'I'm sure David will prepare to win' - Nuno hopes for Moyes favour but wary of Leeds 

HEADING DOWN?: West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo gestures on the touchline during the Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Picture date: Sunday May 17, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

West Ham may find themselves relying on David Moyes to save them from relegation again, and boss Nuno Espirito Santo knows Leeds will do them no favours.

The Hammers need to beat Daniel Farke’s Leeds to stand any chance of staying up, while desperately hoping Moyes can mastermind a win for Everton seven miles up the road at Tottenham.

Moyes, who twice rescued West Ham from relegation when he was manager, has already said he would “love” to help keep them in the Premier League.

But even a draw for Spurs would send their London rivals down given their vastly superior goal difference.

So if Moyes is to complete a Hammers hat-trick of sorts, Nuno knows his side have to be totally focused on the job in hand to condemn Spurs to the drop instead.

“I don’t consider it as a favour,” said Nuno. “I’m sure that David will prepare Everton to win, the same way that (Roberto) De Zerbi will prepare Tottenham to win, the same way that Daniel will prepare Leeds to win, the same way I’m preparing West Ham to win.

“It’s not a favour, it’s our job, it’s our responsibility, and it’s the last game of the season.

“There are many things besides our game that are going to be decided. So I expect a normal attitude from all the managers, from all the players. What else?” Should they go down, West Ham’s decline since Moyes lifted the Conference League trophy in 2023 will come into sharp focus.

Nuno, who replaced Graham Potter in September with the Hammers second from bottom, insists he was aware of the size of the task.

“I knew the situation, I embraced it, I joined West Ham, proud and thankful. It’s an honour to be here,” he said.

Should West Ham, or Spurs for that matter, take an early lead in their match the reverberations will be felt all around their rival’s stadium.

But Nuno added: “Since we joined it’s always been the same. There’s no other game you can impact, only yours. So you have to focus on your game.”

PA