The logic goes that in the unlikely event you should find yourself being chased by a lion, tiger, bear or other such hungry foe, you needn’t be the fastest of the fleeing pack - so long as you are not the slowest.
If there is comfort for either West Ham or Crystal Palace as they head into the final stretch of this gripping Premier League season, it is the sheer congestion amid the bunch of relegation contenders trying desperately to scamper clear of the drop: nine teams separated by just four points, unprecedented in the division at this stage of the season, and for each of the London sides, eight rivals, three of whom might stumble, trip over a loose twig or simply run out of puff first.
