Tottenham Hotspur’s season has turned into the kind of crisis nobody expected from a club of their size.
Spurs are usually spoken about as one of the Premier League’s major clubs: a modern stadium, a huge fanbase, Champions League history, and a squad built to compete far higher up the table.
But after finishing 17th last season and winning the Europa League, instead of improving on that and chasing Europe, they now find themselves dragged into a relegation fight alongside London rivals West Ham United.
Tottenham going down would be one of the biggest shocks in modern Premier League history. This is a club that has spent years trying to present itself as part of England’s elite. Relegation would not just mean dropping into the Championship; it would mean a financial hit, a sporting humiliation, and serious questions about how a ‘Big Six’ club with so many resources ended up in such danger.
For West Ham, the threat is also serious, but their case carries another complication because of where they play: the London Stadium.
The battle between Spurs and West Ham is therefore about more than three points on a weekend. It is a London survival fight. Every result matters. A win can feel like a rescue mission, while a defeat can push the club closer to disaster.
For Tottenham supporters, the fear is emotional: seeing their club fall from the Premier League would be unthinkable.
For West Ham, relegation would hurt on the pitch, but it could also create a problem for London taxpayers and the City Hall.
London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, explained this. Speaking to the Evening Standard about the relegation battle, he said: “What I’d say to Londoners who don’t support Spurs is you should probably be cheering on West Ham.”
He then criticised the deal that took West Ham into the London Stadium, saying: “The previous Mayor, Boris Johnson, did the worst deal that can be imaginable.”
He continued: “As far as West Ham are concerned, it’s the deal of the century where he basically gave them rent-free, this amazing stadium for 100 years.”
The Mayor further added: “Now if West Ham are relegated, we, the taxpayers, we City Hall, could lose up to 2.5m a year.”
He added: “So what I say to Londoners who don’t support Spurs is you should probably be cheering on West Ham, because the taxpayer will lose out if West Ham go down.”
As West Ham and Tottenham battle it out to avoid relegation from the Premier League, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan reveals to The Standard who he would rather face the drop. pic.twitter.com/l7hM2UClm7
— Standard News (@standardnews) May 11, 2026
The deal he is talking about goes back to after the 2012 Olympics. London needed a permanent use for the Olympic Stadium, otherwise it risked becoming an expensive ‘white elephant’.
West Ham were ready to move in and were chosen as the main football tenant, and moved from Upton Park to the London Stadium. The idea was simple: a Premier League club would bring regular crowds, protect the Olympic legacy and help regenerate east London.
But the terms were extremely favourable to West Ham. They did not buy the stadium. They became tenants, paying rent, while many major costs linked to running the stadium stayed with public bodies. That includes parts of maintenance, matchday operations and the cost of adapting an athletics stadium for football.
There was also another loophole, which led West Ham to be obligated to pay no extra costs for the running of Conference League games, the tournament that they won, which turned pure profit for the Irons.
West Ham got a bigger home, more revenue, but without carrying the full financial burden.
If West Ham do get relegated, they would play more league home games in the Championship than in the Premier League. More games can mean more operating costs. Which would lead to the taxpayers and City Hall covering more costs.
While the London Mayor wants Tottenham to go down for financial reasons, the future King of England has other opinions.
Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s former chairman, met Prince William while receiving his CBE at Windsor Castle. Prince William is famously an Aston Villa supporter, and Spurs had recently beaten Villa, so Levy joked about it.
Levy said: “I thanked him for allowing us [Tottenham] to beat Aston Villa when we played them a few weeks ago.”
He then added: “He wished us luck for the rest of the season, very much hoping that Tottenham survive in the Premier League.”
Prince William’s choice goes against his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved West Ham.
Prince William is also the president of the Football Association. From that position, it makes sense that he would want a club of Tottenham’s size and stature to remain in the Premier League. They are one of English football’s biggest names, with a modern stadium, a huge fanbase and years of history at the top level.
Spurs are yet to face a struggling Chelsea side, who they have a terrible record against, and David Moyes‘ Everton; both teams that are chasing European football next season.
While West Ham will be lining up against Newcastle and Leeds United, both teams having nothing to play for, except a higher position in the league.
With only two games to go, and only two points separating both sides, the end of this season’s relegation battle will be one eagerly anticipated.
REFERENCES:
Attavar, S. (2026, May 14). Daniel Levy reveals what Aston Villa fan Prince William told him about Tottenham potentially avoiding relegation. To the Lane and Back. https://tothelaneandback.com/2026/05/15/prince-william-no-relegated-tottenham-daniel-levy/
Donovan, B. T. (2022, August 4). The continuing drain of West Ham’s bargain of the century. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-62406154
Kearns, S. (2024, October 3). Why does Prince William support Aston Villa? BBC Sport. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cje3kdekvz4o
Lucas, D. C. (2026, May 14). Prince William reveals who he wants to stay up out of West Ham and Spurs. Hammers News. https://www.hammers.news/news/prince-william-reveals-who-he-wants-to-stay-up-out-of-west-ham-and-spurs/
