The West Ham board issued a demand to Nuno Espirito Santo and his players ahead of the Liverpool game but it failed to inspire and now there’s an anxious wait over the club’s relegation fate.
West Ham looked dead and buried in the battle for Premier League survival until their recent revival after the turn of the year.
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West Ham United's Portuguese midfielder #18 Mateus Fernandes (L) vies with Liverpool's Dutch midfielder #38 Ryan Gravenberch (R) during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 28, 2026.
The Hammers were cut seven points adrift after a defeat to Forest on January 6th but have clawed their way back to within two points of Nuno Espirito Santo’s former side in the safety of 17th place.
That prompted a demand from the West Ham board to Nuno and his players ahead of the Liverpool game.
But it fell on deaf ears as the Hammers once again failed to apply any pressure on Nottingham Forest, Spurs or Leeds above them as they were well beaten 5-2 at Anfield.
West Ham board told Nuno unexpected wins are needed before Liverpool
West Ham had the chance to draw level on points with Forest when they welcomed Bournemouth to the London Stadium last weekend.
However, every time the Irons have the opportunity to really turn the screw on Forest and co they fail to step up to the plate.
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A disappointing 0-0 draw left fans frustrated, especially when Forest narrowly lost in the last minute to Liverpool and Spurs were battered by Arsenal the next day.
Nuno Espirito Santo during Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
West Ham’s owners demanded Nuno and his team pull off one or two unexpected results against top sides ahead of facing Liverpool.
The board believe as many as 42 points could be required to survive this season and warned Nuno he would have to make up for the dropped points against the Cherries with a surprise win against a superior team.
Liverpool was West Ham’s first chance to do that.
But while the Hammers played well in open play – and even had a higher xG than the Reds – the woeful defending that has blighted their entire season reared its ugly head again, particularly from set pieces.
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A graphic showing the statistic that West Ham have conceded 15 goals from corners in the Premier League this season.
Credit: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
At 3-0 down at half-time, the game looked finished. But each time West Ham gave themselves hope at 3-1 and then 4-2, they conceded soft goals to put the game out of reach at 5-2.
“We need to get a result or two against one or more of the top six teams to balance out that draw,” West Ham’s owners said after the stalemate against Bournemouth.
Instead West Ham rolled over and their soft underbelly was there to be tickled again.
Opportunities to get the unexpected results that will be needed to keep the Hammers up are fast running out now.
West Ham have Aston Villa, Man City and Arsenal among their final 10 games.
Hammers face anxious wait over relegation fate
With wins required in at least half of those final 10 games in order to get to 40 points, a shock victory or two will undoubtedly be needed against the likes of Villa, Man City and Arsenal.
But West Ham’s fate is now very much out of their own hands.
After the defeat at Liverpool, West Ham now face an anxious wait over their relegation fate.
The Hammers can only sit, watch and hope that Nottingham Forest and Spurs lose when they go to Brighton and Fulham respectively on Sunday afternoon.
Mateus Fernandes during Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
Leeds were narrowly beaten by Man City on Saturday night to ensure they remain in the mix for now.
West Ham know things will start to look very difficult if Forest and Spurs win on Sunday.
That would leave the Hammers effectively six points adrift of safety given their inferior goal difference.
It would also leave them effectively eight points behind Spurs – a gap that would be improbable to bridge in 10 games albeit not impossible.
Defeats for Forest and Tottenham – or at the very least the Tricky Trees – will mean no harm done for the Hammers on another weekend to forget.
But the Hammers know the trip to Fulham in midweek is sink or swim – not least because it is one of six games Nuno feels West Ham must win to stay up.
West Ham failed to win the first of those six – against Bournemouth – so now there can be no more slip-ups.
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