Four games remain for teams at the foot of the table to try and salvage their respective seasons, but this year’s race for survival has proven to be the most unpredictable in the league’s 31-year history. Read below to find the Premier League relegation run-in for those most in danger of dropping out of the top-flight, and who out of the stragglers are most likely to be left trailing.
Premier League Relegation Run-ins Compared
Leeds
Javi Gracia’s truly dismal record as Leeds manager led the club to jump back into the managerial market for one more roll of the dice, and who better to steady the ship than ‘survival specialist’ Sam Allardyce.
For a side who equalled the record for the most goals conceded in a single calendar month in April, the task may be too much, even for Allardyce.
They find themselves ahead of 18th-place Nottingham Forest thanks to a superior goal difference, but three of the top six await them in their final four games, including a trip to league leaders Manchester City to hand the new boss the tallest of orders in his first game.
Current Position: 17th (30 points)
Remaining Fixtures: Manchester City (A), Newcastle (H), West Ham (A), Tottenham (H)
Everton
The Toffees were condemned to another week in the relegation zone after a thrilling 2-2 stalemate with Leicester on Monday.
It now means Sean Dyche’s men are a point from safety having stretched their winless run to seven games – they last tasted victory in mid-March against Brentford.
According to Opta’s supercomputer, which takes into account everything from recent form to the difficulty of upcoming fixtures, they are the second favourites to face the drop. An uphill battle awaits if they are to pick up points away at high-flying Brighton, before welcoming champions Manchester City in just over a week’s time.
Current Position: 19th (29 points)
Remaining Fixtures: Brighton (A), Manchester City (H), Wolves (A), Bournemouth (H)
Leicester
Leicester essentially swapped positions with Everton after their draw on Monday evening, and are poking their heads above water for a breath after several weeks spent in the drop zone.
They are far from safe however, and creator-in-chief James Maddison will be ruing his penalty miss that may well have moved them two points ahead of fellow rivals Leeds and Nottingham Forest, who are also on 30 points.
However, three games unbeaten is a promising step in the right direction for Dean Smith, whose arrival has signalled a shift in attitude at just the right moment.
Again, their run-in is littered with stumbling blocks, including a massively unwanted trip to Champions League hopefuls Newcastle in the penultimate gameweek, as well as a potentially defining home fixture with West Ham on the final day.
Current Position: 16th (30 points)
Remaining Fixtures: Fulham (A), Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), West Ham (H)
Nottingham Forest
Just when it looked as if Forest may be on a path to survival following a surprise 3-1 victory over Brighton, they were reminded of the gravity of their situation by Brentford last time out.
There are positive signs that point towards a team capable of another season in the top-flight, and their spirited showings against Liverpool, Brighton and Brentford may have been deserving of more than three points.
However, they remain in the relegation zone on goal difference, and will have identified their upcoming fixture with bottom-of-the-table Southampton at the City Ground as a must-win.
There are certainly opportunities further along the line for points, perhaps most notably away at Chelsea who have done nothing but lose since Frank Lampard’s arrival.
Current Position: 18th (30 points)
Remaining Fixtures: Southampton (H), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H), Crystal Palace (A)
Southampton
It is looking increasingly likely that Southampton will be playing Championship football next season.
The Saints are four adrift of 19th-place Everton, and haven’t tasted victory in nine games – a run that stretches all the way back to the beginning of March.
This, coupled two tricky away fixtures – a hop down the coast to face Brighton, as well as a monumental relegation fixture with Nottingham – means everything is pointing in the direction of relegation.
Current Position: 20th (24 points)
Remaining Fixtures: Nottingham Forest (A), Fulham (H), Brighton (A), Liverpool (H)
Related Football Content
- Football Betting Tips 2023 – Latest Picks & Football Tips
- Football Predictions May 2023
- Football Accumulator Tips 2023 – Latest Acca Betting Tips
- Best Correct Score Tipsters on Telegram & Social Media 2023
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
