This weekend is looking like it could be the key moment in the Premier League relegation battle and West Ham can find themselves two wins from survival as Spurs take on Nottingham Forest.
The fight for Premier League survival enters the final eight games this weekend and all eyes are on West Ham at Aston Villa, Tottenham hosting Nottingham Forest and Leeds facing Brentford.
One of those four teams will be joining Wolves and Burnley in the Championship.
But this weekend looks like being a crossroads after which West Ham can be two wins from survival as Spurs take on Nottingham Forest.
How West Ham can be two wins from survival this weekend
The Hammers and Forest looked like the big winners from the crisis enveloping Tottenham Hotspur since the turn of the year.
West Ham have closed a seven point gap on Forest in the same period and a mammoth 12-point gap on Spurs down to a single point.
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A graphic showing the lineup that West Ham United should pick against Aston Villa in the Premier League on 19/03/2026.
Credit: GRV Media
With 21 points left to play for after this weekend, there could well be many twists and turns to come in the relegation battle.
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But this set of fixtures looks potentially crucial.
After West Ham’s 1-0 win at Fulham recently, a leading analyst forecast that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needed three wins and a draw from their final nine games to stay up on 38 points.
The detailed report looked at 30 years of Premier League relegation battle history as well as the fixtures for the run-in, form and injuries.
West Ham players celebrate after they beat Brentford 5-3 on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
West Ham’s hard-earned point against Man City last time out seemed pointless when Forest, Spurs and Leeds also drew to ensure it was a case of ‘as you were’ in the fight for survival.
The reality, though, is that the Hammers ticked off the draw they needed in what was arguably their hardest remaining game, given their dismal record against Man City.
That leaves West Ham needing three wins from eight games to stay up according to the statisticians.
And come Sunday night, the Hammers could be three points clear of the relegation zone and just two wins from securing survival.
Why West Ham realistically need Spurs to beat Forest
A win for West Ham at out of sorts Aston Villa would put Nuno’s side on 32 points with seven to play.
Unai Emery’s side also have a Europa League clash with Lille on Thursday night and with the game still very much in the balance at 1-0 to Villa, the Spaniard cannot afford to rest players.
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The Hammers could be level on points with 15th-placed Leeds if they lose to European contenders Brentford at Elland Road on Saturday night.
But the key fixture, if West Ham do their job on Sunday at Villa, is Forest going to Tottenham.
Spurs secured a surprise draw at Liverpool before beating Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the Champions League in midweek – albeit losing the tie on aggregate.
Interim Spurs boss Igor Tudor barks instructions from the sideline
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
It always seemed highly unlikely Tottenham would be relegated.
But West Ham’s form and Spurs’ lack of it in 2026 made Igor Tudor’s side favourites to drop in the eyes of many.
That narrative may have changed based on Spurs’ last two performances.
So while the prospect of West Ham staying up at the expense of Tottenham is the stuff of dreams for the Hammers, it may be more realistic and beneficial if they beat Forest.
Vitor Pereira’s side have the toughest remaining fixtures along with West Ham.
Victory at Villa could put West Ham just two wins off survival
Defeat at Spurs, coupled with a Hammers win, would see Nuno’s side climb out of the relegation zone and three points above Forest.
Forest would then have the two-week international break in the bottom three, something which could well have an impact on their players mentally.
The reverse could be true for the Hammers, who have only been out of the drop zone on three occasions all season long.
That would put West Ham two wins off the 38-point target.
After the break West Ham then have winnable fixtures against Wolves, Palace, Everton and Brentford – and also welcome Leeds to the London Stadium on the final day of the season.
Forest meanwhile face Villa and have a run of games against Burnley, Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle and Man United before a trip to Bournemouth to end the campaign.
If the scenario above plays out this weekend then in order to get to 39 points and finish above the Hammers, Forest would need to win three and draw one of their last seven games.
That is when the pressure would start piling on the Tricky Trees and easing on Nuno and his side.
Relegation run-in remaining fixtures:
Team Remaining fixtures (Opponent + H/A)
West Ham United Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H), Crystal Palace (A), Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle United (A) and Leeds United (H)
Nottingham Forest Spurs (A), Aston Villa (H), Burnley (H), Sunderland (A), Chelsea (A), Newcastle United (H), Man United (A) and Bournemouth (H)
Tottenham Hotspur Nottingham Forest (H), Sunderland (A), Brighton (H), Wolves (A), Aston Villa (A), Leeds United (H), Chelsea (A) and Everton (H)
Leeds United Brentford (H), Man United (A), Wolves (H), Bournemouth (A), Burnley (H), Spurs (A), Brighton (H) and West Ham (A)
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