West Ham United currently have a two point stronghold over the Premier League’s bottom three in the relegation zone.
The Hammers currently sit 16th in the table after recording a 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, their heaviest win of the 2022/23 season so far.
David Moyes' side have just two league games to play in March, starting on Saturday away at Brighton and Hove Albion before playing host to Aston Villa eight days later.
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Whilst West Ham suffered a FA Cup fifth round defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday night, survival hopefuls Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers both suffered defeats away from home against Arsenal and Liverpool respectively, a boost for West Ham and the other teams around them, with just seven points separating the bottom eight at present.
West Ham’s next four league games, starting next month with home games against Southampton and Newcastle United, is said to be the fourth easiest run on paper, with Forest.
Leicester City are said to have the easiest run in their next four games, with all of them coming against sides currently in the bottom 12.
Bournemouth’s next four opponents have an average league position of just 6.25, giving them on paper the hardest run of the current bottom eight.
Here is a look at the sides sat between 13th and 20th, who they have in their next four league games and who has the toughest run.
13th Nottingham Forest (P24 25pts)
05/03 Everton (H) - 18th
11/03 Tottenham Hotspur (A) - 4th
17/03 Newcastle United (H) - 5th
01/04 Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) - 15th
Average position of next four opponents : 10.5 (joint-second easiest)
14th Leicester City (P24 24pts)
04/03 Southampton (A) - 20th
11/03 Chelsea (H) - 10th
18/03 Brentford (A) - 9th
01/04 Crystal Palace (A) - 12th
Average position of next four opponents : 12.75 (easiest)
15th Wolverhampton Wanderers (P24 24pts)
04/03 Tottenham Hotspur (H) - 4th
12/03 Newcastle United(A) - 5th
18/03 Leeds United (H) - 17th
01/04 Nottingham Forest (A) - 13th
Average position of next four opponents : 9.75 (second easiest)
16th West Ham United (P24 23pts)
04/03 Brighton and Hove Albion (A) - 8th
11/03 Aston Villa (H) - 11th
02/04 Southampton (H) - 20th
05/04 Newcastle United (H) - 5th
Average position of next four opponents : 10.5 (joint-second easiest)
17th Leeds United (P24 22pts)
04/03 Chelsea (A) - 10th
11/03 Brighton and Hove Albion (H) - 8th
18/03 Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) - 15th
01/04 Arsenal (A) - 1st
Average position of next four opponents : 8.5 (third hardest)
18th Everton (P24 21pts)
05/03 Nottingham Forest (A) - 13th
11/03 Brentford (H) - 9th
18/03 Chelsea (A) - 10th
03/04 Tottenham Hotspur (H) - 4th
Average position of next four opponents : 9 (fourth hardest)
19th AFC Bournemouth (P24 21pts)
04/03 Arsenal (A) - 1st
11/03 Liverpool (H) - 6th
18/03 Aston Villa (A) - 11th
01/03 Fulham (H) - 7th
Average position of next four opponents : 6.25 (hardest)
20th Southampton (P24 18pts)
04/03 Leicester City (H) - 14th
11/03 Manchester United (A) - 3rd
15/03 Brentford (H) - 9th
18/03 Tottenham Hotspur (H) - 4th
Average position of next four opponents : 7.5 (second hardest)
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