Premier League relegation battle intensifies as West Ham and Tottenham secure crucial wins
Clubs previously thought safe now looking over their shoulders after dramatic weekend of survival football
Quick Look
- West Ham and Tottenham both secured vital wins in the Premier League relegation battle on Saturday, leaving other clubs who thought they were safe once again anxious.
- Tottenham remain two points adrift of West Ham, with the race going down to the wire.
- Nottingham Forest's thrashing of Sunderland moved them to 39 points, prompting manager Vitor Pereira's cautious outlook despite many considering 40 points a safe threshold.
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Why It Matters
The Premier League relegation battle has developed into a tense finale with multiple clubs still at risk. Historically, 40 points has been considered the 'magic' number for survival, but Tottenham's win has left Forest (39 points) and potentially Leeds (40 points) needing more points to feel secure.
For a neutral, there are few things more entertaining in football than a dramatic relegation battle, but fans of the teams involved will feel they should come with a health warning. On Saturday, West Ham and Tottenham fans will have experienced deflation and elation. At various points, Spurs were four points adrift, out of the relegation zone with the Hammers dropping in and then back in themselves as both secured vital wins that now mean other clubs who thought they were safe are once again looking over their shoulders.
While in a sense it is as you were, with West Ham's win against Everton and Tottenham's victory at Wolves meaning Spurs remain two points adrift, the wins will feel significant in their respective bids to stay in the Premier League.
"It is going to be until the end," said West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo of the relegation battle. "Keep fighting, keep believing."
Joao Palhinha scored the winner for Tottenham at Wolves and afterwards said: "We have four finals [to come]. We need to do our jobs. Hopefully, this win can change things, give us a bit more motivation as well as it's been a long time without victories.
"What we can control right now is doing our job until the end of the season and keeping the club where it belongs, which is the Premier League."
"We need more points, we need to win more games and we need to keep our mentality".
Many will have felt Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira was being overly cautious when he said that after watching his side thrash Sunderland 5-0 on Friday to move onto 39 points. Perhaps his caution is well placed. It is 15 years since a team was last relegated from the Premier League with 39 points but after Tottenham's win the gap between Forest and the final relegation place is five points with four games remaining.
Leeds likely will have felt they were safe after reaching the "magic" 40 points mark but both they and Forest will now feel they need at least one more win to be able to rest that bit more easily.
"Some people see it as a straight fight between Spurs and West Ham but anything could happen in the remainder of the season," former Manchester City defender Steph Houghton told BBC Sport. "There's going to be a lot of twists and turns and I think it's going to go right until the final day."
Open Questions
- Will either West Ham or Tottenham be able to pull clear of the relegation zone?
- Can Nottingham Forest secure the required points to confirm survival?
- Will Leeds United's 40 points prove sufficient for safety?
