Nottingham Forest delivered a sensational 5-0 victory over Sunderland on Friday, moving eight points clear of the relegation zone and intensifying the pressure on Tottenham and West Ham. The win leaves Forest on 39 points, while Spurs sit 18th with 31 and West Ham 17th with 33.
"It's not enough yet," Forest boss Vitor Pereira cautioned, but history suggests his side is safe: no team with 39 points after 34 games has ever been relegated in Premier League history, and the average points needed to avoid 18th place is just 34.5.
Forest's first-half blitz, featuring goals from Chris Wood, Igor Jesus, Elliot Anderson, and Morgan Gibbs-White, was described by pundit Jamie Redknapp as "the result of the season." Gibbs-White has now scored in seven consecutive matches.
Attention now turns to Saturday's simultaneous kick-offs, where West Ham host Everton and Tottenham visit already-relegated Wolves. Both sides face tough run-ins, but Opta's supercomputer gives Spurs a 61% chance of finishing 18th, with West Ham at 38%.
"A win can change everything," said Spurs boss Roberto de Zerbi, whose side hasn't won since last year. West Ham, meanwhile, have won two of their last five under Nuno Espirito Santo, who stressed the importance of balance in the remaining matches.