West Ham United have been backed to BEAT Leicester City tomorrow evening.
Manuel Pellegrini is under intense pressure after West Ham slip ever closer to the relegation zone.
West Ham have won just twice in 13 games after defeat at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.
So when high-flying Leicester City come to town on Saturday it is hard to make a case for anything but an away win.
But Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has done just that.
St Nic full of Christmas cheer for West Ham
We can only assume Nicholas is full of Christmas cheer. Because he is backing West Ham to emerge victorious at the London Stadium.
“This should be one where Leicester get back to winning ways, I was ever so disappointed with them in both of those games against Manchester City and Liverpool,” Nicholas told Sky Sports when predicting a 2-1 win for the Hammers.
“They went in front against City and did not look brave enough on the ball afterwards. They started to knock it into Jamie Vardy to chase but nobody could get up the pitch to support. Liverpool were magical against Leicester, but they were so poor.
‘I think West Ham will turn them over’
“Brendan Rodgers has a small squad and does not have much room for manoeuvre, but now is not the time to be resting players.
“Are we going to get energy and drive from West Ham? I think we might. It’s for that reason why I find this the hardest result to select. Which West Ham will turn up? If it is an aggressive one, I think it is one which will turn Leicester over.”
West Ham fans will take that all day long.
But it seems a big ask, particularly with the hapless Arthur Masuaku coming back into the team.
Read: New nightmare West Ham selection problem for Manuel Pellegrini as hapless Arthur Masuaku returns
The implications
Victory could lift West Ham up to 14th.
Defeat could see them slip into the relegation zone at the halfway stage if Aston Villa pick up a point at Watford.
That would surely leave Pellegrini facing the axe.
But let’s all jump aboard the positivity train, Charlie Nicholas is driving.