Paul Merson shares what West Ham must do vs Bournemouth after what he’s seen
Paul Merson believes West Ham will win their “cup final” against Bournemouth to boost their Premier League survival hopes.
West Ham looked set to be cut adrift following their 2-1 loss to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium on 6 January.
However, a run of three wins from their last five league games has given Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side a fighting chance of beating the drop.
Had it not been for Chelsea’s late comeback at Stamford Bridge from two goals down, coupled with Manchester United’s stoppage-time equaliser, the Hammers would be out of the relegation zone.
And ahead of a Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Saturday, ex-Arsenal man Merson has backed the London outfit to come out on top.
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Bournemouth test a ‘must-win’ game for West Ham
A few weeks ago, Bournemouth looked to be in danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle. However, three wins in their last four games have seen them shoot up to ninth in the Premier League table.
Despite the Cherries’ resurgence, Merson feels that West Ham will edge this encounter 2-1.
Given that the Hammers are three points behind 17th-placed Forest ahead of fixtures with Bournemouth, Liverpool, and Fulham, the ex-Aston Villa star believes that Nuno’s side need at least four points from this stretch of games.
He told Sportskeeda: “This is a cup final. Bournemouth have hit some good form in recent weeks. After a real bad run, they have now turned things around and become dangerous again.
“When you look at the next few games for West Ham, this is a must-win fixture. West Ham need at least four points from their next three games to avoid relegation. How can they do it? I don’t know.”
On paper, West Ham have a tougher run-in than their rivals.
However, they do host basement side Wolves in April, and Merson believes that if results don’t go their way in the coming weeks, they could be relegated by the time the Midlands outfit comes to town.
He added, “Obviously, there are more chances of them doing it if they win this game. If they don’t win and other teams get three points, they are in danger.
“West Ham face Wolves in April, and if they don’t win this game, they could be relegated by the time that fixture comes along. I feel West Ham are playing well enough and I’m backing them to secure a crucial win in this game.”
- Read more: Nuno Espirito Santo must start Callum Wilson in West Ham vs Bournemouth as goalscoring stat emerges
West Ham have not-so-secret weapon in relegation battle
Just a few weeks ago, there was a solid argument to say that Crysencio Summerville had been an underwhelming signing for West Ham.
However, the 24-year-old has been the main man in their bid to stave off relegation to the Championship in the past couple of months.
His pace, trickery, and eye for goal have almost single-handedly dragged West Ham closer to Forest, Tottenham, Leeds United, Brighton, and Crystal Palace.
The former Leeds man is on a roll right now, and if he can continue his excellent hot streak, West Ham may fancy their chances of staying in the Premier League for another year.
West Ham threw away a two-goal cushion at Bournemouth in November and now they will hope to claim all three points at home.
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