With Wolves already relegated and Burnley on the verge of joining them, the focus shifts to the two-way struggle for survival between West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. Despite being separated by just two points, both teams face significant risks of relegation with only five games left in the season. West Ham's recent goalless draw with Crystal Palace may be seen as a missed opportunity, as a win would have put considerable distance between them and Spurs.
The situation remains precarious, with both teams' managers, Nuno Espirito Santo and Roberto De Zerbi, adopting positive outlooks. However, Spurs' winless run in the Premier League now stands at 15 games, more than twice as long as any other team's, including 19th-placed Burnley's seven-game streak. Ending this run will be challenging, even against already relegated Wolves. In contrast, West Ham has shown improvement under Nuno, with only one loss in their last five Premier League games.
The Hammers have the sixth-best record in the division since January, with five wins and three losses from 12 games, averaging 1.6 points per game. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are on a five-game unbeaten run, their longest of the season. The average league positions of the remaining opponents suggest Spurs have an easier schedule, but they face daunting trips to Aston Villa and Chelsea. West Ham's schedule is also not straightforward, with away games against Brentford and Newcastle and a home match against title-chasing Arsenal.
Nottingham Forest has the most difficult remaining games, with trips to Chelsea and Manchester United. Given the threshold for survival could be 38 points, Forest might only need one more win to secure safety. The return of James Maddison to Spurs' squad has provided a boost, but injuries continue to plague the team.
In contrast, West Ham has a nearly clean bill of health, with only third-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski injured. According to Opta's predicted table, Spurs are strong favorites to be relegated, with a 58.3 percent probability, significantly higher than West Ham's 36.9 percent.
Nottingham Forest has a probability of just 4.4 percent, while Leeds are deemed almost safe with a 0.4 percent chance of relegation. Opta's expected points model predicts Spurs will finish on 37 points, two points behind West Ham on 39 points, leaving De Zerbi with a significant challenge to alter this outcome.