Premier League relegation battle: How Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are looking in bid for top-flight survival
Updated 17/05/2026 at 20:22 GMT+1
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The fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League could go down to the wire, but West Ham's 3-1 defeat at Newcastle means Tottenham are firmly in control of their own destiny.
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The Hammers currently occupy the final place in the bottom three, with both Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers already relegated.
Tottenham Hotspur are two points above Nuno Espirito Santo's side, with Nottingham Forest and Leeds United both now safe.
That means it is a straight shoot-out between Spurs and West Ham for who will join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship next season.
But which team has the most difficult fixtures? And where might the relegation battle be decided? TNT Sports takes a look.
Tottenham Hotspur - 38 points
- May 17: Chelsea v Spurs
- May 24: Spurs v Everton
Spurs' demise has been the season’s most striking storyline. Should the unthinkable happen and they be relegated, it would rank among the most remarkable collapses of the Premier League era.
There was a sense of schadenfreude among Premier League viewers when Spurs slipped to 18th, but they have since bounced back.
Spurs ended a 15-game winless run in the league with a 1-0 away victory over already-relegated Wolves, and backed that up by picking up another crucial three points against Aston Villa.
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Roberto De Zerbi's outfit claimed another point in their push for safety at home to Leeds United last time out, but the job is far from done.
They face a wounded Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next, with The Blues still pushing to put a more respectable gloss on what has been a disappointing campaign.
Following West Ham's defeat at St James' Park, a victory will mean this season can be consigned to the annals as a dreadful dream that stopped just short of becoming a traumatic nightmare.
A draw establishes a three-point cushion, which would all-but end relegation fears as Tottenham's goal difference (-9) is significantly better than West Ham's -22.
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Highlights: Spurs record statement win at Villa to boost survival hopes
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Defeat at Chelsea takes the race for survival to the final day of the season.
Spurs conclude their campaign at home to Everton in an encounter that could determine whether they remain one of six clubs never to have been relegated from the Premier League. One draw from their final two games would likely be enough to extend that record.
At one stage, our friends at Opta gave Spurs a 59.1% chance of relegation, but after their recent upturn, the figure now stands at 15%.
West Ham United - 36 points
- May 24: West Ham v Leeds
West Ham are now overwhelming favourites to finish the season in the drop zone, with a dreadful first-half display at Newcastle accelerating their plummet back to the Championship.
The Irons came into the game knowing that they needed three points to put pressure on London rivals Tottenham in the relegation battle. But a William Osula double following Nick Woltemade's opener ensured Taty Castellanos' stunning strike was a mere consolation.
Espirito Santo had been getting a tune out of his side and had the club out of the relegation zone after picking up 11 points from a possible 18 across March and April.
That run included wins over Fulham, Wolves and Everton, as well as draws at home versus title-chasing Manchester City and away to Crystal Palace.
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Nuno Espirito Santo
Image credit: Getty Images
However, the momentum stalled with a 3-0 loss away to Brentford. The Bees, who are chasing European football next season, were more clinical and dealt Nuno's side a crushing blow in their battle for survival.
And it went from bad to worse when Arsenal visited London Stadium. In a game of few chances, Leandro Trossard put The Gunners ahead in the 83rd minute before the match finished under a cloud of chaos.
Callum Wilson thought he had equalised in stoppage time, only for it to be ruled out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, following a VAR review that lasted over four minutes.
The decision has been hotly debated since, but that will not bring back the point for West Ham, who now face an uphill task.
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Nick Woltemade scored in Newcastle's 3-1 win over West Ham
Image credit: Getty Images
They trail Spurs by two points ahead of their final game of the season at home against Leeds United. They will require a victory over Daniel Farke's side and realistically hope Spurs lose both their remaining matches.
Even if they win against Leeds, the likelihood now is that West Ham will be returning to the Championship for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
Who will go down?
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