West Ham shorten for drop as they slump to wrong end of table
Published:A galling 3-0 London derby defeat at home to Chelsea capped a torrid run of five Premier League games without a win for West Ham, who now find themselves precariously perched above the drop zone.
West Ham’s own 3-0 waltz at White Hart Lane at the start of October suddenly feels like it may have happened in another season, as three losses and two draws have subsequently left Sam Allardyce’s side 17th and into 4/1 for relegation.
While it may be a little early for Big Sam to start hitting the button marked ‘panic’, his rhetoric in the post-match interview certainly revealed a recognition that his side are now embroiled in a scrap.
The Irons manager placed huge emphasis on the next couple of fixtures, where they’ll face the two teams directly below them, with Fulham making the trip across town next up, before West Ham take a trip south of the Thames to face a resurgent Crystal Palace.
Allardyce went on to exclaim that his side may well have to take four points from these two fixtures against their fellow strugglers, in order to get their ailing campaign back on track.
Like many teams who get on bad runs, one of West Ham’s most obvious flaws is an inability to find the opposition net, as the Londoners have only registered two goals in their last five league fixtures.
This is something which must be remedied sooner rather than later, especially as Andy Carroll remains sidelined, resulting in a starting line-up devoid of a recognised striker against Chelsea.
Something that will make concerning reading for Hammers’ fans, but simultaneously add attraction for punters looking to take the 4/1 price, are some of the recent trends regarding relegated Premier League sides.
Nine of the last 15 sides to drop out of the top flight have acquired more points than West Ham (10) have after a dozen games, while in two out of the last three seasons the team in 17th at this stage have also been flushed in May.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim three £10 free bets when you bet £10.
