At a glance:
- Tottenham are one point above West Ham
- Alan Shearer predicts relegation battle
- He has backed Spurs to be safe
Tottenham Hotspur secured a huge win on Sunday, May 3, as they beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park in the Premier League.
The win helped Spurs climb out of the relegation zone, as West Ham had lost 3-0 against Brentford on the weekend. The north London side are just one point above the Hammers, with three games remaining.
Spurs will next face Leeds United at home on Monday, May 11, while West Ham will host Arsenal on Sunday. It could potentially decide the relegation battle.
Alan Shearer highlights importance of Tottenham’s clash against Leeds
Both Tottenham and West Ham have some difficult games remaining. While Spurs will face Leeds, Chelsea, and Everton, the Hammers have Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Leeds.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer believes that if Spurs beat Leeds on Monday, they will be safe. He said on The Rest Is Football podcast (h/t GiveMeSport):
“That’s a big, tough weekend for West Ham, after being beaten quite convincingly, and then having to sit through that Tottenham game and watch how good Tottenham were.
“And I think with West Ham, with their games coming up, their next two are Arsenal at home and Newcastle away, I think I’m right in saying and they finish with Leeds.”
“I think there’s probably three points there for West Ham over the next three games. So it’s been a terrible weekend for West Ham. The best chance of getting three points, I think, is that last home game. Whether that’s going to be enough or not, I don’t know, but it’s tough for them now,” he added.
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Spurs, meanwhile, also have a much better goal difference of -9, as compared to West Ham’s -19.
Relegation battle could be decided next week
With three games remaining, the Premier League relegation battle appears set to go down to the wire. However, it could largely be decided next week, depending on the results of Spurs and West Ham.
If West Ham lose against Arsenal and Tottenham beat Leeds, the latter will have a four-point gap with just two games remaining.
In that case, the Hammers will have to beat at least Newcastle or Leeds, and hope Spurs lose against Chelsea and Everton. It is quite possible, but appears unlikely at the moment.
Also Read: Tottenham’s exact relegation probability drops massively after Aston Villa win
However, if West Ham get a positive result against Arsenal, the relegation battle will certainly go down to the final day.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest have separated themselves from the duo, as they sit six points above the drop zone after beating Chelsea on Monday. They will face Newcastle, Manchester United, and Bournemouth in their remaining games.
