Jamie Carragher raises Nuno Espirito Santo point as 'absolutely huge' week predicted at West Ham
Jamie Carragher believes the next week will be huge in determining West Ham's Premier League fate.
Nuno Espirito Santo has won just two matches as West Ham manager, and his side sit five points adrift of safety.
West Ham are embroiled in a relegation battle, and morale among fans is low as the reality of the situation hits home.
The Hammers face 13th-placed Fulham in their next Premier League match, and after the Cottagers beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 on Monday, Carragher highlighted the importance of West Ham needing to beat Marco Silva's side.
West Ham can't afford to drop points vs Fulham
West Ham are winless in the last six matches, but they have a great opportunity coming up to put some much-needed points on the board.
Their next four matches are all against teams that they have a real chance of beating, with three of them coming at the London Stadium.
Speaking on Sky Sports after Fulham's 1-0 win over Forest, Carragher shared his worry for West Ham ahead of a crucial run of games.
He said: "It's a big game for Fulham, but it's absolutely huge for West Ham. Nuno's been in there for a little bit of time, and they haven't quite kicked on.
"That gap is getting too big for comfort, and I think they'll be really worried. Before they get to the transfer window, they have to cut that gap somehow."
| Opponent | Date |
| Fulham (h) | 27 December |
| Brighton (h) | 30 December |
| Wolves (a) | 3 January |
| Nottingham Forest (h) | 6 January |
Forest host Manchester City in their next game, while 16th-placed Leeds face a tough away match against Sunderland.
If the results go their way, West Ham could significantly reduce the gap in an instant, and Nuno can't afford to pass up on this opportunity.
West Ham's players at AFCON will be a huge miss
El Hadji Malick Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are in action at AFCON, and both full-backs have been regulars this season.
Their athleticism in wide areas is one of West Ham's biggest assets, and although Ollie Scarles and Kyle Walker-Peters can adequately replace them, the Hammers are weakened by their absence.
Of course, West Ham should be more than capable of picking up points in the upcoming weeks regardless of their unavailability.
However, Nuno will certainly be frustrated with the fact that he is without one of his key weapons at both ends of the pitch ahead of such an important run of fixtures.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247