West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United will be looking to end any lingering fears about relegation when they welcome London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to Upton Park for their final home game of the season. The Hammers currently occupy 14th place and, with a five-point cushion over the bottom three, safety is nearly assured already.
If Norwich City and Fuham fail to win this weekend, they will definitely stay up regardless of what happens against Spurs, but West Ham will be desperate to get the job done without help from elsewhere and avoid a nervy trip to title contenders Manchester City on the final day.
Sam Allardyce will also hope that a good performance at home will earn a positive reception from fans, having admitted it is frustrating to be criticised when he is setting the team up to get the best result possible. Negative tactics have been cited as the primary reason for supporters' unrest and a four-game losing run has added to the pressure on Allardyce, but the Hammers will take confidence from the fact they have beaten Spurs twice already this season.
Having been defeated at White Hart Lane in both the Premier League and Capital One Cup, Tottenham will hope to gain some revenge and stay on course for European qualification. Arsenal's victory over Newcastle United extinguished Spurs' faint chances of finishing in the top four but they are just three points behind fifth-placed Everton and six clear of Manchester United in seventh, albeit having played a game more than United.
Tim Sherwood is another manager whose position continues to come under scrutiny and he has admitted to being annoyed by the speculation, following fresh reports this week that Frank de Boer has been contacted about taking charge in the summer. Spurs are in decent form, though, having won 1-0 at Stoke City last weekend to extend their unbeaten run to four matches, and will be aiming to finish the season with a flourish.