Watford manager Nigel Pearson says his side must now face up to their tough run-in having let a shot at safety slip through their fingers at West Ham.
A torrid first-half saw the Hammers race to a 3-0 lead by the break, with Watford's only reply a second half Troy Deeney goal.
West Ham move three points clear of Watford, six points clear of the drop and to safety barring freak results over the final week.
The Hornets, however, must now face Manchester City and Arsenal in their final two games, knowing Aston Villa and Bournemouth aren't done yet in their battles to beat the drop.
"First-half we let the game pass us by," said Pearson. "We had passengers which is disappointing at this stage of the season.
"The second-half performance was much improved - very competitive. It's annoying. Very disappointing. It means now we have got to find another one or two good results.
"There's no getting away from the fact this result is bitterly disappointing. I'd expect better from our players - that's not to say everybody.
"It's a really poor result for us. It's a case of finding solutions. I'll look at it again and players will get honest feedback. There isn't time to dwell on it. The players will go home tonight and think 'wow we've let that one drift past us'. It wasn't good enough.
"We know that [we have the toughest run-in] but we have to cope with it. I can't waste time thinking about what everyone else will do.
"It comes back to bite you where you don't want to be bitten."
