West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals has waved off any pressure on the Hammers to finish in the top four, claiming it is the established Champions League teams who should be feeling the heat.
Champions League regulars Chelsea visit the London Stadium on Saturday evening and the Blues are only ahead of West Ham on goal difference with the two teams tied on 55 points.
A win for the Hammers would see them in pole position to secure Champions League football next season with just five games remaining after the London derby.
One player who has been vital in West Ham maintaining their excellent start to 2021 is Jesse Lingard and Pablo Fornals has said he is more than happy to run himself into the ground in order to let Lingard have the freedom he needs to provide West Ham's attacking thrust.
"We needed someone like him, obviously when he put his boots on he is working, making the difference for us. If he is happy and making the difference for us I am really happy to run 15km if he is going to win the game," Fornals told Premier League Productions.
The Spaniard waved away claims that West Ham are under pressure going into the match against Chelsea despite knowing a win will take the Hammers above the Blues.
"We don’t have anything to lose," said Fornals. "We are fighting against everyone with a smile on our faces. The people who used to be in the top four or six are the ones who feel the pressure. We are just enjoying it, this is what brought us here and this is what will put us at the end of the season in the position that we want to be."
Fornals compared this season's remarkable European push with the relegation battle he endured in his first campaign at the club and added how proud he would be were he a boyhood Hammer.
"For me, I arrived last season, it was really hard for us and for me, fighting relegation," Fornals said. "We had pressure here until the last moment. This has been unbelievable. If I was born in Essex as a West Ham fan I’d be proud to be a Hammer.
"I am playing, trying to help the team in whatever position I play because every day it is a new one or different. I am really proud to be on the pitch helping my teammates."
Fornals has become one of Moyes' favourites at West Ham and his non-stop energy and work rate have pleased the manager.
Speaking earlier in the season Moyes described Fornals as "a lovely boy," adding that his "energy and enthusiasm is incredible."
With the trust of his manager and his team ethic, Fornals has quietly become a key player in the West Ham side. The Spaniard might be happy to let Lingard take the credit for driving the Hammers forward but it is the unsung heroes like Fornals who enable West Ham's star forward to shine.
