West Ham on brink of relegation after Newcastle flop

NEWCASLTE, England, May 17 : West Ham United coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted that his side's chances of staying in the Premier League were fading fast after Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Newcastle United left them two points adrift of the safety zone with one game left to play.

If 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea on Tuesday, they will condemn their London rivals to the drop five days before West Ham host Leeds United in their final game of the season.

Such is Spurs' goal difference advantage that even a draw in one of their last two league games would likely seal West Ham's fate. 

"Let's wait on Tuesday, but we have been in these situations in recent weeks where you have chances to go and don't take it, then we expect what is happening in other games. It is possible, but it is difficult," the Portuguese coach told Sky Sports. 

Espirito Santo's decision to send his team out with a back three was punished almost immediately as Newcastle went 2-0 up within 19 minutes, forcing him to change tactics.

"We had a big disadvantage because we conceded two goals, but the game was not lost - we tried to react, but the way we conceded was poor. Even though we tried to react, it was not enough," he said. 

The final whistle saw West Ham fans excoriate the players.

With sports analytics company Opta giving West Ham only a 6 per cent chance of staying in the Premier League, things are looking ominous for the Londoners. 

"Let's try to finish the season with dignity and respect for the club. It is a hard week ahead of us, but we owe it to the club to try until the end," Espirito Santo said.