West Ham have perhaps never needed a bigger favour than they do from Everton when they go to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur on survival Sunday.
The Hammers must beat Leeds at home and hope Everton can win away at Spurs in order to stay in the Premier League.
There are nine possible outcomes between the two matches and only one of them sees West Ham safe.
West Ham are praying David Moyes will be able to save them from the drop for the third time, this time in charge of the Toffees.
West Ham will be worried by Pickford’s actions ahead of Spurs
But the Hammers will be worried by the actions of a key Everton star ahead of the Spurs clash.
Stranger things have happened than West Ham beating Leeds at home and Tottenham losing to Everton.
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There is concern in east London about Everton’s form and approach to the game, though.
The Toffees are on a poor run of results and a dismal 3-1 defeat to Sunderland last time out means Moyes’ boys no longer have the incentive of European football to play for on the final day.
With the World Cup – and holidays for players not involved – looming large, there are always question marks over how motivated teams with nothing to play for are at this stage of the campaign.
Jordan Pickford is arguably Everton’s best player – but he is also England’s number one goalkeeper.
So West Ham will be gravely concerned after Pickford was filmed on a night out with Jack Grealish days out from the relegation-deciding match at Spurs on Sunday.
Pickford enjoys night out with Grealish ahead of clash which may decide West Ham’s fate
The Sun shared video, which you can see below, of Pickford and Grealish out on the town after Everton’s club dinner.
There have been whispers Moyes could even rest Pickford to avoid any injuries ahead of the summer’s World Cup.
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Many fans have pointed out that taskmaster Moyes is unlikely to have given Pickford permission for a night out if he was going to be starting at Tottenham.
Even if the top stopper does start, West Ham supporters will be worried about his focus ahead of the clash.
The Hammers can have nobody to blame but themselves if Everton don’t do them a favour of course.
But the integrity of the Premier League has been questioned since Aston Villa made seven changes for a defeat to Spurs which helped them push West Ham back into the bottom three approaching the final hurdle.
Tottenham are going to be throwing everything at Everton given what is at stake.
So if Pickford does play, West Ham may need him to have the game of his life.
There have also been question marks over Moyes’ motivation for the game, given relegation for the Hammers would only enhance the job he did in east London.
Jamie Redknapp has reassured West Ham about Moyes’ approach at Spurs with his former club’s fate partly in his hands.
West Ham fans have quipped that Moyes will deserve a statue outside the London Stadium if he helps keep them up a third time.
The Hammers must of course take care of their own business first and foremost by beating Leeds, which will be no easy task based on the excellent form of the Elland Road outfit this season.
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