West Ham United have something that Tottenham and Nottingham Forest are desperately lacking in the relegation battle and that is the admittedly intangible sense of momentum.
Indeed, while West Ham United are below bitter rivals Spurs in the Premier League table, it does not really feel like it right now.
Obviously, that’s not how deciding who has earned the right to stay in the Premier League works – but the Hammers are riding the crest of a wave right now, whereas Spurs look to be drowning in the anxiety of it all.
OK, this might actually be happening… 🤯
Image this; West Ham stay up at Spurs' expense!
With nine games left of the season, there’s an increasing chance that Tottenham will be relegated instead of West Ham.
Having said all that and with the Premier League on a pause this coming weekend due to the return of the FA Cup, here’s a look at some predictions for the rest of March – assuming that Wolves and Burnley won’t get out of the bottom three.
Predicting how the relegation battle will look by the March international break
Clearly, what matters most is how the Premier League table looks by the end of May.
However, there’s an international break towards the end of March, representing the last time that teams involved in the relegation battle can regroup somewhat.
Optimist or Realist? Share your number and defend it in the comments
With that in mind, here are some predictions on the placement in the Premier League table by the March international break.
16th – West Ham United – 32 points
Fixtures before March international break – Manchester City (H), Aston Villa (A)
Yes, Hammers News is feeling optimistic.
It’s now been long enough to suggest that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side belong in the Premier League. Their recent form isn’t just a flash in the pan, they sit ninth in the form table based off the last ten games.
As such, it doesn’t feel out of the question that they could get four points from the two fixtures they play before the break.
The visit of Manchester City is concerning on paper but Pep Guardiola’s side are no longer the force of old and they were held to a draw by Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
Aston Villa away, meanwhile, would usually seem like an impossible task on paper but Unai Emery’s team are in free fall and have only won two of their last six home games.
17th – Nottingham Forest – 31 points
Fixtures before March international break – Fulham (H), Tottenham (A)
The appointment of Vitor Pereira has certainly brought something out of Nottingham Forest. They were desperately unlucky to lose against Liverpool, while they also impressed in the aforementioned draw with City.
As such, it would hardly be a surprise to see rock up to Spurs in the game before the international break and win in north London.
It’s difficult to confidently suggest they’ll get anything out of the Fulham game next weekend but that Spurs clash looks a six-pointer they can be winning.
19th – Tottenham – 29 points
Fixtures before the March international break – Liverpool (A), Nottingham Forest (H)
Frankly, it’s difficult to see where the next point is coming from for Spurs.
Their record at Anfield is so bad that it’s currently impossible to imagine them taking anything from their trip there later this month, even if Liverpool aren’t what they were last season.
For any other club, a home game against Forest would look winnable. Spurs, however, have been dreadful at home all season (winning just two in 15) and their fans appear ready to turn at any point.
By the time of the last international break of the season, it would not be a surprise to see Spurs in the bottom three.
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