3 minute read

Tottenham finally won, but West Ham's stoppage time strike turned survival hope into fresh despair.

Tottenham Hotspur briefly climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone, then were dragged straight back in, after a wild late twist elsewhere turned relief into frustration. What looked like a season changing afternoon became another chapter in a survival fight that refuses to settle.

At Molineux, Spurs finally ended their long league drought with a gritty 1,0 win over already relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers, their first Premier League victory of 2026. Joao Palhinha scored the decisive goal in the closing stages, stretching in at the far post after Richarlison miskicked Pedro Porro's corner, a scruffy finish that counted every bit as much as a screamer.

For a few precious minutes, that goal appeared enough. Everton's late equaliser at the London Stadium had left West Ham level at 1,1, a scoreline that briefly lifted Spurs above the Hammers on goal difference and out of the bottom three. Supporters inside Molineux, half watching the pitch and half refreshing their phones, thought they were witnessing a genuine escape act.

Then came West Ham's response.

Callum Wilson struck in stoppage time to seal a dramatic 2,1 win over Everton, restoring West Ham's cushion above Spurs and flipping the table once more. Tomas Soucek had earlier opened the scoring before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's 88th minute volley threatened to hand Tottenham a lifeline, only for Wilson's late intervention to snatch it away.

The final standings left West Ham 17th on 36 points and Tottenham 18th on 34, with four matches remaining and the survival race tightening around several clubs. Spurs had their long awaited win, but not the leap they desperately needed. In a relegation battle full of sharp turns, hope currently lasts about as long as a VAR check.