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Not now Yes please
Sport Football Six clubs, only three survive: Who can escape the great Premier League relegation fight? A closer look at the six teams in a battle to avoid relegation from the lucrative Premier League this season
Sam Allardyce claims he's as good as Guardiola, Klopp and Arteta: 'Nobody ahead of me' Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
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Your support makes all the difference. Read more It is not often in the Premier League that the battle to avoid the drop is as captivating as who will be crowned champion, but with four games to go, six teams are in the fight to retain their status as top-flight clubs.
Newly promoted Nottingham Forest will hope the money they shelled out in the summer will be enough to keep them up for a second successive season and avoid becoming a yo-yo club, while Everton are facing a first relegation in over 70 years.
Adding in Southampton (11 years in the Premier League), Leeds and Leicester to the mix makes for a thrilling conclusion to the season.
So who will beat the drop, and who can make a great escape?
West Ham 15 th place, 34 points, GD: -13
A European hangover has heaped additional pressure on a squad that has not quite lived up to expectations after money was spent in the summer. While a sickness bug affecting the likes of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Nayef Aguerd undoubtedly made the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City tougher, it will be a difficult balancing act for David Moyes to manage the demands of the top-flight with Europa Conference League semi-finals. A trip to Brentford offers the prospect of points but could be overshadowed by the AZ Alkmaar fixtures, while the final matches at home to Leeds and away at Leicester could prove crucial, with the opposition in more desperate circumstances.
Remaining fixtures
West Ham v Manchester United – 07/05/2023
Brentford v West Ham – 14/05/2023
West Ham v Leeds – 21/05/2023
Leicester v West Ham – 28/05/2023
Leicester 16 th place, 30 points, GD: -13
As for most of the last 10+ years, Leicester could be looking towards Jamie Vardy to save them, after the 36-year-old has scored twice in his last two games, with the Foxes just clinging on to 16th place on goal difference. Dean Smith will certainly ponder the disappointment that the club hold the record for having lost the most points - 24 - from leading positions in the league this season. With Newcastle and Liverpool still to play, Leicester will have to target a trip to Fulham and a final-day clash with West Ham as targets to secure their safety.
Remaining fixtures
Fulham v Leicester – 08/05/2023
Leicester v Liverpool – 15/05/2023
Newcastle v Leicester – 22/05/2023
Leicester v West Ham – 28/05/2023
Leeds 17 th place, 30 points, GD: -24
The ultimate decision was made on Wednesday and a bold declaration of confidence from Leeds’ third permanent manager of the season Sam Allardyce that ‘there is no one ahead of me’ in terms of management. It was Leeds’ last throw of the dice to rescue a season that has seen them enter the final four matches in 17th place only due to their superior goal difference. Allardyce will undoubtedly have his work cut out for him with arguably the toughest run-in of any of those involved in the scrap for survival.
Remaining fixtures
Manchester City v Leeds – 06/05/2023
Leeds v Newcastle – 13/05/2023
West Ham v Leeds – 21/05/2023
Leeds v Tottenham – 28/05/2023
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Sam Allardyce becomes Leeds’ third manager of a turbulent season (PA Wire)
Nottingham Forest 18 th place, 30 points, GD: -32
Forest could be left to wonder what could have been after Brentford’s winner last Saturday condemned them to a seventh successive away defeat. Arguably one of the biggest spenders in the summer transfer window, shelling out well over £100 million, signing 21 players, Forest will be desperate to avoid the fate of Fulham, who went down having spent similar sums in the 2018-19 campaign. Other than the visit of Arsenal on 20 May, Forest could secure points from their other three games, but should target a home game against rock bottom Southampton on 8 May.
Remaining fixtures
Nottingham Forest v Southampton – 08/05/23
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest – 13/05/23
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal - 20/05/23
Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest – 28/05/23
Everton 19 th place, 29 points, GD: -25
Few would have predicted Everton’s current dire situation at the start of the season, but with four games to go, the club are battling to avoid being relegated for the first time since the 1950-51 season. While concerns continue off-field concerning finances surrounding the new stadium and an alleged breach of financial fair-play rules, if results do not pick up, Everton could find themselves in deep trouble. While others can rely on themselves to produce the required points, the Toffees will be looking around them and to crucial games at Brighton and a final game of the season at home to Bournemouth.
Remaining fixtures
Brighton v Everton – 08/05/2023
Everton v Man City – 14/05/2023
Wolves v Everton – 20/05/2023
Everton v Bournemouth – 28/05/2023
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Everton manager Sean Dyche is unhappy a “softness” has crept into their game (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)
Southampton 20 th place, 24 points, GD: -32
With four games remaining, Southampton would need an almost-unprecedented surge in form to overcome their six-point gap to 16th and 17th -placed Leicester and Leeds. Their recent dismal run of form shows no sign of changing with five defeats in their last six outings. A fourth managerial change in February did not deliver the hoped-for improvement in form. Barring a ‘great escape’ Southampton are unlikely to remain in the top flight.
Remaining fixtures
Nottingham Forest v Southampton - 08/05/2023
Southampton v Fulham – 13/05/2023
Brighton v Southampton - 21/05/2023
Southampton v Liverpool – 28/05/2023
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