With the Premier League season entering its ‘final third’ stage, the competition for a top-four finish seems to be intensifying. A lack of games for West Ham United means that they could very well lose a Champions League spot in the dying moments of the season.
With 57 points, Manchester City are comfortably sitting on top of the table, followed by Liverpool with 48 points. While Chelsea are just one point behind, Jurgen Klopp’s side have two games in hand due to Covid-19 postponements.
The real party starts when we come to the top 4th-8th bracket. Manchester United, West Ham, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wolves are within a few points gap with each other. While all these teams have games in hand, the Hammers in comparison have the least. Even though they are currently holding the Europa League spot, a misstep could easily throw them down the table.
Can troublemakers West Ham take back their Champions League place?
Following their last season’s performances, David Moyes’ men have once again made life difficult for the top teams in the competition. Even though some of the teams are pulling up after shaky starts, the Hammers’ consistency remains key in their current success.
While Moyes is being highly credited with what his team are putting in each game, the players’ morale and confidence also hold a lot of importance. The likes of Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, and Declan Rice constantly maintain a threat on the opposition with their inputs. On the other hand, Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, and Manuel Lanzini have come in the clutch, time and again to rescue their team during tight games.
However, an issue in the defence remains persistent. In situations where the team scores 2+ goals, they also end up conceding similar numbers. As a result, the team have kept only 5 clean sheets in 23 games. Even though Moyes’ defenders have been unlucky with injuries, a chance for a Champions League spot still requires a lot of improvement.
A fierce season ending on its way as the Irons look to make life difficult for other teams
Teams like Arsenal, Manchester United, Spurs, and Wolves are all in the exceptional form currently. On the other hand, the Hammers have had a bit of a stumble in their last two games against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and Ralf Rangnick’s Man Utd. As a result, the team ended up losing six crucial points.
With players returning fresh from injuries and international duties and an international break, may as well be a blessing in disguise as David Moyes would be ready with amends to face Watford next week.
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