The battle to avoid the final relegation spot in the Premier League has narrowed to just two teams, setting up a thrilling finish to the season. After West Ham United's narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, both Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have secured their safety in England's top flight, with Forest having two games remaining and Leeds three.
That leaves West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur fighting to stay out of the drop zone. The Hammers, currently sitting third from bottom, can only leapfrog fourth-from-bottom Tottenham, who hold a crucial game in hand. That match comes on Monday, when Spurs host Leeds at home. A win would push Tottenham four points clear of West Ham, putting them in a commanding position with just two games left—away to Chelsea and at home to Everton.
West Ham, meanwhile, still face a daunting run-in: away to Newcastle and at home to Leeds. It's a high-stakes scenario for a club that has been a Premier League mainstay since 2012. "It's do or die," said West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen after the Arsenal loss, a match that saw the Hammers go toe-to-toe with the league leaders before a last-gasp VAR decision sealed their fate. "We showed good attitude today. We can't feel defeated. We have to keep going, and that's all we can do."
With Wolverhampton and Burnley already relegated, the final relegation spot will come down to these two London rivals. For fans and neutrals alike, the drama is only just beginning.
