Roberto De Zerbi is confident Spurs will be stronger next season

The tension was almost too much as this must-win tie into its 100th minute, with Spurs clinging on for the win that would keep them in the Premier League.

Suddenly Everton substitute Tyrique George cut in from the left, arrowed in a shot to the top far corner only for Antonin Kinsky, Tottenham’s young keeper, to tip the ball away.

That save, and Joao Palhinha’s decisive goal in the 43rd minute, meant Spurs survived the ignominy of relegation just over a year after that famous night in Bilbao when they won the Europa League.

Fans and players celebrated loudly and long after the final whistle, and the centre of attention was Roberto Di Zerbi, the Italian appointed just a few weeks ago to salvage a rotten season. Not only did he oversee two away wins to lift Spurs out of the relegation zone, he oversaw this win, their first at home since December, in what he described before kick-off as ‘more than a cup final’.

Despite their precarious position on the final day, Roberto De Zerbi made sure to mention after the win that his side did deserve to stay in the Premier League.

“I think we deserve to stay up,” he explained. “Because we made 11 points in seven games and we deserved more. My players played a fantastic game, as a spirit, as a behaviour, as an attitude, but also as a quality of the play. Especially in the first half. They played very well and I’m proud.”

Understandably, given the high stakes, there was an air of tension among home supporters, but they got fully behind their team and Tottenham started well. Pedro Porro whipped in a free-kick that was headed over his own goal by James Tarkowski, and then the Spaniard had a shot blocked.

Palhinha was excellent at breaking up play too, and after winning the ball in his own half, surged forward before having a shot deflected away for a corner.

Everton’s best chance of the half came when James Tarkowski headed wide from a free-kick, but apart from a couple of dangerous runs from Iliman Ndiaye, the Tottenham defence had little to worry about before half-time.

Mathys Tel, who was giving Everton’s makeshift right-back Jake O’Brien a hard time, and when his shot was deflected in the 43rd minute, swung in a corner from the left. Palhinha was unmarked at the back for a thumping header that hit the far post, but the Portuguese midfielder acted quickly to volley the ball back towards goal. Although Thierno Barry made a goal-line clearance, referee Michael Oliver awarded the goal, signalling that his wristwatch had indicated the ball had crossed the line.

Home supporters erupted in joy, the players celebrated wildly, and De Zerbi thumped a spare ball high into the sky in delight.

With West Ham still level with Leeds at this point, it gave Spurs a four-point cushion, but nerves were still jangling when news filtered through just after the hour mark that the Hammer had scored to reduce the gap to two points.

Everton raised their game considerably in the second-half, and Spurs dropped deeper. Both managers made changes, David Moyes going in search of a goal that might help his former side, De Zerbi looking to shore up Tottenham’s fragile lead.

When the assistant’s board came up showing nine minutes of stoppage time, there were audible groans of despair from home supporters. Everton suddenly had chances, Michael Keane and Beto put headers over the bar, before fellow substitute Tyrique George swung in a their first shot on target, which Kinski tipped away brilliantly. Seconds later it was all over, and the celebrations could begin in earnest.

Just over a year on from their Europa League win in Bilbao, Spurs fans finally had something to celebrate.

However unlike the fallout from after Bilbao, Spurs know that who their manager will be next season and he is insists he knows what he needs to do to improve this Spurs side.

“And from tonight we have to start to organise and to build a new team,” De Zerbi said after the match “I don’t think we have now to change too many players. We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay. Good enough. Like players. Especially like people. And then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players.”

“First level of players because we suffered too much. I suffered a lot but I think the fans, the club, the board, the players. They suffered too much. We are Tottenham and we can’t suffer like this until the last second of the last game to stay up.”

“And I will be stronger. I will be stronger. I don’t want to decide alone because football is a group – sporting director, scouting, CEO – but my target now is finished to stay up. My target is to start the pre-season with the team I have in my dream.”