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West Ham face a must-win game against Wolves as they fight for Premier League survival but may have just shot themselves in the foot by doing Rob Edwards’ team talk for him.
The Hammers welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the London Stadium on Friday night knowing victory will lift them out of the relegation zone – for 48 hours at least.
With seven games to go, West Ham know they need at least three – possibly four – wins from their final seven games.
Playing the Premier League’s bottom side Wolves, at home, represents the club’s best chance at chalking off one of those victories – on paper at least.
West Ham risk doing Wolves’ team talk ahead of clash
The Hammers have already lost twice to Wolves this season, including an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at Molineux in the reverse fixture.
Jean-Clair Todibo made a salient point ahead of the game, saying he and his West Ham teammates are under pressure whereas Wolves are playing with freedom given their relegation has been all but confirmed for months.
Sorry Pablo, but this team (if fit) are beating Wolves 👍
Any changes?
Credit: GRV Media
Nuno Espirito Santo needs all his best players available if West Ham are to have a chance of staying up.
The Hammers have been boosted by the return of seven of their nine missing stars ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers coming to east London.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
The Irons simply must win the game – so the last thing they need is to give the visitors any added incentives or motivation to make life difficult.
Step forward the club’s media team.
Because West Ham have risked firing up Wolves with comments ahead of the crunch clash.
The club’s official preview for the game contains a rather naïve and not-so-subtle dig at Wolverhampton Wanderers which shows a real lack of self-awareness.
West Ham’s media team have somewhat mocked Wolves’ campaign, despite having a woeful season which could yet end in relegation themselves.
“If the Premier League season had started on New Year’s Day, Wolverhampton Wanderers would sit 15th in the table,” West Ham wrote in the opposition section of the match preview.
The Hammers have a score to settle… ⚒️ v 🐺
What do YOU want to see in Friday’s six-pointer?
“With 14 points from 12 games, Wolves would sit above Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, two points above the bottom three and two points behind Liverpool and Newcastle United and one behind Aston Villa and West Ham United.
“Unfortunately for Wolves, the Premier League season started on 16 August 2025. From then until the end of the year, they collected just two points from their opening 19 games and were all but condemned to relegation.”
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
The Hammers may simply be stating facts of course.
But it is perhaps ill-advised to be giving the opposition any fuel which may fire them up and make West Ham’s efforts to stay in the top flight all the more challenging.
Rob Edwards may just pin this on the away dressing room wall.
The stakes have perhaps never been higher for the Hammers going into this run-in.
Victory over Wolves will lift Nuno’s side two points above Spurs and level with Nottingham Forest on 32 points.
That would push Tottenham into the relegation zone ahead of a tough trip to Sunderland on Sunday while Forest face Villa.
West Ham would also then be just a point behind Leeds, who have a difficult away game at Man United on Monday night.
Relegation run-in remaining fixtures:TeamRemaining fixtures (Opponent + H/A)West Ham UnitedWolves (H), Crystal Palace (A), Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle United (A) and Leeds United (H)Nottingham ForestAston Villa (H), Burnley (H), Sunderland (A), Chelsea (A), Newcastle United (H), Man United (A) and Bournemouth (H)Tottenham HotspurSunderland (A), Brighton (H), Wolves (A), Aston Villa (A), Leeds United (H), Chelsea (A) and Everton (H)Leeds UnitedMan United (A), Wolves (H), Bournemouth (A), Burnley (H), Spurs (A), Brighton (H) and West Ham (A)Premier League table ahead of relegation battle:15Leeds31712123748-113316Nottingham Forest3188153143-123217Tottenham3179154050-103018West Ham3178163657-212919Burnley3148193361-282020Wolves3138202454-3017Join Our Newsletter
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