Nuno Espirito Santo apologised to West Ham fans after relegation was confirmed but refused to commit to staying as manager or comment on the future of their high profile players.
The Hammers needed a victory against Leeds and for Tottenham to lose at home to Everton to stay up and send Spurs down instead. They kept their side of the bargain. Second half goals from Taty Castellanos, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson sank Leeds 3-0.
But Spurs who had not won at home in the league this year, beat Everton to survive by two points.
‘Deep sadness’
“It’s a moment of deep sadness for all of us at the club,” said Nuno.
“It was a tough day, we had a tough mission, we lost the privilege of deciding our own future.
“If you ask me now about the past and the future, I don’t think it’s the best day to understand the moment of sadness of our fans, of ourselves, of the club. I apologise and thank them for all of the support they gave us.
“It was a strange season in terms of points. Normally 39, I think in the last 10 years or so, has given teams enough to keep safe. We improved, but it’s not enough.”
‘We sold our soul for this hole’
So ends West Ham’s 14 year stay in the top flight. Relegation comes a decade after the controversial move to the London Stadium and the hollow promises from the owners that came with it.
Their brief revival under Nuno, who replaced Graham Potter as manager in September, began too late and fizzled out too early.
“We sold our soul for this ****hole” rang around the former Olympic Stadium as fans turned their anger towards chairman David Sullivan.
The Leeds fans were in no mood to be sympathetic, chanting “Millwall away ole ole” a fixture which could keep the Metropolitan Police busy next season.
Club statement: ‘We will fight’
West Ham released a statement after the game, calling relegation “a sad and painful moment” after “an extremely difficult and disappointing season”.
“We must now face the consequences of that failure with honesty, transparency and a determination to repair, refocus and rebuild.
“As we have done before, we will fight with everything we have to return to the top division of English football at the first time of asking. The hard work to make that goal a reality begins immediately.”
Bowen: ‘I want to see this club back’
Hammers captain Bowen did not rule out staying to help West Ham get out of the Championship. But the likely fire sale to make ends meet and the fee he and players like Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville would command, means that’s probably not his decision to make.
“I’m under contract here,” Bowen told Sky Sports.
“There’s going to be rumours, there’s going to be talk, but ultimately what I see is getting this club back in the Premier League.
“I’ve had some really good moments here. This is a really hard moment. You never know what the future holds, but I want to see this club back in the Premier League and right now my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League.”
Farke: ‘A sad day’
Leeds had long since secured their survival with room to spare. Boss Daniel Farke said:
“Commiserations to West Ham. It’s always a sad day when a club with so many years in the top flight goes down.
“It was a strange atmosphere in the stadium and you could feel it today.
“We were not at our best. But we’ve played a fantastic season as a promoted side. To finish 14th on 47 points is massive, especially given how difficult it was for promoted sides last season.”
The bottom line
West Ham are down. Fourteen years of Premier League football gone.
Nuno won’t commit to staying. Bowen wants to help rebuild. But the fire sale is coming.
“We sold our soul” rang around the London Stadium. And now the real work begins.
The Championship awaits. And the road back is long.
