With Queens Park Rangers and Reading’s future already sealed, it now remains to be seen which of the five most threatened sides will join those two in the Championship next season
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With just three games left in the season, a relegation fight is on the horizon.
After Queens Park Rangers and Reading were confirmed of their fate last week in a dull encounter which ended 0-0, it now remains to be seen which side will join them for life in the Championship.
As things stand, Norwich, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Wigan Athletic are all in danger of a possible demotion.
Wigan enjoy the benefit of a game in hand and will be looking forward to take advantage of their fortune.
Norwich City
Remaining fixtures
Aston Villa (home)
West Bromwich Albion (home)
Manchester City (away)
After winning just once in their last five Premier League encounters, the Canneries have been pushed towards a possible relegation scrap. Chris Hughton’s men who have managed 38 points out of 35 games, need eight points to ensure a guaranteed top flight stay. With Sunderland, Aston Villa and Newcastle trailing Norwich by just a single point, the Cannaries will need to be on their toes to remain in safety zone.
Norwich play fellow relegation threatened side Aston Villa and three points against them would be a major step forward for their survival.
Sunderland
Remaining fixtures:
Stoke (home)
Southampton (home)
Tottenham Hotspur (away)
The arrival of Paolo Di Canio has breathed life in a Sunderland side that was doomed for relegation. The Italian has managed to instil much needed belief in the side and has also done well in raising the energy levels of a squad that was not able to perform under Martin O’Neil. Two back to back wins against Newcastle United and Everton pushed the Black Cats away from the relegation zone.
However, a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa means that Di Canio still has a lot of work to do for a side that should be able to steer itself out of dire straits in one of their upcoming games against Stoke and Southampton. The next two encounters will be at home and if the black cats manage a victory in both, they might be able to afford a loss against Tottenham in the last game of their campaign.
Aston Villa
Remaining fixtures:
Norwich City (away)
Chelsea (home)
Wigan Athletic (away)
The recent mauling of Sunderland at home clearly shows that Paul Lambert’s young charges are going to fight tooth and nail for the right to preserve the club’s Premier League status. With 37 points, another win in the upcoming game away to Norwich would be exactly what the Villans need in order to survive the drop.
However Paul Lamert’s side is yet to play Chelsea at home, who could really be a hurdle in their quest for survival. Last time they met the Blues, they were given a mauling at the hands of the London side who ran riot scoring eight goals against the Villains.
Newcastle United
Remaining fixtures:
West Ham United (away)
Queens Park Rangers (away)
Arsenal (home)
After such a glorious last season, no one would have expected to see the Magpies standing where they are right now. A dismal run of form which saw them suffer back-to-back defeats at home – first against bitter rivals Sunderland and then against Liverpool, means that the Toons could be in for quite a rough ride.
It is quite amazing to see a side which qualified for the last eight of the Europa League, flirt with the relegation zone. Moreover, with so much talent in the squad, it will be quite shocking to see Newcastle return to the Championship after just returning from it.
Next up, Alan Pardew’s men play West Ham before they travel to London to take on already relegated QPR. A win in those games should be enough to guarantee safety. However, any more inconsistent displays will surely prove calamitous.
Wigan Athletic
Remaining fixtures:
West Bromwich Albion (away)
Swansea City (home)
Arsenal (away)
Aston Villa (home)
Once again, perennial relegation fighters, Wigan Athletic will be hoping for yet another “Great Escape” courtesy of their manager Roberto Martinez, the archetype of dramas on the final day of many a seasons. With four games and five points shy of the safety zone, Wigan Athletic will have to win at least three games in order to once again escape from the jaws of relegation.
And when it comes to devising escapades, no manager in the Premier League does it better than Martinez. Games against West Brom, Swansea and Aston Villa are winnable for the Latics, their spirited performance against Tottenham is a signal to Arsenal who should not take them lightly.
However, with the way relegation battles of yesteryears have panned out, it would be too early to rule out Wigan’s chances of survival even though they are bookies favourites to slip down.
The relegation battle has been full of surprises this season, West Ham and Southampton which were two of the sides promoted to the top tier of English football have fared well this season. Whereas teams like Newcastle and Sunderland who did ever so well in the last campaign are edging closer to a demotion.
Which Premier League club in your opinion will join Reading and Queen’s Park Rangers in the Championship next season?
