West Ham United

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Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer reacting to West Ham's relegation:

"You can't be unlucky after 38 games, the fact of the matter is you deserve to go down. They have been really poor for long periods and eventually what happens at the top of the football club filters down to the pitch.

"That's what has happened at West Ham. Not good enough defensively, haven't scored enough goals and ultimately their recruitment over the years has been really really poor. So, they are not unlucky.

"In the three years since David Moyes has left they've had 10 players who have been signed for £25m or more. You could argue only Summerville, Fernandes and maybe Castellanos who have been successes. They are nowhere near getting value for money.

"Recruitment is such a big job and clearly that has hurt them over the last three years."

Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney added: "I think they are good players but I also think the teams who have come up recruited well which has allowed them to stay in the Premier League.

"I've watched West Ham quite a few times this season and this is damning for the players. I don't think the players have given enough. I've seen them walking back, not getting to the ball to get tackles in, stop crosses, and those are the fine margins you have to get right."

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We asked for your thoughts and feelings after West Ham were relegated from the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Alfie: I feel we deserved a win at the end of it all. Been a tough season to be a West Ham fan. We just can't let it come down to the last day, we should have been clear by last week. Still hope that Nuno stays on for next season and the only way is up I guess. COYI.

Dave: Did what we had to do today, but sadly it was not enough. A poor season punctuated by a few encouraging results in the latter part of the campaign. A major shake up of the team lies ahead for a real challenge next year.

Blake: Disappointed - reality finally hits. We played alright today, but haven't been good enough this season. Some good players but not enough urgency all season. Looking forward to Lincoln away days.

Michele: I'm absolutely gutted obviously, but the season been horrendous and if I'm brutally honest, this result was inevitable. Sad, but hopefully they will bounce back next season. I have been following West Ham for 50 years, awful day.

David: It was inevitable, despite some rallying after Christmas. It's how we rebuild that matters now. No point going back and blaming this and that. We need to realise we are in the Championship and let's get back as soon as possible.

Sean: Gutted, but we simply weren't good enough throughout the season. Had chances but Nuno blew it several times by playing too defensively. Still, it's a great opportunity now to give younger players the opportunity to shine. COYI.

Adam: Disappointed. Owner's/board are at fault - they appointed the wrong manager and we were left with a hole too deep to dig ourselves out of. Nuno has to take some responsibility too for some of the team selections and tactics for the second half of the season. We now need to take our medicine, rebuild and bounce straight back.

Tim: We've only got ourselves to blame - the table doesn't lie! Hopefully this spells the end of David Sullivan and with the poor recruitment, it's time for a reset!

Huw: Goal difference doesn't lie. Just not good enough in the end. Looking forward to a trip to Preston on a cold wet Tuesday in January!

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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There will be departures from a West Ham squad where contractual clauses mean most players would take significant wage cuts, up to 50% in some instances, in the event of relegation, BBC Sport has been told.

Axel Diasi, Adama Traore and Callum Wilson are all out of contract in the summer.

Captain Jarrod Bowen is the crown jewel in West Ham's squad.

Along with Tomas Soucek and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, he is one of only three players who started the Fiorentina triumph still at the club.

Bowen's status was factored into the seven-year contract he signed four months later. The question is, will he stay?

Although he is clearly one of their most saleable assets, the hope is Bowen will lead a promotion charge.

Midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been linked with Paris St-Germain and Manchester United and seems certain to move on, with West Ham hoping for a significant profit on the £40m they paid for him last August.

Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf cost £19m from Slavia Prague in July. He is also a player West Ham could make a profit on.

The problem is there are plenty of others West Ham will struggle to shift, given some calamitous recruitment since that famous night in Prague - the £105m subsequently received from Arsenal for Declan Rice, and more, has been squandered.

They paid £40m to sign Max Kilman from Wolves in 2024 on a seven-year contract. He hasn't played a single minute since the end of January.

Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug signed a four-year deal in 2024, when he was 31. He joined AC Milan on loan in January after scoring just three goals in 29 appearances for the Hammers in an injury-troubled spell.

James Ward-Prowse still has another year left on the contract he signed in August 2023. He started seven games and was a substitute in another five after joining Burnley on loan in January.

The list goes on.

Read more about the impacts of West Ham's relegation here

Manchester United have enquired about the signing of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with Arsenal and Paris St-Germain also monitoring the 21-year-old Portugal international, who is valued at £80m. (Mail - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from all 10 fixtures on the final day of the Premier League season.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 1-0 Everton

• West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal

• Brighton 0-3 Manchester United

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to Sky Sports: "Tough, tough day for us, especially for our fans.

"We knew it was going to be difficult, it was not in our hands. We did our part and we hoped for the best - it didn't happen. We have to pass the sad moment that we are living."

On his future: "Our respect for the supporters means it is not the moment to talk about the future. We have to apologise to them, thank them for the support.

"All these boys were able to establish a good relationship with the fans. They've helped us so much, even today with knowing the result, they gave us energy.

"We should understand the day, tomorrow will be a new one and we'll start thinking about what we have to do."

His message to the fans: "West Ham has to be in the Premier League. We are a big club that has to be in the Premier League. West Ham are going to need their support. The club plays better when we are with them and it makes us proud the way we established this support with our supporters.

"It is a very difficult moment for all of us: the board, the staff, the coaches, the players and more than anything, the fans. It is going to hurt, it is going to be tough.

"But one thing is for sure, West Ham has to be in the Premier League."

Captain Jarrod Bowen, speaking to BBC Match of the Day on how it feels to be relegated: "Just hurt. I've been here six-and-a-half years now. Had a lot of good moments and this outweighs all of it. Getting this club relegated - it hurts.

"We shouldn't be in the position we're in but we've found ourselves in it and we've not done enough to stay up. Hurt is the only thing."

On going down with 39 points: "We've had so many games when we could have got different results. You can individualise every single game. You can't look back at every game but in some games we didn't show the levels consistently enough."

On his own future: "It's disrespectful to everyone to start talking about that. I want this club to be in the Premier League. It's a club that means so much to me and has given me so much so my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League."

Did you know?

• West Ham have been relegated from the Premier League for the first time since 2010-11, with their 39 points the most by a side to go down since both Birmingham and Blackpool went down on 39 in 2010-11.

• Had only results from Nuno Espirito Santo's first game in charge on 29 September this season counted, the Hammers would have finished 16th in the Premier League with 36 points (W9 D9 L15).

• Bowen assisted 11 Premier League goals this season, his most ever in a single season. Only Paolo Di Canio in 1999-00 (13) and Dimitri Payet in 2015-16 (12) have more in a season for West Ham, and only Muzzy Izzet (14 in 2003-04 for Leicester) has more assists for a relegated team in one campaign.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

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West Ham were always up against it going into this match as they sat two points behind Tottenham with a vastly inferior goal difference.

That led to an air of acceptance among the fans before kick-off that relegation was inevitable and a disappointing first-half display from their side did little to give them optimism.

That led to some boos and groans of frustration at half time as it appeared the Hammers were going down with a whimper, but to the players' credit they battled in the second half and got the lead they needed to put the pressure back on to Spurs .

But as it became clear that Everton were not going to turn things around at Spurs, the West Ham fans vented their anger at their plight towards the club's hierarchy with chants against chairman David Sullivan.

Their frustrations are certainly understandable as just three years ago they won their first major silverware in 43 years as David Moyes led them to the Europa Conference League title.

But three years on, they are now preparing for life in the second tier of English football and plenty of uncertainty around the future of their players and manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

The last time West Ham were in the Championship, their stay was only brief as they bounced back at the first time of asking. Whether that can be repeated depends on what happens in the coming months.

West Ham's relegation fate was sealed thanks to Tottenham's win over Everton, despite a final day victory over Leeds.

A season that looked bleak before Nuno Espirito Santo's arrival does ultimately end in bitter disappointment despite an improvement in recent months.

Now, the Championship awaits...

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know how you are feeling.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page for a selection of your replies - reaction and analysis to follow shortly

Taty Castellanos, Pablo Felipe and Kyle-Walker Peters all return to the first XI for West Ham as the hosts chase the win they need to have a chance of staying up.

West Ham XI: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Fernandes, Soucek, Bowen, Summerville, Pablo, Castellanos.

Subs: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Kilman, Potts, Magassa, Kanté, Lamadrid, Wilson.

There's a boost for Leeds as Pascal Struijk and Jayden Bogle - both fitness doubts for this game - start.

Leeds XI: Darlow; Bijol, Struijk, Rodon; Justin, Stach, Tanaka, Ampadu, James; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Perri, James, Piroe, Bornauw, Byram, Gnoto, Buonanotte, Chadwick, Creswell.

It is the last day of the Premier League, every side is in action this Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Burnley v Wolves

• Crystal Palace v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Fulham v Newcastle

• Liverpool v Brentford

• Manchester City v Aston Villa

• Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth

• Sunderland v Chelsea

• Tottenham v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• West Ham v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off times 16:00 BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play West Ham v Leeds", for instance.

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The stakes could not be higher for Tottenham and West Ham on the final day of the Premier League season.

Tottenham have to lose and West Ham win for the Hammers to leapfrog their London rivals and escape relegation.

It is 14 seasons since West Ham were outside the Premier League, while Tottenham have only spent one season (1977-78) outside the top flight since 1950.

West Ham's woes

West Ham's journey to the precipice can be traced back even further, to the departure of David Moyes in 2024.

Coincidentally, the man who delivered their second major European trophy could yet come to their rescue on Sunday.

After his departure the Hammers lurched from Julen Lopetegui to Graham Potter in the search for a more expansive style, neither lasting as long as nine months at the helm.

While the early-season arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo has made them more competitive, a dreadful run between 22 November and 17 January, when they accumulated just four points from 30 available, could yet be their undoing.

Having already posted a £104.2m loss for the last financial year, relegation would heap yet more pressure on the club's shaky finances.

One obvious solution is selling key assets.

Midfielder Mateus Fernandes has already been linked with Manchester United in the media.

The likes of Crysencio Summerville and captain Jarrod Bowen could also potentially command sizable fees to help the club out of a hole. But just how far would a fire sale go?

Read more here

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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"They will be there from the first minute, I can assure you. After that it is up to us to deliver to make sure it continues."

Nuno Espirito Santo's assessment of the support his West Ham players can expect for their do-or-die encounter with Leeds at London Stadium underscored the reality of the position his side are in.

Nuno knows the West Ham fans are passionate and vocal in support of their club.

So, he is right in stating they will be behind his side from the first whistle. He also knows the importance of maintaining that support – and the reality is, his team are only part of the equation.

Tottenham are a bitter rival. There is virtually no other club West Ham's fans would relish relegating more than them. In that regard, Sunday could be one of the most memorable days in the club's recent history.

However, the odds are very much against it happening. And that is Nuno's problem.

If the performance – and the day – starts to go wrong, those fans will turn, against the ownership, the players, the club. The atmosphere could get very toxic, very quickly.

Nuno is right. He needs his players to deliver. He also needs Everton's to do the same.

Three years ago, David Moyes took them into dreamland with a Conference League victory in Prague. Now West Ham are looking to the Scot to create another memory to last a lifetime.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Joining Wolves and Burnley in the Championship next season will be one of Spurs or West Ham.

Tottenham in 17th do have a significant advantage going into the final day of the season. They are two points clear of their London rivals and are 12 goals better in terms of goal difference.

While mathematically not guaranteed, a draw for Spurs at home to Everton all but confirms their stay in the Premier League.

The only scenario where this would not happen is if Spurs draw and West Ham were to beat Leeds by 12 or more goals, a scoreline that has never happened in the 34-year history of the Premier League.

A win for Roberto de Zerbi's side guarantees safety.

West Ham have to beat Leeds to stand any chance of survival. If they do win and Spurs lose to the Toffees, the Hammers will stay up.

I am going for Spurs to lose at home to Everton, but can West Ham get the win they need to have any chance of staying up?

I can't see it myself. Hammers midfielder Mateus Fernandes said his side lacked fight in last weekend's defeat by Newcastle, which is really damning, and they have lost form at the worst possible time.

In contrast, Leeds are well organised and playing with so much confidence. I am a big fan of their manager Daniel Farke and I don't see him losing this.

There will be loads of drama and probably loads of chances at both ends too, but I am going for a draw which would send West Ham down to the Championship for the first time since 2011-12.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham need to beat visitors Leeds to have any chance of avoiding relegation.

Two years after parting company with manager David Moyes despite finishing ninth in the league, West Ham need a favour from his current side Everton if they are to avoid relegation.

The Hammers must beat Leeds and hope Tottenham slip up against Everton or they will be relegated from the Premier League for the third time after 2002-03 and 2010-11.

Current form does not spark much optimism – West Ham have lost their past three Premier League games, and could lose four in a row for the first time since 2022, when Moyes was still in charge.

Yet there are also straws to clutch onto – when playing their final league game of the season at home, West Ham have lost just one of the last 19 (W11, D7), and that was in 2010-11, when they were already relegated.

If West Ham are relegated (football statisticians Opta put it as an 85.52% chance), it will no doubt mean a big exodus of players, which could include Crysencio Summerville, who has been a rare bright spot for the Hammers since joining from Saturday's opponents Leeds.

Also likely to be on the move if West Ham go down is their talismanic captain Jarrod Bowen, who has provided assists for eight of their last 12 Premier League goals and looks set to be their top goalscorer for the fifth season in a row, despite not having scored in the league since 31 January.

While West Ham are struggling, Leeds have found a new lease of life, and are currently unbeaten in eight league games (W4, D4), their longest streak since a 13-game run in 2001.

With Premier League safety assured, their aim on Sunday will be to go unbeaten in the final nine games of a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1994-95.

Key to their survival has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin – eyebrows were raised when Leeds gambled on signing him last summer but the former Everton striker has proved his doubters wrong.

Calvert-Lewin has spent the past few seasons struggling with both form and fitness – just 17 league goals across the past four campaigns – but has been revitalised at Leeds, where he has found the net 14 times this season.

It hasn't quite been enough to earn him a place in England's World Cup squad, but it has helped ensure that Leeds will be playing Premier League football again next season.

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We asked you whether you can still find some hope of staying up based on the home form of relegation rivals Tottenham.

Here are some of your comments:

James: There is one final twist to come! I just have the feeling West Ham are going to get the job done. Take all of the form out of it over the course of the season and who has done what, focus on this big one and give it everything!

Martin: Fingers crossed and what will be will be. So long as the players turn up and give everything that's all we ask as fans! COYI.

Roger: Survival is hanging by a thin thread. I am nervous for the weekend but have almost accepted our fate. If we survive, my concern is will next season be any different?

Bubba: Like most modern footballers do these days, the Spurs players were 'on strike' this year because they didn't think their managers were sufficiently 'glamorous' - until Roberto de Zerbi. Now they have ended the strike and are more or less playing close to their potential. So this year's statistics do not apply to their current form. They will thrash Everton.

Antony: Nervous and expecting Spurs to stay up with Hammers going down. Both deserve to be relegated, to be honest.

Minny: Having more or less accepted relegation since the loss to Wolves and even bigger defeat by Nottingham Forest earlier this year, I'd never once thought we'd still be in it with one last chance. However, I'm thinking "fortune's always hiding", but to quote the legendary Jimmy Greaves: "It's a funny old game!"

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Sunday's must-win Premier League game against Leeds United at London Stadium (kick-off 16:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On following Tottenham's scoreline on Sunday: "Everybody is going to be aware of what is happening in the other stadium. What I hope is that our players ignore what is coming out and focus on the tasks inside the pitch."

• On team news: "Adama [Traore] - it's going to be hard for him to join us, but the rest are OK. Some small knocks and players to assess. Hopefully, everybody is going to be OK."

• On whether this is the biggest game of his career: "Probably, yes. A tough one. Leeds did a very good season. They have quality players who require the best of us."

• On Jarrod Bowen's omission from the England squad: "He was sad. Something that Jarrod really wanted to achieve in his personal career. Representing England is one of the most important things. He immediately turns the page and focuses on Sunday. We are very proud to have Jarrod as our skipper. The work-rate, commitment and the way he leads by example – it makes us proud having him as club captain."

• On the future: "Our future is Sunday. After that we will assess everything that we have to assess. We have to improve, and we didn't perform well [in past performances], so we have to bounce back. When you join a club, you try to understand the history of the club and the dynamic. There have been a lot of things out of our control, but we represent a massive club, an enormous fanbase that are very committed and we have to respect."

• On his message to the fans: "Be there from the first minute, and then it is up to us so that the support continues. I don't expect many surprises. I expect a tough team from Leeds. I have known Daniel [Farke] for some time now – he will prepare the Leeds players the best that he can. We expect a tough, tough match. "

• On Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City: "It is sad because I think Pep being involved in the game is always good. He always brings new things as a manager that can change the dynamic of the game, so let's wait and see where he goes. I wish him all the best."

Listen to live action from the London Stadium on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen is one of the players who has been excluded from the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The 29-year-old, who has 22 caps and one goal for his country, featured from the bench in friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, but is not one of the seven forwards named in the 26-man squad.

However, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel questioned whether the Hammers' poor form had hindered the forward's international opportunity.

Tuchel said: "Does Jarrod suffer a bit from the situation at his club? It is difficult for him. Does Noni [Madueke] and Bukayo [Saka] profit from the situation of their club?"

Bowen was selected for the 2024 European Championship under former boss Sir Gareth Southgate and played in group games against Serbia and Denmark.

"The reaction of Jarrod was just outstanding. It proved again what kind of character and how much he buys in the team spirit," added Tuchel.

"It was a very difficult choice to make. Noni was excellent for us in the matches that he played. I believe he can be a difference-maker. He is used to coming on and coming off – it can be a big advantage."