West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest: Which team has the toughest run-in in Premier League relegation battle?

As the 2025-26 Premier League season races towards its conclusion, the spotlight is firmly fixed on one of the most intriguing and entertaining relegation battles that the division has produced for several years.

While both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley have already had their demotion confirmed, the third and final relegation place is yet to be decided, and there are several teams still in contention.

West Ham United currently occupy 18th place, but just three points separate them from 16th-placed Nottingham Forest, while the surprise inclusion is 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with one of the Premier League's big six clubs remarkably still battling for their survival.

With so little separating the three sides heading into the final weeks of the campaign, here, Sports Mole assesses which team has the toughest run-in in the Premier League relegation battle.

West Ham United - 18th (36 points, 35 games)

West Ham United are the side currently sitting inside the relegation zone, with the Hammers having picked up 36 points from their 35 league games, leaving them one point behind Tottenham and three behind Nottingham Forest.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side are not only worst placed in the run-in, but they also head into their final three fixtures off the back of a disappointing 3-0 loss to Brentford, which ended their run of two wins and one draw.

The Hammers do have the benefit of two home games in their final three, but each fixture poses a significant challenge, with Arsenal visiting the London Stadium, a difficult trip to St James' Park to face Newcastle United and a final-day meeting with Leeds United.

As the Gunners continue fighting for the title, Newcastle in contention for a European place and Leeds still with the potential of being dragged into the relegation fight, each of their opponents also has plenty at stake.

Consequently, Santo and his West Ham side face a difficult run-in as they fight for their Premier League survival.

Tottenham Hotspur - 17th (37 points, 35 games)

Tottenham Hotspur, rather remarkably, remain battling for their top-flight safety, currently leading West Ham United by just one point, but their form has taken an encouraging turn in recent games.

Spurs are now unbeaten in their last three and have won each of their last two matches, which will provide them with plenty of much-needed confidence as they prepare for a tense final few weeks of the campaign.

Roberto De Zerbi's side will first face Leeds United at home, which provides a particularly challenging opponent given the Whites are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games, including three wins and three draws.

Spurs then follow that up with a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge, where rivals Chelsea will be desperate to snatch all three points and provide a significant dent in Tottenham Hotspur's survival hopes.

Everton will then make the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the final day of the campaign, providing a tough last fixture with the Toffees likely to be fighting for their chance to return to European competition for the first time since 2017-18.

Overall, with Spurs' return to winning ways in recent weeks, Tottenham Hotspur will fancy their chances heading into the final games of the season, but each match certainly presents a potential stumbling block.

Nottingham Forest - 16th (39 points, 34 games)

Finally, Nottingham Forest head into the final weeks of the campaign in undeniably the strongest position, boasting a three-point lead over West Ham United and also having a game advantage over their relegation rivals.

The Tricky Trees are also enjoying a stellar run of results under Vitor Pereira, remaining undefeated in their last nine matches across all competitions and last six Premier League encounters, featuring three wins and three draws.

However, Nottingham Forest do face the added challenge of competing in the Europa League, in which they are scheduled to face Aston Villa in the second leg of their semi-final - which they currently lead 1-0 - meaning a European final could also be added to the schedule.

As Pereira juggles the demands of competing in both the Europa League and Premier League, Nottingham Forest also face arguably the toughest run-in of the three teams, scheduled to clash with Chelsea, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Bournemouth.

Nottingham Forest will be boosted by their home fixtures against Newcastle and Bournemouth, while they will also be hoping that Manchester United's motivation could be in doubt, as the Red Devils have already secured Champions League football and have little beyond pride at stake.

Who has the toughest run-in?

West Ham arguably face the toughest run-in on paper, but the pressure will be greater on Tottenham Hotspur given the stature of the club and the narrative surrounding their potential relegation, while Nottingham Forest's fixture congestion will only further increase the difficulty of their schedule.

Ultimately, all three teams will face their own challenges in the final weeks of the campaign, and the relegation battle looks certain to deliver further twists before the last demoted team is confirmed.