West Ham Rises, Tottenham Collapses: The Relegation Zone Switch Up
It is true that everybody saw this coming, except that no one actually expected it to play out in such a dramatic way. Tottenham has finally dropped to 17th position in the Premier League, officially entering the relegation zone. The Spurs have taken the place of West Ham, who, in a turn of events, managed to ascend over a fallen member of the Big Six. Tottenham’s collapse has been as intense and painful as a Shakespearean tragedy, unfolding in front of all the fans’ eyes. Things have hardly ever been this terrible for the team, but one man’s misfortune is always another man’s blessing, which could mean that we might see West Ham rise and achieve things that it has never done before.
This has been Tottenham’s Roberto De Zerbi’s second week as manager of the Spurs. The Italian knew he was being appointed as captain of a ship that was sinking at the speed of the Titanic. His predecessor, interim Igor Tudor, had lasted only 44 days, and before him, Thomas Frank, was let go after eight months in charge. Now, many Spurs fans have great expectations of De Zerbi, whose candor and determination about the reality of the team seem to be somewhat comforting. Other fans were not too happy with his appointment, given his past support for Mason Greenwood, but that did not stop him from becoming Tottenham’s last hope.
Still, not even the best coach can control the results of matches of other teams. In an unexpected turn of events this Friday, West Ham beat last-seeded Wolves 4-0. The Hammers found their advantage almost at the end of the first half of the game, when Konstantinos Mavropanos scored the first goal for the Hammers. Afterwards, Valentín Castellanos completely shone, scoring two goals just two minutes apart. To finalize a wonderful evening for the Hammers, Mavropanos closed with a final point against the Wolves. This performance meant more than just an amazing victory; it put them back on the Premier League roster for the next season.
West Ham is now two points ahead of Tottenham, who is bound to face 12th-seeded Sunderland tomorrow morning. This game will be De Zerbi’s first match as head coach of the team, and could further define the future of the Spurs. Hope is always alive in soccer, and either of these teams has a chance to save themselves from relegation. Let us not forget that Tottenham has never been relegated from the Premier League in its entire history. Certainly, tomorrow’s game against the Black Cats is one to watch if you still believe that the Spurs can save themselves from the Championship League.
