Tottenham Hotspur fans will be encouraged by Paul Merson’s prediction for Newcastle United’s clash with West Ham United as the relegation battle continues to swing from one twist to another.
The fight to stay in the Premier League is now between Tottenham Hotspur and fellow London rivals West Ham United.
The two sides have been locked in this battle in recent weeks, with Spurs currently just above the relegation zone and two points clear of the Hammers.
That lead could have been four had Spurs taken advantage of the Hammers’ slip-up last time out against Arsenal, but Tottenham themselves stumbled in their game against Leeds, drawing 1-1.
Paul Merson offers Tottenham boost with Newcastle United vs West Ham United prediction
Heading into the latest round of fixtures, there could be further twists at the bottom of the table depending on how results go.
A West Ham win and a Tottenham defeat would see the Lilywhites head into the final game in 18th place. However, a Hammers defeat and a Spurs draw or win would effectively bring the battle for survival to an end, as Tottenham would be mathematically safe.
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has now given his score prediction for West Ham’s game with Newcastle this weekend, speaking via Sportskeeda, with the pundit suggesting a difficult afternoon for the Hammers.
Introducing his view on the fixture, Merson explained the pressure on West Ham while highlighting Newcastle United’s strong home advantage at St James’ Park.
“This is Newcastle’s last home game of the season and I expect them to beat West Ham. It’s not entirely bad news for West Ham because I can’t see Tottenham beating Chelsea. So West Ham are not out of the race to avoid the drop and it will go down to the last day of the season,” he said.
He also added further context on why the atmosphere could play a key role in the outcome of the match.
“This is a nightmare game for West Ham. Even though Newcastle are down in 13th, the crowd at St James Park will be up for it,” he added.
Prediction: Newcastle United 2-0 West Ham United
Paul Merson: Relegation battle set to go down to the final day
Spurs Web has since reported that Newcastle United’s turnaround in form could work in Tottenham Hotspur’s favour as they continue their fight to stay in the Premier League.
However, if Newcastle do lend a helping hand, Tottenham must still complete their own task and get a result against Chelsea.
Paul Merson, though, does not believe Spurs will take anything from the match against the Blues, with the former Arsenal man tipping a defeat for Tottenham.
Writing in his Sportskeeda column while predicting the Chelsea versus Spurs game, he said: “I’m going for a Chelsea win because this is their cup final every season! A lot of Chelsea fans would rather win against Tottenham on Tuesday than beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final! Or I should say most Chelsea fans are in the middle of feeling this way, let us put it that way.
“I say that because the last thing they need is Tottenham staying up in the Premier League with a result at Stamford Bridge. No Chelsea fan would want to witness that.
“Roberto De Zerbi has certainly improved Spurs. They will be confident in this game, especially since Chelsea are involved in the FA Cup this weekend. Tottenham may only need a point here, if West Ham end up losing to Newcastle. But like I said earlier, I see this relegation battle going down to the last day of the season.
“Chelsea win and a clean sheet. I don’t even know why I’m backing Chelsea to keep a clean sheet, but it is what it is!”
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Should events unfold as he predicts, the battle for survival would go down to the final weekend of the season.