LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur salvaged their Premier League status in the nick of time as Joao Palhinha's first-half goal earned a priceless 1-0 home victory over Everton on Sunday.
Only an 11th home league defeat of a miserable season could have sent Tottenham down for the first time since 1977, but Palhinha's 43rd-minute effort erased that nightmare scenario.
It meant West Ham United's 3-0 win over Leeds United was in vain as Tottenham finished 17th on 41 points, two points ahead of their London rivals who were relegated.
Tottenham's victory completed an escape mission led by Roberto de Zerbi who has rejuvenated the team since taking charge little more than a month ago with Spurs deep in trouble.
After an afternoon of nerves and 10 agonising minutes of stoppage time in which every Tottenham clearance was cheered, the final whistle was met by huge relief and celebrations.
It was all smiles as the players took the customary end-of-season lap of honour, but once the dust settles Tottenham will realise just how close they came to calamity.
The twice English champions have only spent one season outside the top flight since 1950 -- the last occasion being 1977-78. For much of this year they have been in a spiral towards relegation that would have resulted in a financial hit in the region of 150 million pounds ($201 million).
Italian De Zerbi has taken 11 points from his seven games in charge, although defeat at Chelsea in the penultimate game of the season meant the relegation battle went to the wire.
As the sun blazed down, the tension ratcheted up as kickoff neared with the spectre of Everton boss David Moyes saving his old club West Ham a dark thought in the back of fans' minds.
A sea of white filled the stadium and a loud rendition of the club's anthem "When the Spurs go marching in" was belted out as the teams made their way out and even injured club captain Christian Romero, whose decision to go back to Argentina for treatment had caused outrage, in position in the stands.
Desperate for an early goal to calm the nerves, Tottenham began strongly with Conor Gallagher smashing a shot into the side netting and Palhinha scooping a chance over.
Tottenham's initial burst of energy dissipated as the 31 degrees heat began to take a toll.
But there was an explosion of joy as the hosts took the lead as the halftime whistle approached.
The ball was swung in by Mathys Tel from the corner and Palhinha, a key figure since joining on loan from Bayern Munich, headed against the upright but reacted well to prod the rebound over the line.
With West Ham drawing 0-0 it meant Tottenham were four points clear of the trap door at the interval.
It was never going to be a straightforward final day, though, and word of West Ham scoring twice against Leeds prompted an outbreak of nail biting, especially with Everton finally showing ambition.
Tension was suffocating as the minutes ticked down and Spurs had a huge scare when keeper Antonin Kinsky was forced into a stunning save to keep out a stinging shot from Tyrique George.
But Tottenham held firm and will now need to put in a plan to avoid any repeat of back-to-back 17th-placed finishes.
($1 = 0.7448 pounds)
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Ed Osmond)
