This season, the scrap to maintain EPL status is more hotly contested than ever. Not only does it involve more clubs – at least eight are in the mix and realistically you could count anyone outside the top 10 – but there is no one who is for all intents and purposes already down. There is still a long way to go in the season, and with comparison sites such as oddschecker listing all free bets still available, the odds are going to be better now than when it goes closer to the wire.
Here we look at the factors that could help swing the chances of survival in the bottom club’s favour.
Southampton
With Nathan Jones‘ short, very unsuccessful tenure over, a lot will depend on their next appointment, but current incumbent Ruben Selles has done his chances no harm with a very encouraging start. If things don’t go as planned, their summer transfer activity will be further held up to scrutiny. Southampton spent big, but largely on men who will develop into Premier League quality players. What Southampton need, and have needed all season, are players who can step up and influence games now.
That said, the one factor they have going for them, and which could very well prove to be the difference between staying up or dropping down into the Championship for the first time since 2011, comes in the shape of James Ward-Prowse. Very possibly the best dead ball striker in the league, he will need to stay fit for Soton to stand any chance of achieving survival.
Leeds
Very few Leeds games this season have been drab affairs but, right now, Leeds fans would swap any number of seven goal thrillers for a drab 1 – 0 victory. The worrying thing for Leeds is they currently have the worst form of anyone in the league. Momentum is huge in football, especially at the wrong end of the table.
Any sort of new manager bounce will be crucial, but the team need to find a way of still remaining potent up front while shoring up the defence. With too many people playing below par and not up to the level needed, it will be hard ask. The new gaffer needs to draw the same energy out of the team that worked for Marsch at the back end of last season.
West Ham
Perhaps those who have followed West Ham all their lives will be less surprised than the neutral at what has happened to the Hammers this season. They have gone from a team knocking on the door of the top six, to one hammering on the relegation trapdoor. The reasons for that are numerous, but what they do have going in their favor is that, on paper at least, they have the best team in the bottom half.
One of the biggest clichés in football is the idea that a team can be too good to go down. This has been found not to be the case on many occasions. That said, if any team can claim a haul of points from their last handful of games, you have to think West Ham have the talent to get them. No matter what league they play in next season, the vultures are already circling for their stars.
Bournemouth
Of the three promoted teams, Bournemouth have performed as expected, with both Forest and especially Fulham exceeding expectations. That, of course, is largely down to the finances available or at least spent by the three respective clubs. That said, the Cherries have put themselves into a position where they are very much in the mix for survival.
Perhaps the factor that will have the biggest influence on which league they ply their trade in next season is their run-in. Six of their last nine fixtures are against teams that are also fighting to stay up.
Everton
When Everton survived by the skin of their teeth last season, fans were hoping for something different this time out. If anything, the situation has been worse. Sean Dyche may not have been everyone’s first choice, but he is exactly the type of manager who will get the team playing like one and making them better than the sum of their parts, as demonstrated year in year out at Burnley.
Wolves
Of all the sides in and around the drop zone, Wolves are not only in the best form, but are also the team who look like perhaps they do deserve to be higher up. They don’t draw many games, which is a huge advantage. At this stage, one point don’t really help, whereas three can really propel you up towards the safety of mid-table.
Leicester
Much like with West Ham, it is a surprise to see Leicester mentioned with regards to a relegation fight. After a torrid start, they are starting to show better form, and they should be able to score enough goals to ensure they are safe come May. It is hard to imagine a team featuring the likes of Maddison, Barnes, Vardy, Tielemans and Iheanacho going down.
Nottingham Forest
There is no doubt that the transfer activity Forest underwent in the summer caused a stir. Part of this was the need to replace several loan players who got them into the EPL, but also, after seeing the woeful performances by Norwich last season, they knew they had to have a proper go at being a Premier League club. As was always going to be the case, it took time for the players to gel, for them to find a way of playing, and to find a starting eleven that worked.
The worry was that all that wouldn’t happen – if it ever did – until too late. Luckily for Forest fans, everything has started to click and they should be able to get enough points on the board to make the last couple of games relaxing affairs. Despite all the exciting players they have at the club, it is the manager Steve Cooper who, if they do survive, is the person who deserves the most credit.
