West Ham United’s 14-year spell in the Premier League came to an end on the final day of the season, their 3-1 win over Leeds at the London Stadium rendered meaningless as results elsewhere condemned them to the Championship.
The club’s fate was sealed by a combination of their own inconsistent season and other results, leaving the victory as a hollow footnote. On Monday’s Football Weekly podcast, Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg joined the panel to dissect the failures behind the club’s decline, the uncertain future of the London Stadium and what lies ahead in the second tier.
“West Ham relegated to Championship despite beating Leeds, ending 14-year Premier League stay.”
The final day was packed with drama beyond east London. Tottenham survived after a narrow win over Everton, while Sunderland capped a remarkable campaign by qualifying for the Europa League. Bournemouth and Brighton also secured European football, and Aston Villa finished fourth after spoiling Pep Guardiola’s farewell at Manchester City. The emotional send-offs for Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones sparked a heated debate about the rise of in-game guards of honour.
Liverpool said goodbye to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, Chelsea prepared for life under Xabi Alonso, and Thomas Tuchel named his England squad – omitting Harry Maguire, whose family reacted furiously to the news. But for West Ham, the focus is now on the Championship and rebuilding after a season that ended in the most painful of defeats: a victory that changed nothing.