Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham side missed a crucial opportunity to secure their Premier League status, falling 2-1 to Chelsea in the 37th league fixture. This outcome leaves the North London club facing a nail-biting final matchday on Sunday to determine their fate in England’s top flight.

Goals from Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos proved decisive for Chelsea, despite Richarlison managing to pull one back for the Spurs. The defeat was undoubtedly frustrating for De Zerbi, who nevertheless stood by his players’ performance. “We created a significant early chance with Tel, but Sanchez made an important save,” De Zerbi explained. “We remained competitive until the second goal, which resulted from a naively lost ball. I believe we played a strong game, even though we didn’t get the result.”

The Italian tactician immediately shifted focus to the upcoming decisive home encounter against Everton. “This is not the time to dwell too much on this match. We must prepare for the next one, which is crucial, especially in front of our supporters. We need to react with our inherent qualities, character, pride, and courage. I remain confident, as the performance today was good.”

Tottenham currently holds a two-point advantage over West Ham, who are set to host Leeds on the final day of the season. Should teams finish level on points, goal difference will be the tie-breaker, with the Spurs holding a clear edge (-10 compared to West Ham’s -22). De Zerbi’s team thus controls its destiny, but there is absolutely no margin for error come Sunday.