Leeds United host West Ham United on Saturday and regular pundits like Paul Merson and Chris Sutton have had their say on the clash.
Richard Garnett Central Audience Sport Content Editor
11:45, 24 Oct 2025Updated 11:49, 24 Oct 2025
Paul Merson is backing Leeds United for the win against West Ham United
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Paul Merson is backing Leeds United for the win against West Ham United(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Paul Merson believes that Leeds United's home match against West Ham United this weekend is a fixture that neither side can afford to lose, calling it a 'fight for survival' despite the Premier League season only being eight match days old.
Daniel Farke's side are four points ahead of the Hammers, but are still licking their wounds following back-to-back defeats against Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur. It leaves them 16th in the table but the plight of their east London opponents is looking even more desperate.
The Hammers have a single point from their last five matches, and suffered a miserable 2-0 loss at home to Brentford on Monday evening. New boss Nuno Espirito Santo is yet to taste victory in what is increasingly looking like an extremely tough job.
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The 2025/26 may still be in its infancy but already former Arsenal and England star Merson is of the opinion that the teams hovering around the bottom are already scrapping for points with each other.
Writing in his weekly predictions column for Sportskeeda, he stated: "I watched West Ham against Brentford on Monday and I must admit, I haven't seen anything as bad as that for a long time!
"West Ham got ripped to shreds and it wasn't even like they were playing Liverpool or Manchester City, it was Brentford, who were only three points ahead of them before that game. They looked petrified and nervous, it's really worrying signs if you're a West Ham fan.
"Leeds have done a decent job so far, but they will be extremely disappointed about losing to Burnley last weekend. That is a game they know they should have won. The battle to avoid relegation will be really tight this season, with Leeds and West Ham expected to be involved throughout.
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"I don't think West Ham can afford to lose this game and Leeds can't afford to not win! If I said this at the start of the season, you'd think I'm mad because what does this even mean, right? An established Premier League team like West Ham and newly-promoted Leeds fighting each other for survival after just eight games? No way!
"But that is the reality now and it shows how unpredictable things are in the Premier League. If West Ham lose this game, I don't know what can save them. I've got to pick a winner now? Wow, this is hard!
"Only because of what I saw on Monday with West Ham, I'm going with Leeds here. In footballing terms, that was a really disturbing West Ham performance and I know they can't do any worse than that this weekend. I'm still backing Leeds though."
Regular BBC pundit Chris Sutton was hardly complimentary of either team in his own weekly predictions column, but he did, at least,. back Farke's side to get the win at Elland Road.
Predicting a 2-1 home win, Sutton wrote: Whenever I watch a team play as poorly as West Ham did then, I wonder how they will ever win a game. Leeds are not on a great run either, but I still feel like they've been competitive when I've seen them.
"Most people would probably go for a draw here - that's what I'm expecting from the readers anyway - but I actually think Leeds might edge this one.
"I have a feeling West Ham will score, because Jarrod Bowen is always dangerous, but I don't fancy them to keep a clean sheet even though sorting out their defence is probably Nuno's priority."
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