'I was there when West Ham sealed survival before - here's why I'm not worried this time'

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Matt Jarvis knows all about the benefit a strong cup run can have for West Ham as they battle against the drop. The England international winger was part of Sam Allardyce's Hammers squad in the 2013/14 season when they pulled themselves out of danger after Christmas, buoyed by a run to the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Manchester City were the club who stopped them in their tracks on that occasion, thumping Allardyce’s team 9-0 on aggregate, but by that point the London side had built on cup results and would lift themselves clear of the bottom three just weeks later. As they prepare to welcome City to the London Stadium this weekend, the situation isn’t all that different.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sit in 18th place, but just a point would lift them out of the drop zone - at least until Nottingham Forest play on Sunday. A first league victory over City since 2015 would also temporarily lift them above 16th-place Tottenham, and the Manchester club's midweek struggles could offer hope.

West Ham looked dead and buried after defeat at home to Forest in early January left them seven points from safety. However, a turnaround began with an extra-time victory over QPR in the third round of the FA Cup , with further triumphs over Burton and Brentford - the latter coming via a faultless penalty shoot-out - setting up a home quarter-final with Leeds, which will see the winners head to Wembley for the semis.

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“You can see from the team against QPR, getting a result, it sparked everything, and it was the same for us back then,” Jarvis tells Mirror Football . “You go back to it and it's something you can cling on to.

“Winning and doing well in a cup competition just breeds confidence and that's the identical situation to both teams. They're thriving off getting a good cup run, which the fans are as well.

“Everyone wants to have a good cup run and it just makes the whole place, the whole feel of the stadium, the training ground... You can feel that everyone's in good spirits, everyone has high energy and it all comes from playing and winning in games, and that includes the cup run.”

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West Ham followed that cup defeat in 2014 with a run of 13 points from a possible 15, which lifted them from 18th to 10th. They ended the season with 40 points, enough for a cushion over the teams below, though the same tally might not be enough this term.

If Nuno is able to secure safety it could well come at the expense of one of his former employers. And Jarvis, who is an ambassador for West Ham’s Disabled Supporters’ Association, has been able to see up close how the manager has made an impact on the training ground in a way that has become visible on the pitch.

“Those are the really important moments, when it's not going so well, you have to maintain positivity,” he adds. “Your mindset has to be ‘work harder, dig in, everyone together’. There can be arguments, but there's no 'I am'.

“You can see the character in the players, from the manager, you can see now this is a West Ham team that's probably what you expected from when Nuno came in. The togetherness of the group, the signings have done really well as well from when they've come in in January, which has obviously galvanised the group.”

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The sale of Lucas Paqueta in January left the club needing to fill a gap but they were busy throughout the winter window. New strikers Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos joined at the start of January, with the latter starting the recent run of results when he scored the winner against QPR, while winger Adama Traore and centre-back Axel Disasi arrived later on to add Premier League experience.

“Disasi's been outstanding since he's come in,” Jarvis says. “I think he's been a revelation, really, with regards to a player that hasn't been playing, desperate to prove himself as well.

“To come into a team that was maybe struggling a little bit defensively, he's come in and he's been so solid and then whoever's been partnered next to him has really benefitted from his composure, his athleticism. That's a huge part of being able to stay in the league first and foremost but to actually have a solid base at the back, and he's been instrumental in that.

“And then Taty at the other end, I think his energy and his work rate is something that West Ham fans take to, that's the minimum they expect and he's been able to do that. Obviously picking up a few goals as well is crucial when you're in that role as a centre-forward.”

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West Ham have picked up the same number of points in their last eight league games than in their first 21. They only won eight times in all competitions throughout 2025 but if you include the penalty shoot-out victory over Brentford on Monday then they’re already up to seven in 2026.

“We mention the QPR game but now, from that, the belief has been there,” Jarvis says. “The players, the look and the feel of the place. Even tactically, you see it's a completely different West Ham team.”

For now, they’re looking to stay in touch by the time the international break rolls around at the end of March. Second-place City and fourth-place Aston Villa represent tough opponents, while rivals Forest and Spurs face one another on March 22 in what could end up being a relegation six-pointer, but Jarvis recognises West Ham can only focus on their own games.

“There's always going to be some standout results from now until the end of the season, but for West Ham, all they can look for is to continue the momentum they have had in the last few weeks.

"Results have been good, performances have been good. That's ultimately what every single West Ham fan wants is to show that the players are committed, the manager's committed and everyone is together in it.”

For more information about the West Ham United's Disabled Supporters Association visit https://www.whudsa.com/