Premier League: The race to avoid the drop shapes up in the relegation zone
With only eight games to go in the Premier League season and the title all but wrapped up, attentions turn to the other end of the table, where almost half the league is still under threat of relegation.
For all of Manchester City’s dominance at the top of the table, the lower reaches of the Premier League are ferociously tight, with teams attempting to claw themselves to safety, only to be pulled back into the panicked chaos of a relegation battle.
This trend has been constant throughout the season, claiming the jobs of ten managers in the process. As of 24th January, Watford, then in 10th place, were only six points above the relegation zone, and were looking nervously over their shoulders.
This is emblematic of a season where the magical 40 point target to avoid relegation has been revised to 36, and in some cases, 34, in order to encapsulate the turmoil in the bottom half of the table. Here I’ll attempt to outline the remaining teams in peril, and their chances of remaining in the Premier League.
West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies have been utterly shocking. With just three Premier League wins all season, they deservedly languish at the foot of the table, eight points off the safety of 17th spot.
They fired Tony Pulis in November, appointed Alan Pardew in his place, and have contrived to get worse. Under Pardew, they have only won one game, a 2-0 success over Brighton in January, and appear to be just about dead and buried.
With three of their final five games coming against Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs, the odds of a stunning turnaround in form are slim. In an unpredictable season for the lower half of the table, West Brom are the closest thing to guaranteed relegation fodder.