Tantalising points combinations dependent upon results in the next 48 hours ensure this Premier League relegation battle will go to the penultimate weekend. Arsenal’s visit could herald a resurgence or a reality check: Come Tuesday West Ham could be back in 17th and two points ahead of Spurs or alternatively four points behind in deep, deep trouble in 18th with a mountain to climb.
Nuno’s previous assertion that it wall go down to the wire could yet hold true: As far as West Ham’s camp ahead of todays London Stadium clash, the players and management have not changed their _belief_ ( ohh – that word again) that the Hammers will escape. If anything, they’re more entrenched.
Take Mateus Fernandes’ opinion from [whufc.com](https://www.whufc.com/en/news/pablo-and-fernandes-or-the-guys-believe-we-can-do-it)
_“It’s football. Everything can change very quickly._
_“Last week, we were happier. This week, they won the game and everything changed, but we can change it. We need to be ourselves again._
_We need to do the same things because in the last four games, we just lost one and it was this last one. We’re doing the right things._
Defiant despite task ahead – Fernandes and Pablo still ‘believing’.
_“When we come to the training ground, the mood is very good. The guys **believe** we can do it.”_
And new boy Pablo evidently shares the same conviction:
_“We know we are in a difficult situation, but we are confident and positive that we will achieve our goal. We are all working together and focused. We have a great coach who helps us a lot. He always motivates us and reassures us about our situation. We have to work hard to get out of this situation._”
Fans will be tired of hearing the same management-speak messages of ‘**Belief,** working hard and sticking together’ which date back to Graham Potter’s era: Against Arsenal the team ethic will be sorely tested, as will Nuno’s super-optimism.
**Belief** is fine, _but as millions of children have found out simply believing in Father Christmas doesn’t make the guy in the red coat any more real._
West Ham need goals against Arsenal. Time for Nuno to step up and bench his bearded Brazilian forward and stick Bowen in the middle with Traore as a winger from the start. Hammers fans will know there are Arsenal goals coming: Going down meekly 0-2 won’t cut it.