Tottenham missed out on a chance to secure their Premier League status with a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Tuesday, but the result gives West Ham a glimmer of hope.
James Maddison gave an honest assessment (Image: Sky Sports)
James Maddison admits it is “embarrassing” for Tottenham to go into the final day of the Premier League season facing the possibility of relegation. Spurs faced London rivals Chelsea away on Tuesday and could have secured their survival, but they lost 2-1.
Tottenham head into Sunday’s home game against Everton two points ahead of West Ham, who occupy the only remaining relegation spot. A draw would be enough for Roberto De Zerbi’s side given their superior goal difference, but there will be tension at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Meanwhile, West Ham are hosting a Leeds team who have nothing to play for. This is in contrast to Everton, who are fighting for a place in Europe.
Maddison made his second appearance since returning from nine months on the sidelines against Chelsea and spoke to Sky Sports after the match. “We have to give everything for this club, the badge and the fans,” the midfielder explained.
World Cup Legends: The stars of soccer’s biggest tournament in history – buy the special edition now
read more: Manchester United join Liverpool and Chelsea in race to sign Jarrod Bowen during West Ham’s £100m fire saleread more: Premier League relegation battle between Tottenham and West Ham reaches final day
“As Tottenham Hotspur it is unacceptable and a bit embarrassing that we are in this position, but unfortunately this is the reality and it is up to us to get out of it.
“Sunday is going to be a big day. We’re going to need everyone, and by the way, we’re going to need our fans, who are just incredible today.
“Even though we were down 2-0 we could hear their voices and I truly think the away support is the best in the league. We need to repay them with a good performance and a point on Sunday to ensure we remain in the Premier League.”
Maddison suffered a serious knee injury during pre-season and was limited to just 30 minutes of action as he continued to build up his fitness. “Anyone who has worked in football or gone through this injury, it’s not easy just to come back,” the 29-year-old explained.
Will Tottenham or West Ham be relegated? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
Tottenham’s loss to Chelsea means West Ham can still survive (Image: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
“If something were to happen and I wasn’t safe or didn’t follow expert instructions, it would be devastating for my career, but of course I want to help the team as much as I can, so let’s see how far we can get.”
Maddison added: “Obviously I’m not going to be at my best, fluid and fluent because I’ve been out for so long, but I feel good and I’m just going to try to help the team in any time I can.”
“Obviously it’s one of those injuries where you have to respect it a little bit because it’s a big injury and that’s probably why I won’t start the game, but I’m out for a bit and I’m going to do the best I can on Sunday.”
“We did it tonight, but it wasn’t enough, but we have to keep working and keep fighting for our fans.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and Ultimate TV packages
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundles to include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, plus 135 channels and complete coverage of the Premier League and EFL from Sky.
Sky has over 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more, with at least 215 of them live from the top flight, along with F1, darts and golf.
