Not for the first time, a thrilling London derby between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur could prove the turning point in a Premier League survival battle.
When Alphonse Areola clattered into Morgan Gibbs-White on January 6th – a late penalty seeing relegation rivals Nottingham Forest deliver a seemingly fatal blow – West Ham United found themselves seven points adrift of the Midlanders, plus a further 13 points behind Tottenham Hotspur.
Two months on, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are now level with Forest in 17th. Not only that, the gap between themselves and a free-falling Spurs stands at a measly two points.
Three HUGE points 😍 Rate West Ham’s chances of survival in just one word 👇
As turnarounds go, West Ham’s form since matchday 22 is up there with Adam Sandler’s late-career evolution from Razzie regular to Critics’ Choice nominee.
Momentum is with Nuno’s West Ham United in Premier League relegation battle
Crysencio Summerville scored the winner at Fulham on Wednesday night. While Nottingham Forest’s stirring fightback at the Etihad scrubbed away some of the shine, the momentum is very much with the East Londoners right now.
From matchday 22 onwards, West Ham have picked up 14 points from eight games.
That is twice the amount Forest have accumulated in the same period, and a staggering 12 more than bitter rivals Tottenham. In fact, no team has performed worse than Spurs since mid-January.
If that heartbreaking home loss to Nottingham Forest felt like the final arrow fired into Hammers hearts, then it is fitting that another ‘Great Escape’ appears to have been ignited by a dramatic away victory at the home of their most hated opponents.
A Spurs side they have plunged into the deepest recesses of the abyss.
Callum Wilson’s Spurs winner a turning point for both clubs
What on earth was Marco Silva watching? 🤪
Fulham boss thinks Fernandes should've seen red… 🟥
Callum Wilson was fairly anonymous at Fulham, yes; only ten touches and two shots in 60 minutes of action. But, in hindsight, his scrambled, stoppage time winner at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 17th may have been the moment when Andy Dufresne’s rock hammer first started chipping away at the wall behind Rita Hayworth.
And the Germans would probably have to come up with a whole new word – überschadenfreude, perhaps – if it turns out that West Ham kick-started Tottenham’s downfall on that potentially season-shifting afternoon in North London.
In March 2007, West Ham were staring relegation in the face after Paul Stalteri broke Hammers’ hearts with a stoppage-time winner in a 4-3 Spurs triumph at Upton Park.
As he would later explain on James Richardson’s Totally Extra podcast though, former boss Alan Curbishley felt that performance was a turning point in their campaign; the sort of performance a team down and out can take heart and belief from, and use as fuel to mount a Hollywood-ian comeback.
Nineteen years later, another London derby meeting with Tottenham could have massive repercussions on both sides of the city.
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