It has undoubtedly been a poor start to the season for West Ham. With three losses from our first three Premier League games, Slaven Bilic’s job appeared to be in danger. But performances have improved with four points from our last two games though it’s clear that Bilic’s job is not secure, yet. Will our next three games put even more pressure on? Let’s have a look at who we face…

Bolton (H)

We face Bolton on Tuesday in the third round of the League Cup. We did have a good run in this competition last year, reaching the fifth round though we were knocked out by eventual winners Manchester United.

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Given that we have little chance of fighting for anything meaningful in the Premier League this season, we have to take this competition seriously. It is our best chance of winning a trophy and we have seen weak line-ups in the cup competitions in previous seasons. This year has to be different. But with Bolton losing their last four games and scoring zero goals in the process, it would not be a surprise to see Bilic rest key players in preparation for the London derby.

My prediction? 2-1.

Tottenham (H)

We saw West Ham on the receiving end of embarrassing results in big games last season but the game against Tottenham at the end of the season was special. Unlike us, they had a great season, challenging for the title once again, and we managed to put in a great performance. Can we do the same this season?

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Although Tottenham have struggled at home this season, they have been excellent away with two wins out of two. But in our last four home games against Tottenham, we have won thrice. We seem to relish facing them though any chance of winning is dependent upon the return of Manuel Lanzini. Tottenham’s defence is one of the best in the Premier League and we need Lanzini’s creativity or we face watching isolated forwards and a static attack.

My prediction? 0-2.

Swansea (H)

Swansea have struggled so far in the Premier League with only one win and these are the games where we have to pick up all three points. In the game against West Brom, it appeared that we were more concerned with not losing than winning but this game is at home. Let’s not forget that Swansea are much weaker having lost their star player Gylfi Sigurdsson. The game against Tottenham could have a big impact on our performance in this game given the long winless runs we went on last season.

My prediction? 1-0.