Gary Neville fears relegation for West Ham after what he’s seen this week
Gary Neville hasn’t changed his mind over who will be relegated following West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Man United on Thursday.
Soungoutou Magassa’s late equaliser sparked joyous scenes at Old Trafford, although West Ham still have a lot of work to do if they want to escape the drop zone.
The result leaves the Hammers 18th in the table, and with Wolves and Burnley looking increasingly likely to go down, the final spot in the bottom three will be fought out with Leeds as things stand.
West Ham are embroiled in a relegation battle, and Nuno Espirito Santo has the tough task of ensuring that his side don’t drop down to the Championship for the first time since 2011-12.
However, after Neville saw Leeds’ impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea, he now fears the worst for West Ham‘s survival hopes.
Gary Neville predicts West Ham to get relegated instead of Leeds
Neville was in attendance for both matches, and despite seeing a lot of fight and promise from the West Ham players, it might not be enough in the end.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast on 4 December, the ex-Man United defender explained that Leeds’ two strikers will be crucial to their fate in the top flight.
He said: “I think that Leeds lineup that started against Chelsea, if they can all stay fit with those two up front, I think they could be safe.
“From what I’ve seen, I think they slightly edge West Ham.”
| West Ham | Stat | Leeds |
| 3 | Wins | 4 |
| 3 | Draws | 2 |
| 8 | Losses | 8 |
| 12 | Points | 14 |
| 18th | League position | 17th |
Leeds beat West Ham 2-1 on 24 October, and it’s clear that their form at Elland Road will have a big say in the relegation battle.
Daniel Farke’s side were impressive against Chelsea, and Neville feels that their attackers will be crucial throughout the season.
The striker position has been hotly contested at West Ham for years, with the likes of Sebastian Haller, Simone Zaza, and Gianluca Scamacca all failing to adapt despite being brought in for big money.
However, Callum Wilson’s arrival on a free transfer could spur the Hammers into achieving Premier League survival.
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The 33-year-old started life in E20 unsure of how much football he’d play, but has quickly emerged as Nuno’s starting striker.
Wilson’s excellent brace against Bournemouth highlighted his ability to excel at this level, and West Ham finally have a reliable striker they can count on.
Despite not scoring against Man United, his holdup play was excellent, and he helped bring others into the game.
Neville’s praise for Leeds’ strikers sees him ignoring what Wilson has done in the last month alone, and the English striker will certainly have a huge say in the relegation battle.
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