Hammers facing up to horror slump this weekend

By Dave Langton

West Ham must beat Leicester this weekend or risk falling into a real slump before the Qatarstrophe kicks off.

The Hammers face the Foxes in what has become an absolutely huge game on Saturday.

The Irons are on a run of just one win in five in the Premier League and are reeling from being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Blackburn on penalties.

And a defeat this weekend could see the Irons slip to 16th ahead of the enforced winter break.

Everton, in 16th currently, are playing Bournemouth this weekend, and the Cherries are 17th. A win for the Toffees, and a defeat for the Hammers would see them drop into 16th and leave them looking nervously over their shoulders.

There is some good news in that all three sides in the drop zone face tricky encounters; Nottingham Forest, in 20th, play Crystal Palace; Wolves welcome Arsenal to Molineux and Southampton go to Anfield to face Liverpool.

The nuclear scenario would be all three winning, and the Hammers losing; were that to come to pass, the Hammers would be 17th, with Bournemouth likely to drop into the relegation zone if they lose to Everton.

Confidence would also slump and there is no way to play your way out of that form, especially with the likes of Declan Rice, Nayef Aguerd, and Alphonse Areola heading to that tournament.

A win is a must.