The second half of Tottenham and Everton’s crucial clash was postponed due to a technical problem, leaving Gary Neville furious. The North Londoners went into this game knowing that if they lost there was a real chance they would be relegated, and even in those circumstances West Ham were able to defeat Leeds United to get them relegated.
Tottenham needed a win to secure their Premier League status for next season, and took the lead just before the half-time whistle. Joao Parinha scored the goal to break the deadlock in the 42nd minute, eating his second cherry after his first header was deflected. After the interval, both teams returned to the pitch, but they were unable to resume play immediately.
Technical problems delayed the match for several minutes, leaving Neville in the Sky Sports commentary studio furious.
He said: “Honestly… it’s shocking that it took almost 20 minutes to check. The fans are booing and rightly so. This is not enough.”
There was a controversial moment early in the match when Everton midfielder Marlin Rolle escaped a red card for a nasty challenge on Micky van de Ven.
The two players were fighting for the ball when an apparent foul by a Spurs defender awarded the Toffees a free kick.
Replays showed that the Dutchman had been caught by a stud with the opposite number, but the decision was not overturned and Rohr was not penalized.
This prompted an infuriated reaction from Roberto de Zerbi on the touchline, with the Spurs manager adamant that he should have waved a red card.
Ahead of the match, the Belgian sent a message of encouragement to his players as they head into the final weekend having avoided the unthinkable relegation to the Championship.
“It’s the final so we have to play with blood, character and spirit,” De Zerbi said. “Last season they played a great final and won the trophy.
“Maybe there were bonuses? After tomorrow there will be no trophies and no bonuses. There are things more important than trophies and bonuses. Therein lies the future of the club.”
“There’s the history of the club, there’s the pride of the players, there’s the pride of the players’ families, there’s the dignity of each of us. So we can’t lose energy thinking about next season.”
