Leicester City have been given a chance to close the gap to 17th to two points, but they will have to overcome some poor recent form to do so.
Wolves' loss to Fulham has opened the door for City to put pressure on their Midlands rivals. But since beating Tottenham 2-1, City have lost four straight games in all competitions, conceding 12 goals and scoring just once.
Now they take on a West Ham side that will be buoyed by beating title-chasers Arsenal at the weekend. While they are just three places above City, the gulf to them is 13 points.
We are live at the London Stadium to bring you updates, analysis and reaction. Kick-off is at 8pm with team news expected from 6.45pm.
Key Events
How likely do you think it is you will be in charge against Chelsea?
RvN: “What do you want me to say? I keep working, I keep going.”
Did your team do enough in the second half? West Ham were still comfortable
RvN: “There were, in a way. What did you think of the first half? How comfortable were they in the first half? Not slightly (more comfortable), massively more.”
Is there a message of hope? It seems like supporters are running out?
RvN: “We know the situation we’re in, we know the table, we know how quickly football can turnaround. We saw today, in two different halves, for me very clearly how to move forward. It’s the approach of the second half. The players went out there to try to win the game and that has to be a big lesson in the mindset of trying not to lose.”
Why are you not creating good chances?
RvN: “The first half we created absolutely nothing because of the lack of initiative and the safe option on the ball, and the safe option off the ball. The second half we had the approach to go forward and without the ball more. At least we get close to scoring, with crosses and corners and some dangerous situations. If you don’t do that, and play like we did in the first half, you don’t have any chance of scoring.”
Are players giving you everything?
RvN: “They’re giving me everything, yes. What I tried to explain is the situation we’re in, the confidence, and the lack of it, showed. We looked for safety by sitting deeper, by not pressing forward like we approached the game. It’s more that mentality I have to be able to implement in the squad, convince them that by initiative and going out there to win is the way forward, not to try not to lose.”
Van Nistelrooy on performance
RvN: “I saw two different halves. I saw a first half where we tried not to lose and I saw another half where we tried to win. That’s the situation we’re in. The confidence in the run of form and the position we’re in is low. Then you go in within a mindset of trying not to lose and that’s what I saw in the first half. Thank God the second half they shrugged that off and started to take initiative to try to win. That’s what you saw. But the damage was already done.”
FT: West Ham 2-0 City
Well, it wasn't embarrassing, but that dreadful first half cost City. There were boos from the away end at the whistle.
They remain five points from safety.
Reaction to come from van Nistelrooy.
Two more subs
Thomas is on for Kristiansen and Daka is on for Vestergaard. City have two up top, but it feels a little too late.
Vestergaard denies Ferguson
West Ham haven't done a lot of attacking themselves this half, as they haven't needed to, but they get a chance for a breakaway with Bowen.
He runs the length of the pitch, feeds Ferguson, and as the Irishman shapes to shoot, Vestergaard dives in to deny him with a great block.
It's not happening for City
The big chances they need to get something from this game just aren't there for them, despite improvements this half.
Mavididi looks keen
Mavididi looks determined to make an impact and is pressing like a terrier. Winks is getting on the ball too.
And now we have a rare City chance. West Ham fail to clear their lines and El Khannouss gets a volley away that is blocked out for a corner.
From there, Vestergaard gets a header away, but it's easy for Areola to claim.
Double sub
Mavididi is on for De Cordova-Reid and Winks is on for Soumare. Neither of those going off had good games.
Better
These past few minutes we've just seen a little more urgency, and greater willingness to get the ball into the penalty area.
More of that is needed.
Not enough to suggest game will change
We've not long hand a break away that ended with a poor El Khannouss pass. He was not aware of his surroundings there. And then we've had a little one-minute spell of possession in the West Ham half.
But it's not anywhere near enough to suggest that City can get back into this game.
Half-time: West Ham 2-0 City
What hope is there after that?
City played well for about two minutes, but it's been totally uninspired since then.
West Ham probably haven't had an easier half of football all season.
Goal. Bowen squeezes in West Ham second
That'll probably go down as an own goal eventually.
But as far as City are concerned, it doesn't matter. They're still training 2-0.
Vardy meets a West Ham corner at the near post but Bowen blocks it and it falls nicely to the West Ham skipper.
But there's no urgency to try to shut him down, and he produces a cross-shot from a tight angle that deflects off Vestergaard to beat Hermansen at his near post.
Bowen shot dribbles wide
It's decent combination play from the Hammers on City's left, and it's enough to completely bypass the City defence.
Ward-Prowse rolls the ball back to Bowen and his low shot trundles a couple of yards wide of Hermansen's post.
Drab game
Honestly, the game is being played like both teams are happy with the scoreline as it is, which is a problem for City given they're getting no points from it at the moment.
The City fans were just ironically cheering completed passes. They've not been near the West Ham box in a good 20 minutes.
Goal. Soucek taps in
It's given. He's onside.
City just about escape a dangerous cross from their left, but Buonanotte's clearance at the back post is poor and it's straight to Cresswell 20 yards out.
It's not the best of shots from the defender, but Kudus is running in, breaking the offside trap to get a toe on the shot. Hermansen saves with his face, but Soucek is next to follow in, tapping in to the empty net.
Vardy in behind
Justin's long ball is pinched off Kilman by Vardy and he gets around the defender and into the box. He looks for the cutback to De Cordova-Reid but Cresswell is back to intercept.
Buonanotte then wins the ball back and looks to dribble forward. But he's essentially heading into enemy territory alone. Nobody is supporting him, and he is eventually crowded out by three men.
Signs of life
We've just had a Buonanotte dribble at the West Ham defence and now City are keeping the ball a little better.
They're struggling to progress into the attacking third though. El Khannouss gets barged over by Alvarez as he tries to make a break.
For the neutral, it's not been the most interesting start to the game.
West Ham have had 88 per cent possession
There's the level of domination for you. From the first nine minutes, West Ham have had nearly 90 per cent of the ball.
It feels like it will be hard for City to win the game if that remains the case.
West Ham now dominating
After that City spell of pressure, they then have three minutes where they're camped in their own half and letting West Ham dictate play.
West Ham are playing with wing-backs and City are congested, meaning the switch to Wan-Bissaka on the right touchline is on all the time for the Hammers.
But City hold firm and don't concede a chance, as Kristiansen just about heads a deep cross back to Hermansen.
First shot goes City's way
It was all City in the first two minutes, and their pressure gets them the first shot of the game, Ndidi digging one out from the edge of the box that Areola has to save low. It was tame, really, from the Nigerian.
"We've had a shot!" chant the City fans, before they sing "We want Rudkin out!"
Kick-off!
Here we go! Can City get the three points they desperately need? We'll find out over the next 90 minutes.
The teams are out
Bowen and Vardy lead the two teams out. City are in all black tonight.
Kick-off is coming up shortly.
The impact on the table
Wolves lost at home to Fulham on Tuesday while Ipswich lost to 10-man Manchester United last night, so it's been a good week for City so far.
Can they take advantage? If they win tonight, they will move to within two points of Wolves in 17th. Although, their goal difference has taken a battering in recent weeks, so they would still need three points to overtake them.
Of course, winning is far easier said than done. City have taken just three points from their last available 33.
West Ham unchanged
Perhaps not surprisingly given they're coming off a 1-0 win over Arsenal, but Potter has kept the same starting 11.
