Everton once again find themselves involved in a final-day relegation scrap – but thankfully it is the opposition who are in danger of going down.
The Toffees head to London to take on Tottenham, who need to avoid defeat to stay ahead of West Ham, who host Leeds.
It is set to be a frantic afternoon in the capital, bringing back memories of the Bournemouth game just three years ago.
Spurs’ woes make me even more grateful that Everton have never been in any relegation danger all season for the first time
since 2021 – though that does not mean the campaign has been a roaring success.
After looking outsiders for the Champions League in March, Everton timed their dip in form at the worst possible moment, with a run of six games without a win ending any chances of a European place.
The capitulation against Sunderland was arguably the worst performance of the lot and led to many supporters turning their ire towards David Moyes. For many, the Scot is showing the kind of traits – tactical caution, reliance on a small group of senior players, and an unwillingness to blood youth – that he displayed in his first tenure. Angus Kinnear’s “happily dissatisfied” comment in his programme notes has not helped the fans’ mood either.
It is a negative end to what has largely been a positive season – and I think when the dust settles people may see the small signs of progress.
A win and a top-10 finish would certainly help, but whatever happens this was only ever going to be the first stage of a long-term rebuild.
The opposition
Just 12 months ago, Tottenham were celebrating a Europa League victory that ended a 17-year trophy drought. Now they stand on the edge of what would be the biggest relegation since the formation of the Premier League.
Evertonians can certainly empathise with Spurs fans after a season that began reasonably well before spiralling out of control (2021-22 anyone).
Their decline is more severe than Everton’s given they had not finished below eighth in 16 years before last season, have been in Europe in 18 of the last 20 years, and reached the Champions League final as recently as 2019.
The club arguably took too long to dismiss Thomas Frank, while the Igor Tudor appointment was a disaster. Robert De Zerbi has begun to turn their form around, but it still may not be enough.
They claimed a huge win away at an under-strength Aston Villa side at the start of the month to climb out of the bottom three and put their destiny in their own hands. But they failed to take two chances to secure safety against Leeds and Chelsea.
They head into the final day two points clear of West Ham and with a hugely superior goal difference, meaning a draw will be enough.
Playing for a draw would be a risky and nervy strategy though, so expect Spurs to begin fast in an attempt to put the game beyond reach as quickly as possible.
There are plenty of potential narratives ahead of the game – Richarlison is facing his former club, of course, while James Maddison, who has just returned from a serious knee injury, could save Spurs against Everton three years after his missed penalty for Leicester against the Toffees contributed to the Foxes’ relegation a few weeks later.
Previous meeting
Everton 0-3 Tottenham, 26 October 2025
There was little hint of the trouble to come when Spurs breezed to a 3-0 win at Hill Dickinson in October.
Tottenham exploited Everton’s weakness from corners as Micky van de Ven scored at either end of the first half, with Pape Sarr finishing things off late on as Spurs, incredibly, moved up to third in the table.
They have won just four times in the league since.
Team news
Idrissa Gueye is rated as 50-50 after missing the last three games through injury. It could potentially be his final game for the club, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish are out, everyone else is available.
Final word
Everton may have little to play for but they have a professional obligation to put in a performance to maintain the league’s integrity. West Ham fans will also be Toffees for the day and hope David Moyes can do his old side a favour.
If they play like they did last week then Tottenham will be confident. However, this is a Spurs side that has struggled all year and will be wracked with nerves if they do not go ahead early.
