West Ham United

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Two Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.

Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.

It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.

Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?

Make your selection

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

West Ham's recent performances are giving me hope that we can stay in the Premier League, and here's why.

When you look back to the beginning of the season, or even the beginning of the year, nothing was going our way. We weren't working together as a team, we weren't performing well enough to get points, and there were absolutely none of those smash-and-grab type games where you don't deserve the win, but you still come away with it.

However, our 4-0 win against Wolves has given me hope, despite the fact that it wasn't the best performance by a long way. If I'm completely honest, that scoreline was not reflective of our performance as a whole, and we definitely didn't deserve to go into the break ahead. We could barely get hold of the ball in the first half, and yet we went on to score a total of four goals and keep a clean sheet.

But why has that filled me with confidence? Because even when we aren't playing our best, we are making moments of magic that matter. We're showing that we're able to go against the run of play to score a goal, and we're keeping our heads up even in the most difficult patches of games. And this mentality is something that I believe will keep West Ham up.

We know a lot relies on how many points we can pick up and how those around us do, but as it stands we're out of the relegation zone and if we continue to take matters into our own hands there will be nothing stopping us avoiding relegation, despite the fact that it all looked completely lost back in January.

Are we going to outperform the opponent in all six of our last league games? It's not very likely, but if we can come away with points, even when we haven't been the better side, I think we're in with a real shot of staying up.

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Some of you have used our Ask Me Anything form on West Ham to question if the Hammers could claim any money for Max Kilman in the event he's sold at a major loss.

One fan asked me if there would be any "redress" on the situation. I am not quite sure what you mean in terms of redress. Kilman was Wolves' captain and being talked about in England circles when West Ham bought him and presumably whoever sanctioned the deal felt he was worth the money. I still think Kilman is an excellent player, very mature but for whatever reason, it has not worked out at the London Stadium. It is a reality that every club overpays for players that don't turn out to be worth anything like the sums involved, but it is not a sale or return, you can only wince and try to do better next time. It seems certain Kilman will leave but I wouldn't be surprised if he does well somewhere else.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

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Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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Getting 36 points on the board should offer a huge psychological boost for Leeds.

Teams finishing on 36 or more points in each of the past nine Premier League seasons have avoided relegation.

In the 20-team Premier League era, starting from the 1995-96 season, the average number of points earned by the team finishing 18th is 35.53.

In those 30 seasons of 38 games, 36 points has ensured survival 60% of the time.

The rate of survival increases to 80% for 38 points, 90% for 40 points and 100% for 43 or more points.

So does that mean Leeds have virtually guaranteed survival this season?

Not really.

That is because this season is on track to be the toughest to survive for a decade.

According to Opta's supercomputer, Tottenham are now favourites to go down at 48.7%. But Spurs, sitting 18th, are on 30 points and projected to finish on 37 by Opta - meaning 38 points would be needed for survival.

West Ham, currently 17th, hold the record for the team relegated with the most points in the 20-team era - in 2002-03 when they picked up 42 points but still went down.

"The reality is that performance-wise we should already [have] far more than 40 points," Daniel Farke said.

"This team has performed over the whole season with unbelievable consistency.

"But we are on 36 points, a few more points are needed. For now, three points closer but nothing is achieved yet."

Read more here

One simple question and an answer with ugly consequences.

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West Ham United and Tottenham are both interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, 22. (Tuttomercato - in Italian, external)

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West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen says the team "knew what was at stake" prior to thumping relegation rivals Wolves 4-0 at London Stadium, adding that it "hurts" to be in top-flight survival mode this season.

Konstantinos Mavropanos and Valentin Castellanos both scored braces as Nuno Espirito Santo's side moved out of the relegation zone on Friday night.

"It is a lot easier speaking at the end of a win like that, especially after coming out of the relegation zone," Bowen told Sky Sports. "We knew what was at stake before the game.

"It was a bit cagey in the first half. There's always a lot of nerves in the first half of a game of this magnitude. There were highs and lows, but it was about sticking together and showing our quality.

"When you play before everyone else around you, everyone looks at your result and your position [in the table], so all you can do is focus on yourself.

"We are in a situation we don't want to be in, but we have to face up to it - and I believe we did that.

"At half-time I just said: 'Let's stay calm'. My main message was to stick together as a team. We knew it was a game where three points was vital. It was three points that would mean the world to us.

"In the end, there was an opportunity to score more and really put a statement out there, but we still got a clean sheet and four goals."

When asked about his efforts to ensure the club's top-flight survival, Bowen replied: "I have such a big love for this club. It hurts to be in the position we are in.

"I know I haven't done enough, individually, to get us out of it. Each week it is about trying to play my A-game, trying to score and trying to get assists. I want to contribute every single week. I want to get us out of this."

Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 2-2 Everton

• Burnley 0-2 Brighton

• Liverpool 2-0 Fulham

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

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Only five days ago, West Ham supporters could not wait to leave London Stadium as their side fell 2-0 behind to Leeds United in an FA Cup quarter‑final.

But it was a very different story on Friday, with the home faithful staying until the final whistle to savour every moment of a win that could prove monumental in the battle for survival.

This was a night when everything that needed to go West Ham's way did - and will give them an injection of belief they can retain their top‑flight status.

A double from big‑money January signing Taty Castellanos helped extend their unbeaten run at home to five matches, adding to the sense everything is falling into place at the perfect time for the Hammers.

Jarrod Bowen's return to form at the business end of the campaign continues, with his two assists against Wolves taking him to nine goal involvements in his past 10 games.

It marks a remarkable turnaround from where West Ham found themselves earlier in 2026 - out of sorts, struggling for identity and seemingly destined for a return to the Championship, 14 years after winning promotion via the play‑offs.

But with this victory lifting them out of the drop zone - at least until Sunday, when Tottenham visit Sunderland - West Ham fans may start to feel optimistic about the final six weeks of the season.

We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between West Ham and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

Joe: Massive win and a clean sheet to go with it. Struggled in the first half but fought for that opener and got the team back into it. Taty and Pablo are a great pair up front, Bowen is clinical with his passing and Mavro is being a beast in the box. Happy Hammers tonight, bring on the next one.

Dave: At long last a good result. We were second best in the first half but improved in the second half. Wolves have improved too, and looked like they were going to score but luckily they didn't. We need to start having two good halves and we may stay up and send Spurs down.

Sue: What a great result and another clean sheet. First half a bit slow but a brilliant second half. If we keep going like this we will beat the drop. Watch out Arsenal haha.

Wolves fans

Guy: Whilst we are obviously going to be relegated this year, it would have been great to see the team actually trying to compete with West Ham to win the three points on offer. There is surely the small matter of not finishing bottom of the league to play for? After such a dismal season, that should be sufficient motivation for the team. All we ask for is effort and after such a long wait between games it was very disappointing to see none.

Simon: Pitiful - the long suffering supporters who made the trip down to London should be reimbursed for that pathetic and embarrassing performance. A disgrace after a 25-day rest!!

Dan: Once the second goal went in we absolutely fell apart. This was a game we had to win to maintain any slim hope of survival and we got battered. A pretty depressing return from several weeks without a game.

Ian: The international break has worked against us. Lots of poor individual mistakes that weren't happening as much before. We handed them the game on a plate.

Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to Sky Sports after West Ham's victory against Wolves: "We are happy, extremely happy. All of us deserve this kind of evening, especially our fans. London Stadium today was amazing, bouncing with energy and helping us in the hard parts. The first half was tough. We didn't find spaces, the game didn't flow, but we were there. Then after the break we really improved."

On the timing of the first goal: "It changes everything. It changes the dynamic of the half time talk. The players keept their calmness and understood and did an amazing second half. Much, much improved [in the second half], not only on the ball but off the ball. We stopped them from breaking us in the middle. It was positive."

On the front two: "We played many times in this shape before the injuries with these players, and it was too bad it did not follow on. I think we still have time to improve the way we want to do things in this shape. The hard work is more important sometimes, off the ball all the team was spot on."

On the Disasi-Mavropanos partnershp: "They know each other better, so the communication has improved a lot. The full-backs have also helped a lot, especially when they put the big striker and the balls into the box, but the team was ok."

Konstantinos Mavropanos spoke to BBC Match of the Day: "These kind of wins give us a big boost for the rest of the season because we have been working really hard. We got some really good results in the past games and today again we saw the great effort with our fans at home, clean sheet. I think it was a perfect performance.

"We said that we have to stay calm throughout the game because Wolves have some good players. We stuck together and scored the first goal and in the second half we saw more of our work and we scored more goals."

On two more goals for him: "I'm just happy to help the team to get results like that. With all the lads and the staff we have been working really hard to score from the set pieces. In the last games we got some really good goals through set pieces, so we are just happy to get these extra goals as well."

Did you know?

• West Ham have won five of their last 11 Premier League matches (D3 L3); since (and including) the first game in this run against Spurs on 17 January, only Man Utd (23) and Arsenal (21) have won more points than the Hammers (18).

• Tonight is only the second time two West Ham players have scored 2+ goals in a Premier League game (Mavropanos and Castellanos) – the other was in May 1997 against Sheffield Wednesday, when Paul Kitson got a hat-trick and John Hartson a brace.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

Come back on Saturday for a selection of your replies

West Ham's hopes of Premier League survival are boosted by the return of Crysencio Summerville, who missed last weekend's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Leeds United through injury.

The 24-year-old is one of six changes for the Hammers, with Mads Hermansen, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Tomas Soucek, Pablo and Valentin Castellanos also coming into the starting XI.

Callum Wilson and Jean-Clair Tdibo are both also fit enough to be named on the bench after a spell on the sidelines.

West Ham XI: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Disasi, Mavropanos, Diouf; Summerville, Soucek, Fernandes, Bowen; Pablo,Castellanos

Subs: Areola, Wilson, Adama, Todibo, Magassa, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Potts, Kante

Wolves, meanwhile, are without defender Matt Doherty as they line up for a first Premier League game in 25 days.

Manager Rob Edwards makes one change from the side that managed a 2-2 draw with Brentford on March 16, with Angel Gomes starting in place of Mateus Mane.

Wolves XI: Sa, Mosquera, Bueno, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Andre, J.Gomes, Bueno; Bellegarde, A.Gomes; Armstrong

Subs: Bentley, Wolfe, Hwang, Arokodare, Lima, R.Gomes, Toti, Mane, Edozie

We asked for your views on facing Wolves in the Premier League given the importance of the fixture in the battle for survival.

Here are some of your comments:

Samuel: Every game from here on in has the feeling of a six-pointer but this feels like a game we should be winning. Yes, Wolves have improved but they're still winless on the road this season and we need to take advantage of that. I'm optimistic we can stay up and if we get three points on Friday, it will be a huge morale boost for the club.

Paul: In terms of confidence going forward, games don't get any bigger for the team and the fans. Having already lost twice to Wolves this season, there will be plenty of nervous Hammers fans - me included. Our season could pivot on this game.

Roland: Must win or we are down. Simple.

James: The Wolves game is going to be a big one, teams that are all but relegated can play with the handbrake off and free of pressure, couple that with the fact they will be facing a former manager and it will make for a tough test albeit one I am quietly confident West Ham will pass. My prediction? 1-0 - Adama Traore to score!

Bazza: When Moyes was the boss, we always won these "must-wins", especially six-pointers at home. That's the yardstick against which this team will be measured come Friday evening.

Adrian: Definitely a six-pointer, need three points to put pressure on the teams above us. Anything less and relegation will be very real.

Relegation rivals West Ham and Wolves meet for the third time this season.

Returning from hammer blow

West Ham need to bounce straight back after their FA Cup heartache last weekend, and what better way to do it than getting a win which would move them out of the relegation zone – even if it might only be for less than 48 hours.

The good news for the Hammers is that they are facing the bottom side, whose miserable season has meant they were seen as relegation certs well before Christmas.

But the bad news is that Wolves have beaten them twice already in 2025-26, and are enjoying something of a late-season renaissance, losing only four of their past 13 matches.

West Ham will take heart from the manner of their FA Cup fightback against Leeds on Sunday, when they scored twice in stoppage time. Scoring late goals was a feature of their cup run – four of their seven goals came after the 90th minute.

However, that's something of a contrast to their league form, where they have dropped more points than any other side in the final 15 minutes of matches.

Letting in goals has been a big problem for West Ham, whose tally of 57 goals conceded exceeds that of their opponents on Friday and is the second-worst in the top flight.

The Hammers have also conceded a joint-division-high 22 goals from set-pieces – although Wolves have only scored nine goals from set-pieces, the joint-lowest total in the Premier League.

Wolves in revival mode

Wolves kicked off 2026 with a 3-0 victory over West Ham – a repeat of that scoreline would see them move off the foot of the table for the first time since August.

It may prove to be a brief stay but moving off the bottom of the top flight is something that looked unlikely even six weeks ago when they suffered their 20th league defeat of the season, and were nine points adrift and still in danger of eclipsing Derby's record for the fewest points in a Premier League campaign.

Two wins and a draw since then have restored some pride to the Old Gold, and they will hope that the 25-day break since their last match has not stopped their momentum.

Avoiding relegation might be a step too far – Opta's Supercomputer, external gives them a 99.93% chance of going down – but they look determined to do it fighting every step of the way.

And with none of their remaining seven fixtures against top eight clubs – and four of them against teams in the bottom six – they could have a big say in who might join them should they end up in the Championship next season.

It's so hard to know what to expect this weekend, because so many teams have not played for a few weeks, and they will have lost any momentum.

Wolves know they are down but they have definitely improved under Rob Edwards, who has had some decent results after a difficult start. They are one of the teams who have been on a good run, but their last match was on 16 March.

Seeing West Ham's FA Cup tie with Leeds go to extra-time last weekend was the worst-case scenario for them, with a massive game like this on the horizon.

They obviously lost on penalties in the end, and their league form has not been great either, with only one win in their past six games.

That's why they are still in the bottom three at the moment but I think they will be out of the relegation zone on Friday night.

Wolves have beaten West Ham twice already this season, at Molineux in the league and the Carabao Cup, but this time I am going for a Hammers win.

All the pressure is on them here, but they are at home and Jarrod Bowen will probably be the player who makes the difference.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

The Premier League's return this weekend brings trepidation for some and excitement for others.

Football's emotional rollercoaster becomes intense at this time of year, unless of course mid-table mediocrity has taken a grip of things in recent months.

So how are you feeling as an West Ham fan with just a handful of weeks left to go?

The league form reads: DDLWDL

The next three league fixtures are: Wolves (h), Crystal Palace (a) and Everton (h)

Let us know how you're feeling here