Survival is the name of the game as relegation-threatened West Ham United gear up for their final seven fixtures of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
March’s international break has offered under-pressure manager Nuno Espirito Santo some breathing space after a 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa left his side stranded in the bottom three, a point adrift of 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
However, a battle for survival is far from over, especially with Spurs performing well below their standard, giving the Irons every reason to hope they could avoid what would be their first relegation to the second tier since the 2011/12 season.
Despite reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals, even lifting the trophy in the oldest cup competition in world football wouldn’t matter if West Ham fail to keep their head above water, which could prove easier said than done.
In terms of points, this could be the Hammers’ worst season since the Covid-plagued 2019/20 campaign, when they escaped the drop by the skin of their teeth after accumulating just 39.
West Ham’s current tally stands at 29, largely thanks to a poor run of just two wins from seven league outings since the start of February, and they must recover from their recent slump if they’re to stay up.
Unfortunately, there’s only a handful of favourable match-ups awaiting Espirito Santo’s side down the final stretch, so they’ll have to dig deep and squeeze every possible point from each remaining match to stave off relegation fears.
Now or never
West Ham’s below-par 19.35% win ratio probably best illustrates the kind of season they’re having, but they can still avoid the ignominy of dropping down to the second tier for only the third time in the Premier League era.
A home victory against relegation-bound Wolverhampton Wanderers immediately after the international break would be an ideal start, yet the Irons cannot afford to underestimate the Midlands club.
Three points against a team destined for Championship football next season feel imperative, even though Wolves bring a three-game unbeaten streak into this high-stakes clash.
Anything less would plunge West Ham’s campaign into deeper turmoil, further dent morale and make their upcoming London derby against Crystal Palace even more daunting.
Brutal schedule but with the saviour back
It promises to be a nerve-wracking season finale for West Ham, who lament the division’s second-worst defensive record behind Burnley, which is why they’ve set their sights on Hull City goalkeeper Ivor Pandur (via TMW).
While they could be forgiven for potentially dropping points at Selhurst Park, there will be no excuse for a failure in a home match against Everton, a side they’ve failed to score against, let alone beat, in their last two league meetings at London Stadium.
That’s because they’ll face European hopefuls Brentford (A) and runaway leaders Arsenal (H) in their subsequent two games, both of which heavily favour their opponents, at least on paper.
The tail-end of the season brings two more tricky affairs, as the Irons face Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the penultimate round before a must-win home encounter against Leeds United on the final weekend.
If it’s any consolation, Espirito Santo should have Crysencio Summerville, who has been in red-hot form since the calendar year flipped to 2026, back from injury for the final stage of the season.
With no goal to his name in the first half of the season, the 24-year-old seemed destined to leave London Stadium as a flop, only for Summerville to emerge as West Ham’s hero in 2026.
The diminutive Dutch forward had scored in five of his eight league appearances before suffering a calf injury in mid-March, with the Hammers winning four of those games.
Espirito Santo needs his hardest hitter at his best if the Hammers are to mount a realistic survival bid.