Wolves, West Ham, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Everton and Southampton are all in risk of sliding to the Championship as the Premier League season winds down. It’s one of the most heated relegation battles in years, but who is most vulnerable?
Demotion to the Championship is not only a miserable experience for fans and players, but it can also result in job losses and significant reductions in playing and non-playing staff. But three teams must leave, and with ten points separating 15th and 20th, we are in for an incredible season finale.
Most clubs fighting for their lives have five games left, but West Ham has one more owing to various postponements, meaning there will be drama right until the end. Here we analyse the 2022/23 relegation battle in depth.
Leicester lift themselves out of the bottom three ⬆️ @LCFC | #LEIEVE pic.twitter.com/cCZjZrQ9Cp
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 1, 2023
The Premier League relegation battle: West Ham – 15th
West Ham should be too good to be relegated, but plenty of teams have stated that before and been demoted. David Moyes’ side has won nine games this season but has had a few disappointing performances that have scared Irons fans.
The club has arguably left it too late to fire David Moyes, but four points from their last three games should be enough to keep them up. The Hammers’ final two games are against Manchester City and Manchester United, and they are also progressed to the Europa Conference League semi-finals.
Remaining fixtures
Crystal Palace – A – April 29
Manchester City – A – May 3
Manchester United – H – May 7
Brentford – A – May 13
Leeds – H – May 20
Leicester – A – May 28
Leeds United – 16th
Leeds are fighting for relegation for the second Premier League season in a row. Last season, the West Yorkshire club avoided relegation by defeating Brentford on the final day of the season. Jesse Marsch, though, was unable to capitalise on that success and was fired earlier this year, and ex-Watford manager Javi Gracia has taken over at Elland Road.
The Spaniard won three of his first seven Premier League games, but the Whites have conceded 14 goals in their last four games and are experiencing a slump at an inopportune time. Leeds still have games against Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham before the conclusion of the season, so relegation to the Championship is a serious possibility.
Remaining fixtures
Bournemouth – A – April 30
Manchester City – A – May 7
Newcastle – H – May 13
West Ham – A – May 20
Tottenham – H – May 28
Nottingham Forest – 17th
Forest have had a peculiar season in the Premier League, which began with a wild summer. Steve Cooper’s men experienced a large inflow of players, which resulted in some disjointed performances, particularly away from home.
The World Cup break helped calm things down, and they’ve been impressive at home but have the league’s worst away record. However, a crucial victory over Brighton has given them a glimmer of hope as they enter the final five games of the season.
Remaining fixtures
Brentford – A – April 29
Southampton – H – May 8
Chelsea – A – May 13
Arsenal – H – May 20
Crystal Palace – A – May 28
Leicester City – 18th
Leicester have gone from title winners to relegation challengers in seven years, which may spell disaster. Brendan Rodgers has departed and Dean Smith has taken over, and despite having a squad full of great players, including James Maddison, they have lost 20 games due to terrible defending.
With five games remaining, the Foxes face home games against Everton and West Ham, as well as trips to Liverpool and Newcastle. The Foxes’ fate will be decided at home against fellow relegation hopefuls, and four points from their last two games has relieved some of the strain at the King Power.
Remaining fixtures
Everton – H – May 1
Fulham – A – May 8
Liverpool – H – May 13
Newcastle – A – May 20
West Ham – H – May 28
Everton – 19th
Everton appeared doomed under Frank Lampard who helped them retain their Premier League status last season, but they moved fast and aggressively to replace him with Sean Dyche. Dyche performed wonders on a shoestring budget at Burnley and has won three games as Toffees manager, the same number that Lampard managed before being fired in January.
They are now winless in six games and are out of time. However, the games against Leicester, Wolves, and Bournemouth are crucial; failure to win any of them will cost the Toffees their place in the Premier League.
Remaining fixtures
Leicester – A – May 1
Brighton – A – May 8
Manchester City – H – May 13
Wolves – A – May 20
Bournemouth – H – May 28
Southampton – 20th
The Saints have been bottom of the Premier League since New Year’s Eve, and Ruben Selles is their third manager of the season. Ralph Hasenhuttl and Nathan Jones were unable to get much from this bunch of players, but they have improved under Selles, defeating Chelsea and drawing with Tottenham.
However, they have given up too many points at home, and with five games remaining, they are six points from safety, with no clear path to victory.
Remaining fixtures
Newcastle – A – April 30
Nottingham Forest – A – May 8
Fulham – H – May 13
Brighton – A – May 20
Liverpool – H – May 28