Can West Ham still climb out of the relegation zone?

West Ham's survival battle has reached crunch time. After a nightmare run of results, back-to-back victories briefly threw them a lifeline, only for another defeat to stall that momentum and sharpen the relegation scrap narratives around the bottom of the table. 

But the fight is far from over, and what happens in the next five games could define their entire season.

Survival scraps are not won in one afternoon. They're about grinding out results, holding your nerve when it matters, and claiming points wherever you can. 

West Ham have dug themselves into a hole, but they're not buried yet. There's still time to claw their way out, even if the path ahead looks brutal.

Two wins, then a reality check

There has been a shift around West Ham in recent weeks. Their torturous 10-match winless streak had crushed confidence, and the table made grim reading week after week.

Then came the response. A 2–1 win over Tottenham felt like a turning point, especially after the 3–0 defeat earlier in the season. 

That was followed by a convincing 3–1 victory over Sunderland. 

Six points from six changed the mood instantly. The gap to safety looked manageable again, and West Ham suddenly resembled a team capable of competing.

Those wins brought belief and organisation back into the side. They looked sharper, more aggressive, and far more confident without the ball. 

At this stage of the season, momentum matters. Two wins can transform a dressing room.

But the recent defeat at Chelsea showed how fragile that momentum still is. 

Racing into a 2–0 lead should have been the platform for a famous result. 

Instead, the collapse that followed exposed lingering issues with game management and composure under pressure – exactly the margins that define relegation battles.

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A brutal run ahead

The fixture list offers little respite. At the time of writing, West Ham are still to face Burnley away, Manchester United at home, Bournemouth at home, and Liverpool away.

United and Liverpool are difficult at the best of times, let alone for a side fighting for survival. 

Even strong performances can end in defeat, and when you're under pressure, losses can snowball quickly.

Burnley and Bournemouth are the games that will truly shape this run. 

Burnley away, in particular, feels enormous. They are locked in the same fight, making it a genuine six-pointer. 

A win would be a massive boost for West Ham. A defeat would be doubly damaging, handing points to a direct rival and dragging them deeper into trouble. 

In matches like that, momentum can swing decisively.

Bournemouth at home carries similar weight, but Burnley is the clearest example of the type of fixture West Ham simply cannot afford to lose.

What’s happening around them

West Ham are not fighting this battle in isolation. Nottingham Forest are hovering just above the drop zone, and their results could have a huge influence on how this plays out.

Forest face Crystal Palace, Leeds, Wolves, Liverpool and Brighton. On paper, that’s a slightly kinder run. 

Palace, Leeds and Wolves are matches where points will be targeted. If Forest take advantage, they could remain just out of reach.

That’s the problem with relegation battles. It’s not just about improving - it’s about improving faster than everyone else around you. 

If your rivals keep winning their winnable games, you have to match them. Fall behind the pace, and the pressure ramps up quickly.

The verdict

West Ham can still escape. The wins over Tottenham and Sunderland showed they have the quality and fight required. 

But the collapse against Chelsea was a sobering reminder that belief alone won’t be enough.

The next few weeks will tell us everything. 

Can they manage games better when it matters most? Can they grind out points in the fixtures that define survival? 

Or will this drag on until a nerve-shredding final-day shootout?

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