The Premier League relegation battle appears to be heading down to the wire with five clubs seemingly embroiled in the fight to remain in the top flight.
It promises to be a ruthless scrap among the five sides to avoid being condemned to the Championship, only two will survive and it may even see a Premier League original sink to the second tier of English football for the first time since the inception of the league in 1992. Here we assess the chances of each team to remain in the Premier League.
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Everton
Any avid bettor will know that Manchester City are the odds-on favourites and currently priced at 1/10 to take the crown, according to the bookmakers at Marathonbet. Meanwhile, the usual top-four contenders in the form of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are ready to swipe, should the opportunity arise.
In contrast, Everton are nowhere to be seen inside the top 12 options and, if anything, if you were to make a bold football prediction today based on the recent form of the side, it would likely be for the Toffees to be relegated altogether. They have been an ever-present team in the Premier League since it first began in 1992 and although at times they have flirted with relegation, they have never succumbed. Yet, taking into account their dismal and unmotivated performances of late, there really isn’t much going for the team.
The disastrous tenure of Rafael Benitez has pushed the Toffees towards the wrong end of the table, leaving new manager Frank Lampard with a challenge ahead of him to steer the club to safety. Everton have the firepower and quality in their ranks to avoid the drop with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, but as the old cliché says, you’re never too good to be relegated.
Newcastle United
Newcastle were given a timely boost by their takeover by PIF, which along with the appointment of Eddie Howe to replace Steve Bruce has given the club a massive spark. The Magpies’ new owners spent significant sums in the transfer market to sign Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes.
As a result, Newcastle might have enough in their locker to scrape survival and recent wins over Leeds, Everton and Aston Villa have given them hope of a surge away from the drop zone.
Norwich City
The Canaries appeared on the course at one point to break the Premier League record for the fewest points in a campaign after failing to record a win in their opening ten matches. Daniel Farke paid the price for their struggles and was replaced by Dean Smith, who had been sacked by Aston Villa.
Smith has managed to get a tune out of the Canaries and has given them a fighting chance, but their lack of quality in the final third outside of Teemu Pukki is likely to be a death knell for the East Anglia outfit. They need to conjure something special to avoid a third relegation in three-straight Premier League seasons.
Watford
Watford have already sacked two managers this term and have turned to Roy Hodgson to dig them out of trouble. The Hornets do have a few talented players, but their squad and philosophy is such a mishmash of ideas due to the number of managers who resided in the dugout over such a short period it is very unlikely that Hodgson will be able to save them. The likes of Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr could offer hope if they start firing in the final third, but Watford does lack the cohesion to be able to put together a string of results to save themselves.
Burnley
The Clarets have enjoyed a solid tenure in the Premier League putting together six-straight seasons in the top flight, but now it appears that their journey is over. Sean Dyche’s men have continually punched above their weight amid the financial power of the rest of the league.
Burnley have endured financial issues off the field, and this has resulted in a decline in their performances on it. Dyche has pulled off miracles in the past, using his side’s resilience to secure narrow vital wins. However, on this occasion, it may not be enough.