How West Ham have turned things around and given themselves a chance of survival  | OneFootball

Barely two months ago, West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League looked like it was destined to come to an end this season. 

But a huge upturn in form under boss Nuno Espirito Santo has given supporters renewed optimism that their side can avoid the drop. 

The Hammers sit only three points behind 17th placed Nottingham Forest, thanks to a run of three wins and one draw in their last five league games. 

It is still going to require a monumental effort to survive, however. Most new betting sites still have Nuno’s side as the third favourites to go down, given that they are still in the bottom three with just 12 games remaining. 

However, their recent form suggests they could indeed beat the drop. We’ve looked at how West Ham have turned things around of late, and why supporters should perhaps be feeling optimistic of escaping trouble. 

January signings in attack

Nuno was always going to need a transfer window to spark a revival in form.  

The Portuguese head coach had constantly stressed the need to “rebalance the squad” in January, hinting at recruitment mishaps in the past as a reason for his side’s struggles this season. 

While admitting he was disappointed they could not do a bit more, he was left feeling satisfied with the business that was done. 

A new strike force arrived through the additions of Taty Castellanos and Pablo, from Lazio and Gil Vicente respectively. Niclas Fullkrug, meanwhile, departed for AC Milan. 

Nuno has transformed West Ham’s attack into one which is much more threatening, and far more suitable for the way he wants to play. Castellanos and Pablo offer a real threat on the counter compared to Fullkrug and have caused teams plenty of problems already. 

The addition of Adama Traore has also brought real pace to the squad. The frustration with the former Fulham and Wolves man has always been his end product, but he too has helped turn West Ham’s attack into a more dynamic and dangerous prospect. 

Summerville’s form

It is not just the new signings who have contributed to West Ham’s survival efforts, however.  

Crysencio Summerville has shown glimpses of what he is capable of in a Hammers shirt but has demonstrated real consistency of late, scoring four goals in his last five league games.  

The talented winger’s form even drew links with a transfer move, with relegation rivals Tottenham among those said to be interested but Nuno managed to keep hold of his star man and he could well fire his side to safety if he continues on his current run. 

Paqueta’s departure has paid off

One of the sagas of the January window was whether Lucas Paqueta would be leaving West Ham. The Brazilian wanted to return home to Brazil, and former club Flamengo, but with the Hammers in relegation danger they were reportedly unwilling to sanction an exit. 

Eventually, however, he would get his move, and while there were concerns around the impact of losing his creativity in midfield, it was clearly the best move for all parties. 

“I think we have a committed squad now, and we have to move forward,” Espirito Santo said following the end of the January window, and it is not hard to work out what he was referencing. 

It is clear that this new look West Ham side is together, and ready to fight to avoid a disastrous relegation to the Championship.