Tevez is at the centre of controversy

With more than £25 million riding on Sunday’s three-way battle to avoid relegation from the Premiership, the League’s chief executive, Richard Scudamore, on Friday accused the four clubs threatening legal action over the Carlos Tevez scandal of acting out of financial desperation.

West Ham need a point at Manchester United Sunday to pull off one of the most remarkable — and controversial — escapes in the competition’s history. If they lose, however, their fate will rest on the outcome of the contest between Sheffield United and Wigan at Bramall Lane. A Wigan victory would ensure both they and Sheffield avoid relegation and instead send West Ham down.

But events on the pitch have been totally overshadowed in recent days by the very public row between the League and the so-called ‘gang of four’ clubs who accuse them of mishandling the Tevez case.

Wigan, Sheffield, Fulham and Charlton are threatening to take legal action unless the League reopen the case. They believe West Ham should have been docked points and not just fined £5.5 million for entering into third-party agreements with offshore companies who owned the Argentinian striker’s economic rights.

They are also demanding assurances that, following the independent commission’s ruling two weeks ago, West Ham have actually terminated their agreement with Tevez’s mysterious owners.

On Friday night, though, Scudamore came out fighting, insisting that the League had done everything by the book and ‘blamed’ the Premiership’s runaway financial success for the unexpected revolt.

Scudamore said: “The fact that the league is as good as it is and as lucrative as it is, is leading to people being desperate to stay in it. It’s an emotive time… People are absolutely clinging on to the Premier League by any means they can.