Leeds United sit eight points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League table, but the 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on Monday means West Ham are still just two points ahead of Tottenham in the standings.
West Ham had a great chance to put real pressure on Tottenham and go four points clear of the relegation zone. However, they failed to beat a Crystal Palace side who were in European action last week.
Leeds are still not mathematically safe despite being on 39 points. However, no one is expecting the Whites to go down after they won their last two Premier League games.
Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton has taken stock of the recent results and made a bold call on which teams he believes will stay up and which ones are destined for relegation.
The former West Ham star goes all-in on Leeds surviving
Leeds have yet to hit the traditional 40-point benchmark often associated with Premier League safety, but as things stand, they appear comfortably clear of danger.
Ashton insisted that Leeds are not going down and have done enough to earn one more season in the Premier League.
West Ham’s draw on Monday night must have encouraged Tottenham. However, the former Hammer believes Spurs have left themselves to do too much, and he does not see them staying up in the Premier League.
He also insisted that Leeds have exposed their relegation rivals this season.
“Leeds have it. All those teams down there want to be Leeds. They have shown them all up, really. I think 39 points will be enough to keep you up”, Ashton said on Sky Sports.
“I think Leeds win over Wolves on Saturday will be enough to keep them up now.
“I might be proved wrong, but I think it’s such a tough task, with so few games left, for Tottenham to gather that amount of points when there is that much pressure.”
Tottenham will now want the Whites to get the job done soon
Daniel Farke’s Leeds side look all but safe now and are likely just one win away from securing survival mathematically.
If they manage that in the next couple of games and then overcome Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final next Sunday, their focus could shift by the time they travel to face Tottenham Hotspur next month.
That is exactly the scenario Spurs will be hoping for, with Leeds already safe and an FA Cup final in sight, as it could prompt Farke to rotate his squad for that match.
Leeds take on Burnley at home before the trip to north London, and a victory there should effectively confirm their survival.
By the time they face Spurs, Leeds could have nothing riding on the result, which might play into Tottenham’s hands if it leaves their opponents a bit more relaxed and slightly distracted by the prospect of a Wembley showdown.
