Why the stakes are so high for Spurs and West Ham

Tottenham finished 17th 12 months ago, but were ne'er truly successful information of relegation arsenic then-boss Ange Postecoglou juggled an injury-hit squad with a absorption connected Europe.

However, they person endured a genuinely disastrous run this clip around, erstwhile again not helped by a lengthy wounded list.

Their play has encompassed 3 caput coaches and aggregate unwanted records, including losing six games successful a enactment for the archetypal clip successful their past and going connected a 15-game winless tally successful the league.

Thomas Frank, who succeeded Postecoglou past June, was dismissed successful February.

His replacement Igor Tudor's reign was a caller nadir, with the nine collecting conscionable 1 Premier League constituent from a imaginable 15 earlier his 44-day tenure was brought to an end.

De Zerbi past took connected the unenviable task of ending their tailspin.

Draws against Brighton and Leeds that bookended wins implicit Wolves and Aston Villa provided airy astatine the extremity of the tunnel, and they are present connected people to flight - unless determination is simply a melodramatic crippled twist.

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, erstwhile Tottenham midfielder Danny Murpy said: "The mentality astatine Tottenham has to be, 4 oregon 5 weeks agone we were written off.

"If you'd said to Tottenham fans and players it's going to spell down to the past time and you've got to get a gully oregon a triumph astatine location to Everton, they would person bitten your manus off.

"The dilemma you person erstwhile you cognize a gully volition suffice is that plays connected your mind, and you truly can't fto it.

"They're astatine location against an Everton broadside who person petered retired a small spot astatine the extremity of the season, they've got to beryllium connected the beforehand ft and effort to triumph the game, alternatively than beryllium cautious and protective of that 0-0."

The imaginable consequences of relegation bash not carnivore reasoning astir for supporters, but volition surely see a wide exodus of big-name players.

Dejan Kulusevski, Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Xavi Simons and James Maddison would each apt see their options, portion youngsters Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are besides attracting admiring glances from elsewhere.