West Ham United’s revival has left leading pundits Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the same page about their chances of Premier League survival.
No one of a West Ham United persuasion here in east London and beyond will be counting their chickens just yet, of course.
Still, West Ham have Premier League safety in their own hands heading into the final six games of the season after Nuno Espirito Santo’s side smashed Wolves on Friday night.
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A graphic asking West Ham United fans how confident they are of Premie League survivial on a scale of 1-10.
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The Hammers now sit two points ahead of crisis club Tottenham in the Premier League table and, crucially, have much more momentum than their big rivals.
So much so that both Lineker and Shearer think that – on current form at least – Nuno’s team are set to stay in the Premier League.
Lineker and Shearer think West Ham are going to stay up this season
The two were discussing the relegation battle on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football.
Lineker said: “West Ham look – I think – the most likely to get out, I would say.”
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To which Shearer responded: “Yeah, they’ve got the form. Absolutely.”
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Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Republic of Ireland
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The fact that their fate is now in their hands puts a lot of pressure on Nuno. The Irons coach is often accused of going too defensive, and having a lead in terms of points is a paradigm shift.
Nuno was rewarded for a reasonably front-footed approach against Wolves, with his team winning the ball back in dangerous areas before launching counter attacks to take the game away from their opposition.
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They needed to force the issue and they did. It will be fascinating to see, however, if Nuno reverts to what is arguably his type and goes into a contain and protect mode in the final six games.
If he does, that would invite an awful lot of pressure onto his team, making a nervous situation all the more anxiety-inducing.
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