With the Premier League title already decided in midweek, it’s now the relegation scrap that takes center stage on Championship Sunday. Tottenham Hotspur have the advantage right now over West Ham United. If they can just draw or better this weekend, they’ll stay up. That is unless said Tottenham-Everton draw also comes with the Hammers beating Leeds United at home, by 12 goals or more…so that’s not going to happen, obviously. Tottenham will be hoping to get high-priced striker Dominic Solanke back fit for this one.
Relegation Scrap Standings
Tottenham Hotspur: 17th, 38 pts, -10 goal differential (tie-breaker 1) 47 goals scored (tie-breaker 2)
West Ham United: 18th, 36 pts, -22 goal differential (tie-breaker 1) 43 goals scored (tie-breaker 2)
Championship Sunday FYIs
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton FC FYIs
Kickoff: Sun May 24, 4pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
“We hope, for Sunday, he can be available for one part of the game,” Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi said on Monday, ahead of the loss to Chelsea. Solanke is the only member of the injured Spurs contingent (Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and Mo Kudus are the others) that stands a chance of making the matchday squad for this one.
Shifting gears to Everton, they have one player who is touch-and-go, Idrissa Gyueye, who faces a late fitness test, with an unspecifed issue.
“There’s an outside chance he could make Tottenham, so we’ll see how it goes,” Toffees boss David Moyes said six days ago. Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish remain out as longer-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.