A first-half goal from the 8/10 star vs. Everton helped Tottenham clinch Premier League safety.
Tottenham Hotspur secured Premier League survival on the final day of the season by beating Everton 1-0 at home. West Ham did their bit, comfortably beating Leeds United 3-0, but it wasn’t enough for them due to Tottenham’s victory.
Spurs took the lead on the stroke of half-time when Joao Palhinha scrambled home on the rebound after his header from a corner hit the post. Everton chased an equaliser after the break, but Roberto De Zerbi’s side defended well. The Toffees came close to equalising deep into stoppage time via Tyrique George, whose rasping curler was excellently tipped over by a diving Antonin Kinsky.
In the end, Tottenham held on to consign West Ham to relegation and ensure they avoided dropping into the second division for the first time since 1977.
Joao Palhinha opens up after helping Tottenham retain their top-flight status
Joao Palhinha once again showed why he’s the man for the big occasion. It was the Portuguese international’s winner against Wolves that ended Tottenham’s four-month-long wait for a Premier League victory in April. Today, the midfielder scored the priceless goal in the first half against Everton that preserved the club’s status in the top flight.
In the aftermath of the game, the 30-year-old thanked the fans for their unbelievable support. He claimed that Tottenham will grow after a tough campaign, expressing his pleasure to play under De Zerbi.
“It’s an amazing feeling after a really tough season,” Palhinha said in an interview with Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport).
“A lot of things happened this season, but we showed today what we can do. After a bad season like this one, we showed up as a collective and had amazing support from the fans.
“The club will grow up with this season, and we know what we have to do in the future. It’s a big pleasure to play here with a top coach and top teammates. We have to celebrate even if we didn’t finish the position we deserve as Tottenham.”
Tottenham need a huge reset!
Heading into the weekend, Tottenham were in control of the situation. The players knew what they had to do and they executed the plan perfectly. De Zerbi deserves a lot of credit for helping the North Londoners turn things around, ending a five-month winless run before taking 11 points from a possible 21.
Now, the club’s top brass should be looking to back the Italian tactician in the summer transfer window. After two unacceptable domestic campaigns, culminating in 17th-placed finishes, Spurs need a huge reset. The board must ensure they recruit perfectly in the coming months for De Zerbi’s project to be successful.
Now that De Zerbi and Co. have achieved their objective, and the fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, the work now starts for Vinai Venkatesham, Johan Lange and the recruitment team.