Formerly of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, while we do not want to put words in Jermain Defoe’s mouth, one suspects he is hoping Nottingham Forest are the loser of this three-horse race for survival.
Two of the ex-England striker’s old employers are situated in the Premier League’s bottom five heading into matchday 30.
Since winning in North London in mid-January, West Ham have claimed 12 more points than Tottenham and eight more than Nottingham Forest. Momentum is very much in Nuno Espirito Santo’s favour, then, even if an injury to star man Crysencio Summerville dents that new-found confidence.
Jermain Defoe is a huge Summerville fan. He and the rest of us will have to hope that Jarrod Bowen and co can do the business without the flying Dutchman when Manchester City come to town on Saturday evening though.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Defoe indicates that a West Ham side even without Summerville may have a greater chance of remaining a Premier League club than their bitter rivals from North London.
“Yeah, it’s a massive chance [Tottenham go down],” says Defoe, who left West Ham for Spurs in January 2004. “I think all of a sudden the players have to understand that it’s the reality.
“When I look at the other teams, when I look at Forest, I see a team that’s fighting. They’ve got matchwinners and they’ve experienced this before.
“I look at West Ham; again, a team that’s fighting. A team that’s got matchwinners. I mean, that young Summerville, I love watching him play.
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“I look at the performances. Not so much the results. I look at the performances because when you perform well, eventually, you get results. Even Leeds, I look at some of their performances.
“Those three teams are actually playing well, and then I look at Tottenham. At the minute, it doesn’t even look like we’re winning any football match.”
Summerville produced a ‘magnificent’ finish to beat Fulham in West Ham’s most recent Premier League outing. In stark contrast, Tottenham went to Craven Cottage and were lucky to only lose 2-1. That is one of five league matches Spurs have lost in succession.
Atletico deepened the gloom hanging over Igor Tudor at the Wanda Metropolitano in midweek too; a 5-2 thumping which leaves Tudor in a very unique position of being an interim head coach in real danger of the sack.
With Liverpool to come away from home on Sunday, it does not get any easier for the beleaguered ex-Juventus and Marseille boss.
“I watched the game against Fulham away. The manager came out and alluded to some of the referee’s decisions, but I thought, ‘You know what? The fact is, in that game, we didn’t even look like winning.’ Fulham should have scored four!” Defoe argues.
“It’s week after week; conceding too many goals and not really having a style in terms of how we play, how we’re going to affect games and score goals, or get our matchwinners to perform.”
West Ham can leapfrog Tottenham if they beat Manchester City – a tall order admittedly – and Spurs lose at Anfield.