Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Mon 4 May 2026 19:10, UK

West Ham United have slipped back into the relegation zone.

The Hammers are in 18th place after results in the Premier League did not go their way. The Irons, however, only have themselves to blame.

Getting three points against Brentford would have seen them remain above Tottenham, but a 3-0 defeat ultimately dealt a heavy blow.

Not many teams would like to be in Nuno Espirito Santo’s position, and unfortunately, history seems to prove them right.

Ahead of West Ham’s final three games, here is how often teams in the Hammers’ position have ended up surviving the drop.

How often do teams in 18th place with three games left get relegated?

18th place with just three games to go is an unnerving position and leaves West Ham just weeks away from dropping down to the Championship.

The Hammers will want to avoid doing so and make sure they leapfrog above Tottenham in the coming weeks, but history is not on the E20 outfit’s side.

Over the last 10 Premier League seasons, the team in 18th place after 35 games played has gone down 60 per cent of the time.

It is not the news that Hammers fans will want to hear, and it only further outlines the job that Nuno has on his hands.

The supercomputer is not in West Ham’s favour either, but Tottenham’s fixtures are by no means easy at all.

It does not leave the Irons dead and buried yet. They can still cling onto that 40 per cent chance of staying up.

West Ham could fall further behind Tottenham

The next set of fixtures poses a real dangerous threat for West Ham, as Tottenham have every chance to go four points clear with two games left.

Next up for the Irons is facing Premier League title contenders Arsenal, which will be no easy feat in securing a win.

Meanwhile, Tottenham face Leeds United. While the Whites are in good form, Spurs have already beaten Daniel Farke’s side this season already.

No matter how easy West Ham’s remaining fixtures may be in comparison to Tottenham’s, that four-point swing after this weekend could be a major confidence blow.

Pressure would ramp up immensely, and it will remain to be seen as to whether the Hammers’ squad can live up to it.

However, by shocking the Premier League, West Ham could do the opposite by piling the pressure on Tottenham to get a result against Leeds with a win against Arsenal.