaround compared to just five points in the 13 matches before his arrival [2, 6, 7]. The Italian coach said, "Yeah, I confirm everything. It’s still an honour to be a coach for Tottenham, even if on Sunday we play for the relegation fight, it’s not a problem" [1].
De Zerbi described surviving relegation as one of his greatest achievements: "The Europa League at Brighton was great. The second place in Marseille... but I think today was maybe one of the best days in football so far" [4]. Speaking on May 24, he outlined plans for rebuilding the squad: "We have 10, 11, 12 players who are good enough to stay – good enough as players and especially people. Then we have to complete the squad with the first-level of players because we suffer too much" [4].
Spurs defender Micky van de Ven criticized the team’s struggle to avoid the drop, calling it "embarrassing". He said, "It is unacceptable that the last game we played this season we play for relegation... It was embarrassing to let it come to the final day but we did it and that is what is important" [4].
The club’s fans and players have expressed frustration with the leadership of CEO Vinai Venkatesham, Sports Director Johan Lange, and owners ENIC following consecutive finishes just above the relegation zone and a seven-year decline since reaching the 2019 Champions League final [2, 6, 5]. Tottenham’s net spend on player signings over that period totaled roughly 850 million euros (about $989.57 million) [2, 6].
Tottenham will not compete in European football next season, which raises concerns about revenues but may also allow additional focus on rebuilding the squad [7, 5]. De Zerbi has confirmed he will remain as manager next season regardless of Tottenham’s fate this year [1, 3].
