Cold, hard stats show only one team has been bottom of the Premier League at Christmas and managed to stay up, and that was West Brom five years ago (Baggies 8/1 to be relegated).

West Ham must hope that feat is repeated as they will prop up the table when they sit down to their Christmas dinners on Saturday.

A point was a creditable result from their last match at Blackburn, especially considering the Hammers have not broken their duck on their travels this season. But all the same, they will feel it was two points dropped against a team without a manager (West Ham 4/9 to be relegated).

In the end, it took a late equaliser from Junior Stanislas to even give them a point after Ryan Nelsen had bundled home Blackburn’s opening goal.

With all teams facing three games between now and January 2, all a club could really want at this time of year is for two of them to be at home. And that is the Hammers’ situation, as they face vital back-to-back games at Upton Park against fellow strugglers Everton and Wolves.

Avram Grant has denied having been told by the board that he had to win one of his next three games – including the Blackburn match – but if it is true then he must target a maximum return against Everton who are the draw specialists on their travels. The Goodison Park side have drawn five of their nine away games, losing just two.

The Hammers will be glad all three of their games are against teams in the bottom seven – their away match comes next, at Craven Cottage, where Fulham are battling for their lives, outside the drop zone on goal difference.

Going into the Boxing Day fixture, West Ham are three points away from safety, but the bottom half of the table is the tightest it has been for years and from Wigan – third from bottom on 16 points – there are only six points up to eighth-placed Newcastle.

Few teams can hope to survive without picking up at least a couple of away wins, and there are three others besides the Hammers who have drawn a blank on their travels so far. Christmas would be the perfect time for Wolves, Fulham and Birmingham to win away from home for the first time.

After such an impressive season last time, it is surprising to see Birmingham flirting with the relegation zone, but they have only won three times all season. Despite only losing once at St Andrews, the Blues are failing to kill teams off and have drawn four home games.

Birmingham’s festive programme is not what they would have wanted. They go to Everton on Boxing Day, then have to host Manchester United and Arsenal in successive matches (Birmingham 7/2 to be relegated).

Fulham could be forgiven for being distracted in the league last season while they progressed in the Europa League, but they have no such excuses this time. The Cottagers’ problem has been failing to get over the finishing line – they have drawn 10 Premier League games and only won twice (Fulham 7/2 to be relegated).

There is no escaping it, the Boxing Day clash between Wolves and Wigan at Molineux is a relegation six-pointer and neither side wants a draw from the fixture.

Latics have bounced back after the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal to draw 2-2 at home to Stoke and hold Everton to a goalless draw at Goodison Park. Wolves’ good work in the 3-2 home win over Sunderland in late November was undone in their only game since, a 3-0 defeat at Blackburn (Wigan 8/11 to be relegated, Wolves 5/6).

Of all the clubs at the bottom, Aston Villa arguably have most reason to feel confident going towards the turn of the year.

Villa are five places from the bottom and not entirely free of rumours that Gerard Houllier’s stay at the club will be a short one, but owner Randy Lerner is ready to splash the cash in January to try and help the club climb up the table (Aston Villa 10/1 to be relegated).

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