“Spurs could dethrone West Ham as the worst team in the Premier League.”

The Premier League is counting down to reveal who will join Wolves and Burnley in next season’s Championship, in a fierce battle that now seems to boil down to two teams: West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. With the Hammers leading by a narrow margin of two points, both teams won last Saturday, keeping the pressure at its peak, while Leeds and Nottingham Forest continue to surprise with their form. The truth is that the unfortunate team that falls may at least take pride in being one of the worst survivors of the elite, ranking among the best teams to be relegated in recent English football history.

Tottenham, which seemed to be mired in bad news for much of the season, finally managed a victory and picked up four points in the last two games – the same amount they had garnered in the previous 13! If the Spurs can now show their true colors and start a solid recovery, they may not only reach the 40-point barrier but also enter the pantheon of the best teams to be relegated. However, even that scenario may not guarantee survival in the Premier League.

An unlikely yet equally hilarious scenario is that of a Newcastle in free fall being dragged into the relegation battle. Steve Bruce’s team is unable to even score points and has yet to surpass a points total that, historically, would guarantee their safety in the league.

Currently, West Ham has 36 points, a total that over the last nine years would have been sufficient to survive in the Premier League, but this year seems insufficient. Should the Hammers end up being relegated, they will at least secure the record of being the best team ever relegated in the history of the Premier League, a title that is not much desired, but which they already hold. Tottenham is one win away from entering this little-glorified list, should their relegation be confirmed.

To contextualize this race to the bottom of the table, we recall the ten best teams relegated in the 38-game era of the Premier League, evaluated by the usual tiebreaker criteria:

10) Charlton Athletic (1998/99) – 36 points

In their first season in the Premier League, the Addicks recorded the best performance among those who accumulated 36 points and were relegated, with a negative goal difference of just -15. If West Ham loses all their remaining matches, they will find it difficult to surpass this record.

9) Newcastle United (2015/16) – 37 points

That season was one of the most insane in the Premier League, with Leicester winning the title in a surprising fashion and Newcastle and Aston Villa being relegated. Despite a catastrophic start under Steve McClaren, Rafa Benitez managed a remarkable recovery, but it was insufficient, with a run of 12 points in six games to save the pride of the Magpies.

Whatever the outcome, this battle for the last spot in this year’s Premier League is turning into one of the most dramatic and unpredictable in recent history, with the possibility of unflattering records being broken and historic teams falling to the second division. Tottenham and West Ham are now fighting not only for survival but also for a place in this infamous gallery of the “best worst” of the Premier League. Who will be the next to fall? The answer is getting closer, and the shock is guaranteed.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.