Tottenham handed relegation lifeline after West Ham collapse as Villa clash becomes season-defining

Things change quickly at the bottom of the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of avoiding a shock relegation have been handed a huge boost after West Ham’s heavy 3-0 defeat to Brentford, meaning Spurs will move out of the drop zone if they beat Aston Villa on Sunday.

Spurs need - and get - help from elsewhere

In addition to picking up points themselves, Tottenham still need favors from elsewhere to ensure they get out of trouble.

Burnley were, rather unsurprisingly, unable to oblige on Friday, losing 3-1 away to Leeds. That result allowed the Whites to move nine points ahead of Tottenham, all but securing their place in next season’s Premier League.

Brentford boost keeps survival hopes alive

Brentford’s thumping win over West Ham, who are just two points clear of Spurs, will do wonders for morale in North London.

Tottenham now know that a win away to Villa, far from guaranteed, would take them out of the bottom three and put them a point ahead of the Hammers with just three games to play.

Nottingham Forest still in reach, just about

Nottingham Forest, who visit Chelsea on Monday, are the other team Spurs could realistically catch, although they are currently five points better off. That is a sizeable gap with only four fixtures remaining, but not quite enough to rule anything out just yet.

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