Tottenham in 17th do have a significant advantage going into the final day of the season. They are two points clear of their London rivals and are 12 goals better in terms of goal difference.
While mathematically not guaranteed, a draw for Spurs at home to Everton all but confirms their stay in the Premier League.
The only scenario where this would not happen is if Spurs draw and West Ham were to beat Leeds by 12 or more goals, a scoreline that has never happened in the 34-year history of the Premier League.
A win for Roberto de Zerbi's side guarantees safety.
West Ham have to beat Leeds to stand any chance of survival. If they do win and Spurs lose to the Toffees, the Hammers will stay up.
Sutton's predictions: West Ham v Leedspublished at 17:10 BST 23 May
17:10 BST 23 May
I am going for Spurs to lose at home to Everton, but can West Ham get the win they need to have any chance of staying up?
I can't see it myself. Hammers midfielder Mateus Fernandes said his side lacked fight in last weekend's defeat by Newcastle, which is really damning, and they have lost form at the worst possible time.
In contrast, Leeds are well organised and playing with so much confidence. I am a big fan of their manager Daniel Farke and I don't see him losing this.
There will be loads of drama and probably loads of chances at both ends too, but I am going for a draw which would send West Ham down to the Championship for the first time since 2011-12.
West Ham v Leeds: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:11 BST 23 May
13:11 BST 23 May
Sophie Brown BBC Sport journalist
West Ham need to beat visitors Leeds to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
Two years after parting company with manager David Moyes despite finishing ninth in the league, West Ham need a favour from his current side Everton if they are to avoid relegation.
The Hammers must beat Leeds and hope Tottenham slip up against Everton or they will be relegated from the Premier League for the third time after 2002-03 and 2010-11.
Current form does not spark much optimism – West Ham have lost their past three Premier League games, and could lose four in a row for the first time since 2022, when Moyes was still in charge.
Yet there are also straws to clutch onto – when playing their final league game of the season at home, West Ham have lost just one of the last 19 (W11, D7), and that was in 2010-11, when they were already relegated.
If West Ham are relegated (football statisticians Opta put it as an 85.52% chance), it will no doubt mean a big exodus of players, which could include Crysencio Summerville, who has been a rare bright spot for the Hammers since joining from Saturday's opponents Leeds.
Also likely to be on the move if West Ham go down is their talismanic captain Jarrod Bowen, who has provided assists for eight of their last 12 Premier League goals and looks set to be their top goalscorer for the fifth season in a row, despite not having scored in the league since 31 January.
While West Ham are struggling, Leeds have found a new lease of life, and are currently unbeaten in eight league games (W4, D4), their longest streak since a 13-game run in 2001.
With Premier League safety assured, their aim on Sunday will be to go unbeaten in the final nine games of a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1994-95.
Key to their survival has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin – eyebrows were raised when Leeds gambled on signing him last summer but the former Everton striker has proved his doubters wrong.
Calvert-Lewin has spent the past few seasons struggling with both form and fitness – just 17 league goals across the past four campaigns – but has been revitalised at Leeds, where he has found the net 14 times this season.
It hasn't quite been enough to earn him a place in England's World Cup squad, but it has helped ensure that Leeds will be playing Premier League football again next season.
'What will be will be'published at 10:45 BST 23 May
10:45 BST 23 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked you whether you can still find some hope of staying up based on the home form of relegation rivals Tottenham.
Here are some of your comments:
James: There is one final twist to come! I just have the feeling West Ham are going to get the job done. Take all of the form out of it over the course of the season and who has done what, focus on this big one and give it everything!
Martin: Fingers crossed and what will be will be. So long as the players turn up and give everything that's all we ask as fans! COYI.
Roger: Survival is hanging by a thin thread. I am nervous for the weekend but have almost accepted our fate. If we survive, my concern is will next season be any different?
Bubba: Like most modern footballers do these days, the Spurs players were 'on strike' this year because they didn't think their managers were sufficiently 'glamorous' - until Roberto de Zerbi. Now they have ended the strike and are more or less playing close to their potential. So this year's statistics do not apply to their current form. They will thrash Everton.
Antony: Nervous and expecting Spurs to stay up with Hammers going down. Both deserve to be relegated, to be honest.
Minny: Having more or less accepted relegation since the loss to Wolves and even bigger defeat by Nottingham Forest earlier this year, I'd never once thought we'd still be in it with one last chance. However, I'm thinking "fortune's always hiding", but to quote the legendary Jimmy Greaves: "It's a funny old game!"
Nuno on players ignoring Spurs score, fan message and Bowenpublished at 14:11 BST 22 May
14:11 BST 22 May
George Booth BBC Sport journalist
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Sunday's must-win Premier League game against Leeds United at London Stadium (kick-off 16:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On following Tottenham's scoreline on Sunday: "Everybody is going to be aware of what is happening in the other stadium. What I hope is that our players ignore what is coming out and focus on the tasks inside the pitch."
On team news: "Adama [Traore] - it's going to be hard for him to join us, but the rest are OK. Some small knocks and players to assess. Hopefully, everybody is going to be OK."
On whether this is the biggest game of his career: "Probably, yes. A tough one. Leeds did a very good season. They have quality players who require the best of us."
On Jarrod Bowen's omission from the England squad: "He was sad. Something that Jarrod really wanted to achieve in his personal career. Representing England is one of the most important things. He immediately turns the page and focuses on Sunday. We are very proud to have Jarrod as our skipper. The work-rate, commitment and the way he leads by example – it makes us proud having him as club captain."
On the future: "Our future is Sunday. After that we will assess everything that we have to assess. We have to improve, and we didn't perform well [in past performances], so we have to bounce back. When you join a club, you try to understand the history of the club and the dynamic. There have been a lot of things out of our control, but we represent a massive club, an enormous fanbase that are very committed and we have to respect."
On his message to the fans: "Be there from the first minute, and then it is up to us so that the support continues. I don't expect many surprises. I expect a tough team from Leeds. I have known Daniel [Farke] for some time now – he will prepare the Leeds players the best that he can. We expect a tough, tough match. "
On Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City: "It is sad because I think Pep being involved in the game is always good. He always brings new things as a manager that can change the dynamic of the game, so let's wait and see where he goes. I wish him all the best."
Does Bowen 'suffer' from Hammers' poor form?published at 12:17 BST 22 May
12:17 BST 22 May
Image source, Getty Images
West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen is one of the players who has been excluded from the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
The 29-year-old, who has 22 caps and one goal for his country, featured from the bench in friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, but is not one of the seven forwards named in the 26-man squad.
However, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel questioned whether the Hammers' poor form had hindered the forward's international opportunity.
Tuchel said: "Does Jarrod suffer a bit from the situation at his club? It is difficult for him. Does Noni [Madueke] and Bukayo [Saka] profit from the situation of their club?"
Bowen was selected for the 2024 European Championship under former boss Sir Gareth Southgate and played in group games against Serbia and Denmark.
"The reaction of Jarrod was just outstanding. It proved again what kind of character and how much he buys in the team spirit," added Tuchel.
"It was a very difficult choice to make. Noni was excellent for us in the matches that he played. I believe he can be a difference-maker. He is used to coming on and coming off – it can be a big advantage."
Does Spurs' home form give Hammers more hope of avoiding the drop?published at 09:31 BST 22 May
09:31 BST 22 May
The final day of the 2026-27 season is approaching fast, and the reality of possible relegation from the Premier League edges ever closer for West Ham.
However, while the chance of safety feels slim, could Hammers fans still find some hope in the home form of their relegation rivals Tottenham?
If Spurs fail to pick up any points on Sunday when they welcome Everton to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and West Ham do their job against Leeds at home and secure a vital win, survival would be confirmed for Nuno Espirito Santo's side.
Spurs' home form is the joint-worst in the league alongside already-relegated Burnley, having only picked up 12 points on their own turf, winning two games, drawing six and losing 10.
To add to this, Tottenham's opponents Everton have amassed 26 points on the road - a tally bettered only by champions Arsenal and runners-up Manchester City.
And while West Ham have almost equally struggled at London Stadium and on their travels, another factor that may give some additional hope for fans of the east London club is that opponents Leeds' away form leaves a lot to be desired too.
Daniel Farke's men have picked up 15 points on the road - with only relegated Burnley and Wolves taking fewer - having won just twice, drawing nine times and recording seven defeats.
So, do these numbers give you some hope West Ham could pull off a final-day escape? Or are you already resigned to relegation?
West Ham have 'one final lifeline'published at 16:10 BST 20 May
16:10 BST 20 May
Holly Turbutt Fan contributor
Media caption,
The battle to stay in the Premier League is officially going down to the last game of the season.
That's something not many West Ham fans thought we'd be saying at this point in time.
Every single time we have thought it was all over, we have somehow been handed another lifeline and we've been incredibly lucky for this to keep happening.
But the question is, can we hold on to this final lifeline and somehow worm our way into staying in the Premier League when we all thought it was over?
If I'm completely honest, I had made peace with being relegated and I had accepted our fate of being a Championship side. But it's been such a rollercoaster.
Every time you give up hope and you say it's all over, West Ham find this glimmer of hope that drags you back in and leads you to question whether we can do it.
Anything can happen in football, but are we asking too much for West Ham to beat Leeds? And for Spurs to lose to Everton? We probably are as we need a lot of things to go our way, but anything can happen on the day.
It's the hope that gets you and it's the hope that's kept us clinging on all season, but you never know.
I just can't believe it's all coming down to the last game of the season. I am terrified to be stood in the stands trying to follow the Spurs game at the same time.
They have poor home form and we're just hoping for a miracle.
Anything we manage to achieve is going to be a positive because a lot of fans have come to the conclusion that we won't be in the Premier League next season.
If we can make it happen, it will be the biggest celebration at the London Stadium. Hopefully, West Ham can do it and here's hoping David Moyes can do the Hammers one big last favour - please!
'I have just got this feeling' - fan views relegation deciderpublished at 08:37 BST 20 May
08:37 BST 20 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on how you were feeling about the relegation battle as Tottenham's failure to earn a point or more at Chelsea kept West Ham's hopes alive.
Here are some of your comments:
Phil: We should never have got rid of David Moyes, but at least we can rely on him again. I trust Moyes to give us the Spurs defeat on Sunday … but can I trust us to seal the deal by beating Leeds?
Jamie: I feel Spurs can nick a draw at least against Everton with the current form of both teams. West Ham will also struggle to get a win with an energetic Leeds side. West Ham down for me, but football is a funny old game sometimes. The way the season has gone VAR will probably decide.
Yianni: Really as a West Ham fan, I think that we do deserve to go down and yet we don't at the same time. That is because we've had a lot of very poor games and performances but in some we were great and won or got unlucky. It all comes down to what Nuno does and hopefully he doesn't play a back three and sticks to a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.
Trevor: To be honest I don't really care if we go down, I've had enough of the club. I've supported them all my life - 62 years of age now. If we don't go down this year it will be the same next year so let what will be will be!
Mark: Hope is better than despair. We're probably going down, but at least our efforts may matter. I'm not optimistic. I am, however, still paying attention. Moping is for Monday.
James: I have just got this feeling that the Hammers can pull it off! No doubt if that is the case they will put us through the wringer. But cautious optimism.
It means the Hammers go into Sunday's finale knowing they need to beat Leeds United at London Stadium and hope Everton can overcome Spurs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
We want to hear from you and how you are feeling.
How much renewed hope has this given you? Or do you think it's too much of an ask to stay up.
'The ground won't be full' - what could relegation mean for West Ham?published at 15:03 BST 19 May
15:03 BST 19 May
Image source, Getty Images
As West Ham contemplate possible relegation from the Premier League, BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club pundits are worried about the mood an already "vacuous" and "cavernous" London Stadium will bring next season.
"The club will get the odd game, maybe one or two fixtures, where they will be close to a sell out," former West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green predicted. "But, after that, I think we are talking 40,000 seats filled at best."
The Observer's Rory Smith added: "The prospect of playing at the London Stadium in the Championship, to me, means possibly a 30,000 to 35,000 turnout. That's if the club is doing well. The ground won't be full, it will be this cavernous kind of thing.
"They will also have to fill a £100m hole in their budget, which will mean selling Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes. Those three might just do it, but they also might have to lose some others."
However, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton argued: "They have been blaming the lack of atmosphere for so long now. They all have to let that go. The old Upton Park was the old Upton Park - it was great but they can't move back.
"There was also a large part of West Ham fans - I'm not saying all of them - that wanted David Moyes out. They wanted a new brand of football.
"Fans are able to influence owners into making changes, but look at what's happened: they are going down."
BBC Sport, external has also pinpointed four things that could be knock-on effects if West Ham are relegated:
Stadium complications: London taxpayers may have to pay an extra £2.5m if West Ham are relegated. Under the 99-year lease agreement for London Stadium, West Ham would pay the Greater London Authority about half their current annual rent of £4.4m if they are relegated.
Seven-figure loss in revenue: An expert says relegation would cost the club about £100m. In addition, West Ham have a wage bill four times that of the Championship average.
Jarrod Bowen's future: West Ham's club captain is likely to be top of the list of players the club might look to sell to ease the financial burden of relegation.
Another new manager? Nuno Espirito Santo's future is far from clear, despite signing a three-year contract when he joined in September 2025.
'There is no longer an identity behind the famous crest'published at 12:25 BST 19 May
12:25 BST 19 May
James Jones Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
So that's pretty much it for West Ham United.
After 14 years in the Premier League, and 10 years on from being promised a world-class stadium for a world-class team, we're on the brink of slipping back into the Championship with a mish-mash squad of underachievers and a rented athletics stadium we now call home.
This will be our third Premier League relegation - so it's by no means our first rodeo - but this one hurts a hell of a lot more than the previous two. That's because, quite simply, it wasn't what we were promised as fans, and it's the result of severe mismanagement by those who made all those promises of grandeur. A club the size of West Ham, with all its resources, shouldn't be getting relegated.
Moving to London Stadium was supposed to bring a new era of success, prosperity and excitement. Yet, barring those four seasons under David Moyes in which some of those promises were being realised, it has largely been a drift from one crisis to another.
There is no longer an identity behind the famous crest, and there hasn't been a strategic vision in place ever since David Gold and David Sullivan bought the club in 2010. That's been made evidently clear by the frantic managerial merry-go-round over the past few years. Moyes to Manuel Pellegrini to Moyes to Julen Lopetegui to Graham Potter to Nuno Espirito Santo.
On top of that, player recruitment has often been scattergun. Oh, and I can't continue without mentioning the record £104m losses in the past year!
While the likes of Brentford, Brighton and Bournemouth have overtaken us both on and off the pitch, West Ham remains one of the worst-run football clubs in England, possibly even Europe. And it just cannot continue.
With Karren Brady gone, Sullivan's exit must be next once relegation is confirmed.
How did the Hammers' season unravel?published at 14:34 BST 18 May
14:34 BST 18 May
Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
The defining moment of West Ham's season might be Callum Wilson's stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal that never was.
But their slide towards the Championship began long before that and could be traced back to the departure of David Moyes in 2024 as the club opted for a more expansive style of football.
Across two spells, Moyes won 112 of his 261 matches, delivering three top-10 finishes. He also ended the club's long wait for silverware in Europe.
Since his exit, the Hammers have struggled for stability and direction.
Julen Lopetegui lasted only six months while his successor Graham Potter was out after eight.
Nuno Espirito Santo arrived in September looking to reboot a side that took only three points from their opening five games under Potter.
The Portuguese began with a draw at Everton, but three consecutive losses to Arsenal, Brentford and Leeds soon after laid bare the scale of the task at hand.
Back-to-back wins in November suggested a turning point, but it was followed by a 10-game winless run from November into January.
A spell of three wins in four matches against fellow strugglers Tottenham, Sunderland and Burnley at the turn of the year offered hope again, but just three victories in 12 games since have left them on the brink.
'This really is the end of an era'published at 12:36 BST 18 May
12:36 BST 18 May
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We asked for your views after West Ham United's defeat by Newcastle United, which leaves the Hammers two points off safety with just a game to go.
Here are some of your comments:
John: Inexcusable starting line-up. This Newcastle team are not the Arsenal and that starting XI made them look like they were. Absolutely pathetic and we deserve to be relegated after the total mismanagement by our board. You get what you deserve, and unfortunately, we have Sullivan in charge. It's going to be a long time before we are back in the top flight.
Jimmy: Pathetic performance from the players, apart from Taty's cameo from the bench. All three goals were gifted to Newcastle from ridiculously poor play. Performance was not helped by Nuno's negative, clueless and quite baffling tactics. We are 100% relegated now and it's what the shambolic owners and board of directors deserve since the ridiculously poor mismanagement post the Conference League win. It's us fans that I feel sorry for as we're the ones who are hurting. Complete reset is needed from top to bottom with all of the board and Nuno out and Scott Parker to come in - if he'll have us that is.
Robert: Nuno has to take this one, even when it was clear to everyone that the back five wasn't working. He delayed and could have been 3-0 down before he changed things. His man-management is good but, tactically, he has been found wanting at too many crucial moments.
George: Knew the season was gone the moment the Hammers lost three points to Wolves. This really is the end of an era.
Brendan: Let's be honest, it's been a long, slow relegation- ever since Moyes got the boot.
Dave: Why was three at the back used again? It's never worked, and this useless manager went for it again and cost us the game. Many of the players are either looking forward to leaving or their holiday. All our problems stem from Sullivan (Gold) and Brady The latter has jumped ship - now Sullivan must go and go now. We don't want him involved in trying to get us back to the top flight. We also need to start looking for a young British manager because we don't have any luck with continental managers.
Ian: Once again, a performance that lacked desire, spirit and guts! A game West Ham could not afford to lose - and guess what, we lost it. It was always going to be difficult going to St James' Park and trying to win, but two goals down after 20 minutes? Come on. Both goals were a gift with a carefree attitude from our players. We deserve what is coming to us. Championship football next season. So sad to see.
James: I feel, sadly, that relegation is a cert. There was so little of the fight shown in the previous weeks. It looks to me as if some players already have an eye on the exit door when they should be doing everything to make sure this club stays up.
Hammers 'open and careless' in Newcastle defeat - Reo-Cokerpublished at 08:08 BST 18 May
08:08 BST 18 May
Image source, Getty Images
Former West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker says Nuno Espirito Santo's decision to start Callum Wilson over Taty Castellanos in Sunday's defeat at Newcastle was "an odd one".
Nuno started with a back five with Wilson as his lone striker but changed shape when 2-0 down, bringing on Castellanos for defender Jean-Clair Todibo. However, the damage had been done as they suffered a deeply damaging 3-1 defeat.
"Tough result but you have to give credit to Newcastle, they played well," Reo-Coker told the Football Daily podcast.
"When you look at the goals West Ham conceded, they are just poor goals. You can't be in a relegation fight, with everything at stake, and you go away to St James' Park and be so open and so careless in how you approach the game.
"Defensively the goals conceded are so poor. It was always a mountain to climb after the start they had, but even after that in the first half I thought if West Ham can get a goal before half time then it would be game on."
Image caption,
Monday's papers point to West Ham slipping nearer relegation - the Times references a "sinking feeling", while the Telegraph goes with "Hammers Horror"
"Now, they have handed the advantage massively to Tottenham. You might question Nuno over why Taty Castellanos didn't start which is an odd one. He started Callum Wilson up top and for me, I don't know if it's because he's playing against his former club or why, but Taty has been playing most games and playing well.
"For me it's an odd one when you look at team selection. You'd think he would have made a difference if he started.
"Spurs have the advantage now but I think it will still go down to the final day."
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 07:59 BST 18 May
07:59 BST 18 May
Pundits Dion Dublin and Mark Schwarzer join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday's and Sunday's Premier League fixtures.
