by Staff Writer
Tuesday, 7th April 2026
Former Hammer Stuart Pearce is backing West Ham to shake off their FA Cup blues in time to face Wolves in Stratford this Friday night - and firmly believes the Irons are set to retain their Premier League place.
Pearce, speaking in conversation with Betway offered a characteristically blunt and experience-driven perspective on the relegation battle as he reflected on West Ham's run-in and the disappointing penalty shootout, FA Cup defeat against Leeds.
And while acknowledging that Tottenham appear to have the "easier games" of the four teams left in the relegation battle to avoid the one remaining relegation spot - that's West Ham Spurs, Nottingham Forest and last weekend's opponents Leeds - he insisted that momentum, that intangible yet powerful force in football is likely to be key.
"Tottenham, on paper, have got the slightly easier games, so they should get away from it," he began. "But West Ham has got a bit of ascendancy. They’ve got a bit of momentum and the results are slightly better.
"I’ve also got some serious question marks about the attitude of one or two players in the Tottenham ranks, and that’s not just recently I’ve picked that up. That’s from me doing commentaries before Christmas.
"When I look at some of the performances of one or two individuals that are supposed to be key players for them, I would probably say Tottenham will drop."
Pearce's observation that West Ham are in the ascendancy reflects a broader truth about relegation battles: form can outweigh fixtures. Teams fighting for survival often rely less on long-term planning and more on short bursts of confidence and cohesion.
In this regard, West Ham’s recent results suggest a squad that is responding positively to pressure, possibly unified by the urgency of their situation.
West Ham can escape the bottom three on Friday night with a win over Wolves, while Tottenham - currently one point above United - travel to Sunderland on Sunday for their first match under the direction of Roberto Di Zerbi.
Elsewhere Forest, level on points with Spurs tackle Aston Villa at the City Ground - also on Sunday, while Leeds - currently four points ahead of the Hammers - travel to arch rivals Manchester United for the Monday night fixture.
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