The Premier League is finally returning and the relegation battle is coming back in full swing.
The current teams in the Relegation Zone are West Brom (20th place), Stoke City (19th place), and Southampton (18th), respectively.
West Brom is ten points away from safety and barring a miracle, they are going down, but Stoke and Southampton still have hope.
West Ham, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield, Swansea, Newcastle, and Brighton are still at risk of dropping into the Championship.
The next six games should provide a lot of drama and entertainment to finish the season. Here are some games to watch for in the Premier League Relegation battle…
Newcastle United vs. Huddersfield
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Newcastle is on the up after their most recent 3-0 victory over Southampton before the international break.
It has been an up and down season for the Toons, but a victory against Huddersfield will get them closer to safety. More importantly, Newcastle must stay up in order to keep Rafa Benitez at the club. The work he has been able to do with the limited financial resources and mediocre talent is impressive.
Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea, has been a spark plug for this Newcastle side and Huddersfield will need to worry about his pace and left foot if there are going to survive a trip to St. James Park.
Meanwhile for Huddersfield, they are in a poor run of form. Huddersfield have not won since beating West Brom on February 24th. However, with the return of talisman Aaron Mooy from injury, Huddersfield will feel confident.
Huddersfield defeated Newcastle in the reverse fixture at the beginning of the season and victory for both teams will put them a lot closer to safety.
West Ham vs. Southampton
Only Two points separate West Ham and Southampton. It is one of the most important games of the season for both clubs.
Southampton has been seen as a model club in the Premier League for the past few years. They have a reputation of developing talent and selling them off for high transfer fees (specifically to Liverpool).
However, this season has been a complete disaster, with Mauricio Pellegrini being replaced by Mark Hughes to save Southampton. Whether Mark Hughes can accomplish that remains to be seen.
West Ham has had a nightmare couple of seasons, ever since they made their move to the London Stadium from Upton Park. Scenes have turned particularly ugly, as supporters charged the field and threw quarters at the sporting director during a 3-0 defeat to Burnley before the international break.
West Ham seemed to be a club that is in perpetual crisis and relegation would be the cherry on top of a nightmarish couple of seasons. With Manuel Lanzini getting a knock during the international break, West Ham could be without its top playmaker in a crucial game.
The game is being played at the London Stadium, which regardless of the result, could make for some incredible entertainment.