Arsenal’s title is already won, and Tottenham’s season ends where it deserved to: 17th in the Premier League, 44 points behind the champions, and without a single European qualification route left open. Joao Palhinha’s first-half header settled a forgettable final-day fixture 1-0, but the scoreline barely mattered. Roberto De Zerbi’s side finishes on 41 points, a tally that confirms no title challenge, no European group stages, and no Conference League berth, with Bournemouth’s 57 points rendering that last option unreachable long before kick-off.
Key Moments
- 13′, Jake O’Brien picked up an early yellow card for holding, a booking that contributed to Everton’s cautious approach for the rest of the half.
- 43′, The only goal of the match: Joao Palhinha converted to put Tottenham ahead just before the break, giving Roberto De Zerbi’s side a lead they would not relinquish.
- 62′, Everton made a double change, withdrawing Merlin Rohl and the already-booked Jake O’Brien in search of more threat going forward.
- 80′, Pape Matar Sarr was shown a yellow card for diving, a moment that summed up Tottenham’s lack of cutting edge despite 20 total shots on the day.
- 87′, Palhinha, the match-winner, collected a second yellow card for handball, though there was no time for Everton to capitalise on the numerical advantage.
Tactical Breakdown
Possession ended exactly level at 50-50, and both sides completed passes at similar rates (Tottenham 85%, Everton 83%), which tells much of the story about how little separated these two mid-table teams. Tottenham did generate considerably more volume in attack: 20 total shots to Everton’s 9, with 15 of those coming from inside the box. Their xG of 0.99 was nearly three times Everton’s 0.34, suggesting that the win was deserved even if the execution was often wasteful: just two of those 20 shots were on target.
De Zerbi set up in a 4-2-3-1 that looked designed to press high and recycle quickly, but the 15 fouls committed underlined a sloppiness in the defensive phase that has characterised much of the season. The double substitution at 73 minutes, which saw Mathys Tel and Richarlison withdrawn, was more rotation than tactical pivot given the lead was already secure. Everton’s own triple change at 84 minutes, bringing on Thierno Barry, Tim Iroegbunam, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, came too late to shift the dynamic.
David Moyes’ Everton created very little, mustering an xG of just 0.34 and one shot on target across 90 minutes. A back line that conceded 50 goals across the full season struggled to establish rhythm going forward, and the early yellow card for O’Brien made Everton tentative in the press. Finishing the season on a run of LLDDL in their last five matches, Moyes’ side ends 13th with 49 points, a record that reflects a side that was comfortable above the relegation zone but never threatened the top half in any meaningful way.
Player Ratings
Verdict
Tottenham’s 2025-26 Premier League season ends 17th with 41 points, nine clear of the relegation zone but 24 points short of the Conference League place and 44 behind Arsenal. For De Zerbi, the priority heading into the summer will be explaining how a squad with this level of firepower managed 48 goals scored against 57 conceded across 38 matches. Everton, for their part, park themselves 13th on 49 points; safe and mid-table, but without a positive run of form to carry into the off-season.