There are serious concerns for West Ham ahead of the Leeds clash after David Moyes was given a three-game stay of execution.
Winning games in the Premier League has been hard enough as it is for West Ham over the last year ahead of the meeting with Leeds United at Elland Road.
So the spectre of Moyes being given three games to save his job – as claimed by iNews – only adds to the weight of pressure on West Ham.
It is yet another of what promises to be a long line of games being billed “must win” for the Hammers against Jesse Marsch’s fellow strugglers.
But there are serious concerns for West Ham ahead of the Leeds clash after Moyes is given a three-game stay of execution.
West Ham go into the game with confidence at rock bottom off the back of five consecutive defeats and a 2-0 home loss to Brentford last time out.
Leeds meanwhile look in good shape by comparison. Leeds were widely praised for taking the game to Manchester City in a recent 3-1 loss.
And Marsch’s side followed that up by holding high-flying Newcastle to a draw last time out.
The London Stadium is like a morgue at the moment and Elland Road under the lights for a crucial clash promises to be a very intimidating atmosphere indeed for West Ham.
Moyes’ 194-year-old backline showed its age against Brentford. And it seems unlikely Kurt Zouma or Nayef Aguerd will be back in time to face Leeds.
Then you have the pressure element coming into play for Moyes and his players.
The Scot knows his job is on the line and that he needs to get some wins in the next three matches to save himself from the axe.
If West Ham can beat Leeds they will go above them in the table. But West Ham’s players will also be acutely aware that defeat will likely leave them starting the second half of the season in the bottom three.
Do West Ham have the character and leadership to deal with the weight of pressure against a team playing well, with good energy at home under the lights and in front of a partisan crowd?
We have seen little evidence they do in the last 12 months, during which West Ham have managed just 13 wins from their 44 Premier League matches.
West Ham need to pull a win out of the hat to breathe some life into their season. But there are serious and legitimate concerns ahead of the trip to Leeds of that there can be no doubt.