Albeit in a rather fortuitous fashion, West Ham secured their spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 away victory against Burton Albion.

As he has done on several occasions already this year, Crysencio Summerville proved to be the difference for the Irons, with his 95th-minute goal making sure of the win.

The Hammers have drawn Brentford in the next round, and that will cause a major headache for Nuno Espirito Santo, and perhaps one that he didn’t need at this stage of the season.

Nuno Espirito Santo must choose a priority competition

Given the immediate risk of relegation that faces West Ham, extra fixtures are almost going to be a hindrance to their chances of staying up.

However, there’s also a case to be made that the Hammers could make it into the latter stages of the FA Cup, but whether they can achieve both is up for debate.

Survival has to be the goal for West Ham this season; otherwise, they will be in an absolute mess for years to come if they were to drop to the Championship.

With that in mind, you would almost expect Nuno to name a completely rotated side for that FA Cup encounter in March, but with a huge chance of a trophy, either decision he makes will be a massive risk.

It’s a position that no one will envy, but also one that Nuno can’t afford to be distracted by with three crucial Premier League encounters before then.

West Ham’s next three fixtures predicted

Before any consideration is made for that FA Cup clash with the Bees, West Ham need to make the most of their next few games.

The Irons host Bournemouth on Saturday evening, before making the trip to Liverpool and then Fulham the following midweek.

Bournemouth are having an excellent campaign, but a lot of their success has come at home, with just three wins from 13 on their travels.

With that in mind, West Ham need to be eyeing a victory, which would then slightly soften the need for a result away to Liverpool.

A trip to Fulham follows their clash with the Reds, and their home form has been excellent. The Cottagers have won seven of their 13 home games, meaning the Irons would likely gladly take a point.

If Nuno‘s side can take a minimum of four points from their next three games, it would be a healthy return.

For more on West Ham’s relegation battle head over to Football Insider for all of the latest updates.