Tottenham handed survival hope by Supercomputer as relegation rivals given just 22.2% win chance

Tottenham handed Premier League survival hope as Opta’s supercomputer backs their relegation rivals to slip up.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a significant mathematical boost ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, with Opta’s supercomputer predicting that Brentford are favourites to beat West Ham United at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, a result that could dramatically reshape the relegation picture if Spurs simultaneously pick up points at Aston Villa on Sunday.

The data gives Brentford a 54.4 per cent chance of victory against the Hammers, with West Ham given just a 22.2 per cent probability of winning. Keith Andrews’ side sit ninth in the table and are chasing European qualification, giving them significant motivation to take all three points from a fixture that carries enormous consequences for the clubs at the other end of the table.

The current standings make the potential permutations stark. Tottenham sit 18th with 34 points from 34 games, two points behind West Ham in 17th. If Brentford beat the Hammers and Spurs win at Villa Park, Roberto De Zerbi’s side would end the gameweek outside the relegation zone, sitting one point above West Ham who would drop to 18th.

Tottenham must defeat Aston Villa

The caveat is significant and cannot be overstated. Tottenham must do their own job at Villa Park, and Aston Villa represent a formidable test. Unai Emery’s side are chasing Champions League qualification, sitting eight points clear of Brighton in sixth, and will arrive at this fixture with genuine ambition of their own. However, the fact that Villa have a Europa League commitment before facing Spurs could work in Tottenham’s favour, with potential fatigue and rotation affecting the home side’s sharpness.

Tottenham’s record at Villa Park also offers encouragement, with the ground having proven a more hospitable venue for Spurs than the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been this season, where the weight of expectation and a fractured atmosphere have contributed to some of the campaign’s most dispiriting performances.

With four games remaining and Nottingham Forest already eight points clear of the relegation zone, the battle for survival has effectively become a straight fight between Tottenham and West Ham. The supercomputer’s prediction that Brentford will do Spurs a favour is welcome news, but De Zerbi’s side have spent too much of this season relying on others. Villa Park on Sunday is where their own fate must be taken firmly into their own hands.