Relegation scrap in London
West Ham welcome Watford to London Stadium in an anxiety ridden fixture that could potentially decide who stays up and who goes down, or at the very least push them in those directions.
West Ham
The Hammers finally got the upswing in form they were so desperately hoping for when they beat Chelsea (3-2) 2 weeks ago, followed that up with a draw at Newcastle (2-2), a defeat to Burnley (0-1) and then another vital victory at Norwich (0-4).
Upswing at the right time
The victory against Chelsea broke a 3 game losing streak and gave them the confidence and breathing room that led to the addition of another 4 points in the 3 games that followed. West Ham are now 3 points above a Bournemouth side that occupy the first relegation spot with a game in hand and a better goal difference of +10 which could be a massive differentiator come the last day of the season.
Far from over
David Moyes men do however have a very tough time ahead of them with games against fellow relegation candidates Watford and Aston Villa as well as an away game against Manchester United left meaning that despite their 3 point lead, they are still in a very precarious position.
A couple of things that speak for West Ham's chances of survival is the fact that they have a talented squad and should be confident after their recent triumphs, especially Michail Antonio who has bagged no less than 6(!) goals in their last 4.
Watford
The Hornets had a minor midseason revival following their absolutely atrocious start to the season where they won only 1 of their 17(!) opening games. The revival was however quite short-lived and Watford went on to win only 1 of their 11 following games before surprisingly winning 2 in a row (their last 2 games) meaning the fact that they are not in the bottom 3 is nothing short of a miracle.
Not looking too bright
Nigel Pearson and co. might find themselves with the same amount of points as West Ham and thus have the same 3 point cushion down to the relegation spots but they also have a substantially harder fixture list. Watford have Manchester City and Arsenal left after West Ham meaning that they are in major jeopardy and will most likely have to rely on the teams under them dropping enough points to ensure their safety which is not a situation anyone will be jealous of.
Horrendous away form
Watford have done well in winning their last 2 games against the likes of Norwich (2-1) and Newcastle (2-1) but a very worrying factor is that 2 of their last 3 games are away from home. Why it is worrying? simply because the Hornets have only won 2 away games all season along with 4 draws and a massive 11 defeats, they have furthermore only notched a single point from their last 6 away days.
If Watford want to feature in next years Premier League they will more than likely have to bag something from this game. No pressure though.
Betting tip
West Ham have home comfort and have been the better team throughout the season which is why i will be backing West Ham Win or Draw and Over 1.5 goals at 1.77 with Betway.
