Arsenal face West Ham United on Sunday in a game that could have huge ramifications on the title race.
Of course, this game will not only affect the title race.
West Ham are also battling against relegation, and, more interestingly for Arsenal, they are breathing down Tottenham’s necks at the bottom of the table.
Tottenham’s relegation battle has created a strange situation ahead of Arsenal’s clash with West Ham.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 35 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 44 | 46 | -2 | 42 |
| 17 |  TottenhamTottenham | 35 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 45 | 54 | -9 | 37 |
| 18 |  West HamWest Ham | 35 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 42 | 61 | -19 | 36 |
On one hand, Spurs need an Arsenal win to help their chances of staying up, but, then again, no Tottenham fan wants to see Arsenal win the league.
Now, Micky van de Ven has shared his verdict on this strange situation.
👋 GOOD RIDDANCE or PLEASE STAY: How would you feel about Tottenham being relegated from the Premier League?
Micky van de Ven comments on Arsenal vs West Ham
Speaking on the Premier League Preview Show, Micky van de Ven discussed this weekend’s game.
A West Ham loss will help Spurs in their relegation battle, that’s for sure.
The problem, of course, is that Arsenal winning is the last thing most Tottenham supporters want to see.
Spurs are currently just two points above West Ham near the bottom of the table, meaning Arsenal taking points off the Hammers would be hugely beneficial for Robert De Zerbi’s side. At the same time, Arsenal are still fighting for the Premier League title, which makes the situation deeply uncomfortable for Tottenham fans and players alike.
Van de Ven summed up that conflict perfectly.
“Yeah, I won’t be cheering on Arsenal to be honest. I know you say Arsenal can do us a massive favour, especially for themselves because they’re playing for the Championship. They can do us a massive favour winning against West Ham, and then hopefully we can get the three points against Leeds,” Van de Ven said.
It is probably the closest a Tottenham player can come to admitting he wants Arsenal to win without actually saying it.
That tension highlights how unusual the current Premier League table is.
Normally, Spurs fans would celebrate anything that damages Arsenal’s title hopes. This weekend, though, Arsenal beating West Ham would directly help Tottenham’s own survival chances. Supporting Arsenal is unthinkable for many Spurs supporters, but quietly hoping West Ham lose is a completely different matter.
Regardless of how things go this weekend, one thing is for sure, there’s plenty to play for in north London as we get into the final stretch of this season.
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