Premier League

West Ham safe after report promotes sophisticated mathematical prediction model?

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West Ham are currently sitting in 16th spot in the Premier League table. Uncertainty surrounds the current campaign, however, with the recent coronavirus outbreak playing havoc with worldwide sports and everyday life in general.

As things stand, action is supposed to resume on April 3rd. But it is highly unlikely that that will happen.

West Ham are left in limbo. But let’s hope that action does resume sooner rather than later.

If for some reason that is impossible, however, due to Covid-19, it is a real possibility that this season could be cancelled.

Arsenal FC v West Ham United - Premier League
David Moyes (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)

So how would the Premier League standings be determined if that were the case?

The Times claims that an option could be the Elo calculation method, which was introduced by the physicist Arpad Elo in 1960 to rank chess players and is now used by Fifa to rank men’s and women’s national teams.

The mathematical model takes into account the strength of the opponents left to be played and the number of home and away games.

West Ham would be safe going by Elo calculation method

Arsenal FC v West Ham United - Premier League
West Ham fans (Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

And West Ham fans will be interested to learn that the prediction method has the Hammers finishing in 16th spot in the table.

The West Ham faithful would obviously be delighted with that outcome.

Now, it is highly likely that the season will be finished, even if it means we have to wait a few months before action is resumed.

West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion - Premier League
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Or the season will be rendered null and void.

If the Hammers do have to complete the current campaign, they still have some incredibly tough games remaining. Survival is far from guaranteed for the east London outfit.

Every potential outcome will have pros and cons. But West Ham fans will be onboard with the Elo calculation method, that’s for sure!