West Ham’s relegation rivals Tottenham just do not boast the same level of creative players, according to pundit Jamie Redknapp.
Though Nottingham Forest are still not technically out of it, many onlookers suggest that West Ham and Tottenham are locked in a battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
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There are only two points between the London rivals heading into the 35th round of fixtures and the margins remain tight.
Still, Redknapp believes the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes offer West Ham a huge advantage.
Summerville, Bowen and Fernandes praised by Redknapp
Speaking on Sky Sports about the relegation battle, the former Tottenham midfielder said: “I think one thing that they are completely devoid of and even more so without Xavi Simons is any creativity.
“You know, they’ve signed a lot of runners in their team. They’ve signed people that can run after the ball and go and chase it. But sometimes you need somebody who’s just going to get hold of the ball and do something different. Have a bit of magic.
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“You know, Summerville at West Ham, there’s a player, it feels like a straight fight between those two sides now. I look at someone like Bowen. I look at Fernandes in midfield who can get the game, calm it down and play. When I look at Tottenham, everything is so chaotic. There’s no real calmness.”
It is hard to disagree with Redknapp. While West Ham have scored fewer goals than Spurs this season (43 to 42), it’s worth remembering that the Hammers didn’t even hit form until mid-January and do not boast strikers as celebrated as the likes of Dominic Solanke, Richarlison or Randal Kolo Muani.
West Ham in a much better position than Spurs
With Xavi Simons out for the foreseeable future, Spurs have lost one of their most creative outlets. Though James Maddison’s return is a boost, expecting him to carry the can after so long out injured is a massive ask.
The point is that the collective at West Ham looks much stronger. Summerville, Bowen and Fernandes largely get the headlines of course, but the likes of El Hadji Malick Diouf and Tomas Soucek are not to be overlooked either.
None of this means West Ham will stay up ahead of Spurs. What it does mean, however, is they have a better chance of doing so with four games still to play.
Summerville has been one of the best players in the Premier League in 2026, with his form only halted by injury.
Bowen and Fernandes, meanwhile, have consistently taken games by the scruff of the neck.
No one at Spurs has done that and it speaks to a lack of leadership just as much as it does to a lack of coherent squad planning.
Right now, everything points towards West Ham being in a much better position than Spurs, both in terms of points and in terms of how the team are playing.
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