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Sky Sports’ data-driven supercomputer has issued a stark warning over West Ham United’s Premier League future, despite the club’s recent revival under Nuno Espírito Santo.
After a difficult run of form, West Ham went into the international break buoyed by back-to-back victories over Newcastle United and Burnley at the London Stadium, results that appeared to breathe fresh life into their season. But according to Sky Sports’ Between the Lines analysis, the numbers tell a far more troubling story.
Using its xG-based model, Sky reconstructed how the Premier League table “should” look after 11 matches. While the Hammers would be expected to sit 15th — and marginally better off by a single point — the bigger shock comes from the supercomputer’s long-term forecast.
In a simulation of 100,000 possible outcomes for the remaining fixtures, factoring in performance data, probabilities and upcoming schedules, the model predicts that West Ham will be relegated to the Championship. The analysis suggests the club will finish 18th on 36 points, dropping out of the top flight on goal difference, level with Fulham.
Burnley and Wolves are the other sides expected to go down.
Such a prediction will alarm supporters and pundits alike, particularly given the renewed optimism around Nuno’s early impact. A win away to Bournemouth would significantly strengthen the Hammers’ position, but Sky’s projection underlines the fragility of their recovery.
If Nuno wishes to guard against complacency following the recent upturn, he may need only to show his players the supercomputer’s predicted final table.
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