The stars appear to be aligning for West Ham on and off the pitch ahead of their crucial Premier League clash with bitter rivals Spurs.
There is no love lost between the Hammers and Tottenham Hotspur but rarely has more been riding on a Premier League match between them than there is this weekend.
West Ham and Spurs have been so bad over the last two years that both their fanbases have been protesting for new owners.
Tottenham managed to win the Europa League to give themselves Champions League football and the added income that comes with it.
That has enabled Spurs to goad West Ham, especially since ending a 14-and-a-half-year transfer embargo by snatching away Mohammed Kudus for £54.5m in the summer.
Stars align for West Ham as Spurs crisis deepens
Whatever some Hammers fans feel about Kudus and his lack of end product, there is no doubt they have missed his explosive power and pace.
One look at the league table is evidence of that.
While Tottenham fans think they have it bad enduring the struggles under yet another manager in Thomas Frank, the Hammers are cut adrift in the Premier League relegation zone.
Most have already written the Hammers off in their bid for survival with 17 games to go.
But a win over fierce rivals Spurs could breathe new life into West Ham’s fight.
And now the stars are aligning for West Ham as Spurs lose seven key players for the crucial clash that could see Frank sacked.
The atmosphere at Tottenham’s stadium is extremely volatile with the club once again massively underperforming as they sit 14th in the table.
After exiting the FA Cup, Spurs fans – many of whom have been calling for Frank’s head – are planning a protest against their owners ahead of and during the West Ham match.
Protests, 7 key stars out and Frank sack looms as Spurs host Hammers
Tottenham players have been bickering with supporters and speculation has been rife Frank could be sacked if he suffers a defeat to lowly West Ham.
Victory for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side could close the gap on safety to four points, giving the Hammers hope heading into the last 16 games.
West Ham won for the first time in 11 matches when beating QPR 2-1 in the FA Cup at the weekend.
So the Hammers head to Spurs with a bit more confidence.
Meanwhile Tottenham will go into the game without seven key stars – including their top goalscorer and their best player.
Tottenham’s top scorer and chief wind-up merchant Richarlison will miss the West Ham game through injury.
So too will that man Kudus, arguably Spurs’ best player this season, who is out until April.
Midfield duo Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur are both out as are long-term absentees Dejan Kulisevski and James Maddison.
Pape Sarr is still at AFCON, along with West Ham’s El Hadji Malick Diouf. They play Egypt in the AFCON semi-final on Wednesday night.
Even if they are knocked out, their return to action for the weekend is not guaranteed.
Question marks over Gallagher and Paqueta for Spurs vs West Ham
Destiny Udogie is another who has been a doubt but is expected to be available.
Spurs could however be boosted by the signing of longstanding West Ham target Conor Gallagher while the Hammers may be without Lucas Paqueta, who refused to play in the FA Cup as he pushes for a move back to Brazil.
Spurs have also made an offer to West Ham for Paqueta.
With Frank under pressure to win to keep his job, disgruntled fans protesting against the owners and at odds with the players and a team already in poor form missing seven key stars there will arguably never be a better time for West Ham to beat Tottenham.
And a win over their rivals has arguably never been so important given their Premier League lives are very much on the line.